I always tell people that Reno is a sleeper. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like much. Folks visiting Tahoe are grateful for its small, easy-access airport, and that’s about the end of it. It’s not laid out the way you expect a nice small city or cute big town to be laid out: the river isn’t prime real estate—it’s dominated by industrial interests and a transfer station; there’s no university district with hippie boutiques and coffee shops; the architecture is mid; downtown is largely populated by derelict casinos and pawn shops. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great weekend in Reno, and I’m here to show you how:
Friday: Fly into the aforementioned ridiculously easy-to-navigate airport and head straight out to the Galena trails to stretch your legs; they’re nice no matter the time of year (bring snowshoes in Winter). I recommend the Thomas Creek trail, which winds through aspens along an idyllic creek. But depending on your ambitions and the weather, you can connect White’s and Jones Canyons as well for up to 14 miles of nicely maintained single-track. You’ll be hungry when you’re finished, of course, so hit up South Creek Pizza for some Neopolitan pies and local brews, then head back up 580 toward downtown. Whitney Peak and the Renaissance are your best options for non-gaming hotels, but there are plenty of nice Airbnbs around in different neighborhoods as well: I recommend Newland’s Manor or anywhere in the Old Southwest, really.
Saturday: Head to the Hub on Riverside for coffee and pastries or a breakfast burrito, and then walk along the river path to check out the mansions perched on the hill (including the gothic Newlands Manor, which belonged to a family of timber barons), the fisherpeople trying for a monster brown under the Keystone bridge, and perhaps a bald eagle sighting if you’re lucky. Walk across Virginia Bridge and imagine Marilyn Monroe throwing her wedding ring in there in the Misfits: when they built the new bridge, treasure hunters went down in the blocked-off river bed and pulled up scores of wedding rings tossed over by women getting quicky divorces in the 30s-50s. Then, double back to the Nevada Museum of Art and check out their Land + Environment collection plus whatever else is on. Cross the street to the Cheese Board or Bar Centro when you get hungry for lunch. Then, you’ve got some options: if you want to do some antiquing and thrifting, I recommend Sierra St Antiques, Junkee, the Nest, Midtown Antiques, Bad Apple Vintage, and Grassroots Books, most of which are in Midtown or Downtown. If you want a tattoo, you’re in the right place! There are a ton of options on Virginia St and Wells St—just look up the artists and go where you think there’s a good fit; if you happen to be in Reno at the end of June, the Tattoo Expo is a fantastic way to shop a lot of artists’ work at one time. If you’d rather bar-hop, I recommend a bocce session at Bundox in the Renaissance, then some combination of the Emerson, Death & Taxes, Royce, Lo-Bar Social (for their rooftop), 1864, the Jesse, and Chapel. For dinner tonight, it will depend on your mood and the weather. If it’s summer, I highly recommend the patio at Whispering Vine on 4th St, surrounded by white roses and nice wine; or, sitting out in the courtyard downtown at West Street Market and getting all-you-can-eat vegetarian Indian from Thali, or another good Neopolitan pizza from Pizza Collective. If it’s blustery, and/or if you want a peak Reno experience for dinner, you can’t do better than the Western Village Steakhouse—while technically out in Sparks, and also in a truck stop, it’s a first-class steakhouse worth wading through the gaming floor of the casino to get to. Afterward, if you can catch some live music at the Grand Sierra or Cargo or Jub-Jub’s (for metal) , you should.
Sunday: Head to Beloved’s next to the Reno Public Market for delicious baked goods and coffee (do some souvenir shopping in the market while you’re there, if it’s not too early). Then, burn off those croissants with a long, brisk walk in the Wilbur D. May arboretum at Rancho San Rafael, or, grab a mountain bike and head up into the hills behind the park via Evans Canyon—there are miles and miles of trail up there on Peavine Mountain. Pick up some tacos at Taco Shop on Cheney before heading back to the airport, and smugly report to your friends that you had a great weekend in the last city they would have expected!
The Rookery 