Reno, Slots, and Lake Tahoe: A Week of Rolling the Dice

Kevin Kulesza
Oct 9, 2024
3 min read

On our recent trek to Reno, we decided to give our trusty RV, Beauty, a well-deserved break at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain. It was a perfect pit stop to cool her tires and avoid the downtown Sacramento traffic. The detour around the National Park Fire was an added bonus. However, it didn’t help much with the rollercoaster hills we had to tackle on the way to Reno.

Shelly and I tried our luck at the Hard Rock's slots, where new players get $20 of free play. (Pro tip: It’s like they give you money just to lose it.) Shelly had a good run, while my experience was more like making a donation to the casino’s electric bill. Lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe—complete with a 10% Diamond Unity discount—was a treat, especially since we got seated in Tupac’s booth! No hologram sighting, but the burger was real enough.

KOA Reno (Or, The Case of the Close-Quarters Camping)

After getting spoiled by the Red Bluff KOA, the Reno KOA at Boomtown was a bit of a letdown. Our neighbor’s truck was so close, it practically wanted to come in for coffee. They also limited AC use to just one unit between 3-7 p.m., which wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t as hot as a summer slot machine payout. But we were close to Boomtown Casino, Reno, and Lake Tahoe, which made it a decent base for the week.

Boomtown Casino sweetened the deal with $25 in free play after we spent $25. Seems fair. The slots were kind to Shelly again, while I just kept supporting the casino’s fine lighting system.

Weekend Shenanigans: Tahoe & Reno

Saturday started with breakfast at Mel’s Diner, where Shelly and Marie enjoyed the “Two Plus Two.” I went for the egg-white omelet—because someone’s gotta be responsible. We were so hungry, photos were out of the question.

After breakfast, we cruised through downtown Reno to see the famous “Biggest Little City” sign and some cool murals. Next stop was downtown Truckee, where a sudden downpour nixed our plans to walk around. But it’s a cute town from what we could see through the windshield.

We hit Lake Tahoe's North Shore, which was packed, so we skipped the crowds and headed to the Atlantis Casino for sushi at Oyster and Sushi Bar. Their all-you-can-eat special for $29.99 was a hit, especially the Firecracker Roll. Then, it was back to the slots—where, once again, Shelly won $500 in free play, and I won...$10. The casino gods clearly have a favorite.

Sunday brought us to the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. After a quick breakfast at Zuri Coffee Co. (that cinnamon roll—wow!), we explored Emerald Bay. Parking was impossible, so we settled view, which was still beautiful. On our way back, we took a detour to Carson City to check out the Capitol building.They’ve got some cool statues and trees representing different counties. Not a bad detour.

Dinner and Slots (Again)

Later, we found ourselves at "The Row" in Reno, bouncing between Eldorado’s Firecracker slots and dinner at The Brews Brothers. The food was good, but the service? Not so fast, my friend.

Pizza Night in Truckee

As you guys know by now, Shelly makes a point to visit her colleagues along our travels. We met her co-worker, Jessica, at a unique pizza place in downtown Truckee called Old Town Tap. The Pork & Padron pizza was out of this world, and the dessert—soft-serve with olive oil and sea salt—was an unexpected but welcome surprise. Trust me, try it.