Every year, on the second full weekend of September, I take a road trip to Reno with a group of guys for the sole purpose of watching football games and everything that goes along with it. This includes, but is not limited to, eating, drinking and gambling. It’s a “guy’s trip” and we don’t try to make it anything else.
We’ve all seen movies like The Hangover and Very Bad Things, where a group of guys go to Vegas and behave very poorly and get in a lot of trouble. This trip is not quite that bad. We’ve never killed a hooker, kidnapped a high-roller, or stolen a tiger. And, so far, we’ve never lost one of our buddies. But these trips are unlike any trips we take with our wives. We can eat as many buffet meals that we want, we don’t have to go see Cher or some Cirque show, and we can stay at the blackjack table as late as we want. We smoke, we drink, we cuss. Who’s gonna complain?
It’s Reno, not Vegas. Big difference.
Las Vegas is, for the most part, glitzy and somewhat glamorous - especially on the strip. There are a few things that can make the average person a little giddy in Las Vegas: either flying or driving at night, when you first see the lights upon entering the area; driving down the strip for the very first time; walking by high-roller area in a casino and seeing the men and women act and dress just as you’ve seen in movies and on TV; the fountains at the Bellagio; and the feeling of being able to walk outside with a cocktail still in hand. It is truly unique. It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling. Even if it’s not your thing, it should be experienced at least once in your lifetime.
Reno is much smaller and, well, filthy. There are very few tall buildings and what is glamorous or glitzy in Reno is considered run-down and out-dated by Las Vegas standards. Poor Reno, the place would be so different if not for its prettier and smarter big sister Vegas.
Walking from Casino to Casino in Las Vegas always feels moderately safe. It’s well lit and there are plenty of security personnel and cops around.
Reno is poorly lit and police presence is not felt on a constant basis.
So why do we go back year after year? Because we love it. It is what it is. We’re not looking for the Las Vegas experience. We’re looking for the Reno experience. It’s totally different.
Just because both places have casinos and hotels doesn’t mean they should compare to one another. It would be like comparing Maui with Vale, Colorado. Both places have hotels and spas, both have access to outdoor activities, and both have good restaurants. But they are not the same and no one expects them to be the same.
The Reno experience is alive and well every time we visit one of our favorite casinos. We expect a certain thing and are never disappointed:
When you walk into Club Cal Neva, you get the feeling that everything is either broken, or needs a good cleaning. But, the staff is pretty friendly and there are quirky things that make the place endearing. For example, their Sports Book is considered one of the best in the entire State of Nevada but there are no electronic reader boards showing you the scores. They actually have a guy up on a catwalk changing the scores by hand. It reminds me of something you would see in a movie about a 1930’s minor league baseball game with a kid up on a platform changing the numbers on the scoreboard as the game progresses. The difference is the guy at Cal Neva looks to be about 80-years-old. The Club opened on April 2, 1962 and I’m pretty sure nothing has been changed, cleaned or upgraded since then - including the guy in charge of the Sports Book scoreboard.
Another one of those quirky/endearing features is the snack bar located at the Sports Book. The food is perfect for a day of watching sports with your friends. While we were there, they were running a special which included a beer and a turkey drumstick for $5. Bargain!
Like I said, it is what it is.
Unfortunately, Reno seems to be trying to be something they’re not. And something they’ll never be.
Remember back in the early 1990’s when Las Vegas tried to market itself as a family friendly destination? Didn’t work. What did work was when they came to grips with the fact that they were an adult playground and should embrace it. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Perfect.
Reno needs to decide what it is and do it right. And embrace it. And brag about it. And never look back.
We’ve all seen movies like The Hangover and Very Bad Things, where a group of guys go to Vegas and behave very poorly and get in a lot of trouble. This trip is not quite that bad. We’ve never killed a hooker, kidnapped a high-roller, or stolen a tiger. And, so far, we’ve never lost one of our buddies. But these trips are unlike any trips we take with our wives. We can eat as many buffet meals that we want, we don’t have to go see Cher or some Cirque show, and we can stay at the blackjack table as late as we want. We smoke, we drink, we cuss. Who’s gonna complain?
It’s Reno, not Vegas. Big difference.
Las Vegas is, for the most part, glitzy and somewhat glamorous - especially on the strip. There are a few things that can make the average person a little giddy in Las Vegas: either flying or driving at night, when you first see the lights upon entering the area; driving down the strip for the very first time; walking by high-roller area in a casino and seeing the men and women act and dress just as you’ve seen in movies and on TV; the fountains at the Bellagio; and the feeling of being able to walk outside with a cocktail still in hand. It is truly unique. It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling. Even if it’s not your thing, it should be experienced at least once in your lifetime.
Reno is much smaller and, well, filthy. There are very few tall buildings and what is glamorous or glitzy in Reno is considered run-down and out-dated by Las Vegas standards. Poor Reno, the place would be so different if not for its prettier and smarter big sister Vegas.
Walking from Casino to Casino in Las Vegas always feels moderately safe. It’s well lit and there are plenty of security personnel and cops around.
Reno is poorly lit and police presence is not felt on a constant basis.
So why do we go back year after year? Because we love it. It is what it is. We’re not looking for the Las Vegas experience. We’re looking for the Reno experience. It’s totally different.
Just because both places have casinos and hotels doesn’t mean they should compare to one another. It would be like comparing Maui with Vale, Colorado. Both places have hotels and spas, both have access to outdoor activities, and both have good restaurants. But they are not the same and no one expects them to be the same.
The Reno experience is alive and well every time we visit one of our favorite casinos. We expect a certain thing and are never disappointed:
When you walk into Club Cal Neva, you get the feeling that everything is either broken, or needs a good cleaning. But, the staff is pretty friendly and there are quirky things that make the place endearing. For example, their Sports Book is considered one of the best in the entire State of Nevada but there are no electronic reader boards showing you the scores. They actually have a guy up on a catwalk changing the scores by hand. It reminds me of something you would see in a movie about a 1930’s minor league baseball game with a kid up on a platform changing the numbers on the scoreboard as the game progresses. The difference is the guy at Cal Neva looks to be about 80-years-old. The Club opened on April 2, 1962 and I’m pretty sure nothing has been changed, cleaned or upgraded since then - including the guy in charge of the Sports Book scoreboard.
Another one of those quirky/endearing features is the snack bar located at the Sports Book. The food is perfect for a day of watching sports with your friends. While we were there, they were running a special which included a beer and a turkey drumstick for $5. Bargain!
Like I said, it is what it is.
Unfortunately, Reno seems to be trying to be something they’re not. And something they’ll never be.
Remember back in the early 1990’s when Las Vegas tried to market itself as a family friendly destination? Didn’t work. What did work was when they came to grips with the fact that they were an adult playground and should embrace it. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Perfect.
Reno needs to decide what it is and do it right. And embrace it. And brag about it. And never look back.
