Weekend Trip to Vegas

Reno Nevada is a great weekend destination for anyone looking for an escape, but how about those in Reno who are looking for a weekend getaway? Reno may be touted as the “biggest little city in the world,” but for a trip to a much bigger city, visitors don’t have to look any further than 450 miles, or about eight hours in the car, to the south to none other than Las Vegas, Nevada.

Las Vegas offers everything that a weekend warrior could want, including an almost endless array of Las Vegas restaurants, Las Vegas hotels, Las Vegas nightclubs and Las Vegas shows... and did we mention the casinos? And while Las Vegas might not seem like the type of vacation one would want to have a rigid schedule for, you can actually save a lot of money on your two or three-day trip if you book your trip through BestofVegas.com! Here, you will find all of the best deals on everything from your hotel room to your nightly entertainment. While we can’t guarantee that you will lose any money at any of the gaming tables or slot machines, we can guarantee that you will be able to save major dollars on everything else!

The best hotel deals right now on BestofVegas.com include Caesars Palace from $108, Wynn Las Vegas from $121 and many top resorts under $100, including Paris Las Vegas (from $99), Flamingo (from $42), Harrah’s (from $51) and Bally’s Las Vegas (from $55). These hotels might be the focal point of any vacation, but visitors would be wise to include at least one of the Broadway-style shows in their weekend plans as well. Performances such as La Reve, Elton John, Blue Man Group, Phantom Las Vegas, Jubilee and Jersey Boys are all available at discounted rates at BestofVegas.com, so be sure to not overlook the bounds of entertainment options that are available at your fingertips in Sin City.

In addition to hotels and shows, Las Vegas also has a variety of nightlife and tours as well, all of which can make your weekend getaway from Reno to Vegas complete. While the saying might be “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” be sure to not leave any extra money here, which you can do if you book your vacation exclusively at BestofVegas.com!

Tours Outside of Reno

Reno is not only a great destination for a vacation, but it also has a great location in northern Nevada that allows vacationers to take tours outside of Reno as well during their stay. Lake Tahoe, Carson City and Virginia City are all nearby cities that offer great day trip excursions, and each gives a nice break from the hectic hustle and bustle of Reno.

Lake Tahoe, a mere 70 miles away from Reno, is the most popular alternate destination for Reno visitors. Lake Tahoe offers many unique options for guests because of its landscape; its mountainous terrain offers multiple ski excursions and resorts, while the lake itself is a luxury of its own. Tourists can go boating, take dinner cruises or enjoy any number of water sports during the warmer summer months. Even better yet, Lake Tahoe is only about another hour away from Sacramento, Calif., or three hours from the California coast and San Francisco.

Thirty miles to the south of Reno is Carson City, the capital of the state of Nevada. While Carson City might not offer the skiing of Lake Tahoe or the casinos of Reno, it does offer a wide array of outdoor recreation opportunities such as biking, hiking, horseback riding or boating. Carson City also has a number of historical homes and museums for visitors to peruse, as does nearby Virginia City, which was declared a national historic landmark in 1961.

Of course, the ultimate trip outside of “The Biggest Little City in the World” is to Reno’s cross-state sister city, Las Vegas. Vegas is a long but manageable road trip at about seven hours and 450 miles in length, but it is worth it to many. Las Vegas offers many of the same entertainment options that Reno does, but on a much larger scale. Not only are there multiple Las Vegas tours, but there are also the Las Vegas casinos, Las Vegas shows, Las Vegas hotels, Las Vegas nightclubs and more that might give some visitors incentive enough to make the trek from Reno to Las Vegas, or vice versa.

Best Hotels in Reno

With approximately 22,000 hotel rooms in Reno, everyone from the friendly convention traveler to the weekend getaway vacationer can find a hotel/resort to their liking in this city. And best of all, the variety of hotels in Reno can accommodate any budget, so whether you are looking for accommodations that rival the grandest of Las Vegas hotels or are hoping to save your money for the casinos and the buffets, Reno has it all.

Just like Las Vegas, Reno has a large number of convention travelers. The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno can be equated to that of the MGM Grand Las Vegas because of its large business center and accessibility to convention activities. But its location isn’t the only thing that sets this luxury hotel apart from its competitors – it has everything from moderately-priced lodging to opulent rooms in its Concierge Tower, Reno’s only indoor and outdoor pools, a full-service spa and salon and numerous events and productions that rival any of the Las Vegas shows that are located at hotels throughout Sin City.

When you think of places like Reno and Las Vegas, family-friendly doesn’t always come to mind when trying to find a place to stay. But just as Las Vegas has kid-friendly hotels such as the Excalibur and New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Reno too has a great hotel for families in the Circus Circus Reno Hotel & Casino. In addition to other entertainment options at this hotel, the Circus Stage plays host to circus acts from around the globe seven days a week. And best of all, these performances are free of charge to hotel guests, which is a convenience that would be hard to find in any of the Las Vegas hotels.

If you are looking for the lap of luxury in Reno, look no further than the Peppermill Resort Casino. With 720 suites and the top-rated rooms in all of Reno, the resort has drawn comparisons to the Caesars Palace Las Vegas because of its recent $300 million dollar Tuscan-themed expansion. Amenities such as a fitness center, top-of-the-line spa, multiple pools and arcade only add to the elegance of this already award-winning hotel and casino.

Just as there are many quality hotels in Las Vegas, there are multiple resorts in the Reno area that also continuously get high remarks, so if you can’t find any availability at the above hotels, the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Harrah’s Reno and the Silver Legacy Resort & Casino are also popular choices among the Reno faithful.

Best Reno Casinos

With over 60 gaming locations and its close proximity to both Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, it is no wonder why Reno is known world-wide as “The Biggest Little City in the World” and one of the best vacations towns in America. You don’t have to look far in this town to find the nearest place to lay down a bet; in fact, this city actually has a museum dedicated to – you guessed it, a slot machine!

With so many casinos to choose from, it may be hard to narrow down where to begin, but Renoblog.com would like to bring you our choices for the best casinos in Reno. Want to know the most luxurious spots to play? How about casinos that are comparable to Bally’s Las Vegas or Caesars Palace Las Vegas? Keep reading below to find out more!

There are several large hotels that have shown significant growth throughout the past several years, including the Atlantis, the Grand Sierra Resort and the Peppermill. The Atlantis offers a wide variety of casino games, with everything from slot machines to Keno, Blackjack and Poker. This resort also features a non-smoking section for slot players, and it was tabbed as having the ‘Best Video Slots’ by “Casino Player Magazine” and ‘Best Slot Selection’ by the “Reno Gazette Journal,” putting it among the top of the class of casinos in Reno.

Coming in at more than 80,000 square feet, the casino at the Grand Sierra Resort has differentiated itself from its competitors by having the largest gaming space in Northern Nevada. Much like the Sports Book at Bally’s Las Vegas, the Race & Sports Book at the Grand Sierra is the No. 1 place in town to catch up on all of your favorite sports teams while also placing a friendly wager on a game. With 27 TVs featuring the latest sports programs and games out there, entertainment is sure to be at the forefront if you decide to make a trip to the Grand Sierra Resort.

The grandest of all Reno casinos may just be the Peppermill, located on famous (much like the Las Vegas Strip Virginia Street). Not only was this luxury hotel chosen as the most outstanding Reno gaming/hotel property by “Casino Player” and “Nevada” magazines, it was also selected as one of the Top 10 Casinos in America by MSN with Citysearch. Its recent $300 million dollar Tuscan-themed expansion has drawn comparisons to the Caesars Palace Las Vegas with its Roman influences and only solidifies itself as the best of the best there is in Reno and is comparable to anything you would expect to find in any Las Vegas hotel.

Harrah's Making Room For More Poker Excitement

Harrah's Stateline

"Harrah's Entertainment based in Las Vegas has
invested $34 million in capital improvements for the Stateline casino
pair with construction due in time for Lake Tahoe's busiest season.

Come summer, big-time rollers will notice more of an appeal to upscale
players on the casino floor as the high limit poker area is being
expanded beyond a wall certain to raise the decibel level and
excitement."

Truckee River Wine Walk on April 21 and Earth Day on April 22 - What a Weekend!

The neighborhood Merchant Association hosts a monthly "Wine Walk on the Riverwalk" on the third Saturday of each month. The next event is scheduled for April 21. The dates for upcoming walks are May 19, June 16, July 21, August 18, September 8 (Balloon Race Wine Walk), September 15, October 20, November 17, and December 15. For a walking map of the area, click here.

Note that the association requests no strollers or pets due to the size of the crowds.

I spent my honeymoon in Reno, and the river walkway is what made me fall in love with the city. If you're planning a visit to Reno, it would be a good idea to schedule it around one of the Wine Walks. Of course, you can stroll the walkway at other times, too.

Also, April 22 is Earth Day 2007 from 10am to 5pm at Idlewild Park, and admission is free! For more information, click here.

The weekend of April 21 and 22 sounds like a great time to visit Reno.

Welcome to the Reno Blog

This blog will be dedicated to bringing you the latest news about visiting Reno, with the latest deals for hotels, gambling, dining, and other entertainment, as well as weather and general tips.