Things to do in Western Nevada
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Casinos
North Virginia St is casino central with one neon-festooned behemoth after another.
Approaching from the north, the first big casino is Circus Circus (775 329 0711; 500 N Sierra St), easily the most family friendly of the bunch. Next up is the Silver Legacy (775 325 7401; 407 N Virginia St), which is close to the new Reno Events Center (775 335 8800; 400 N Center St) and the National Bowling Stadium (775 334 2695; 300 N Center St), which has a mind-boggling 78 lanes but is only open during competitions. A bit further on is the Eldorado (775 786 5700; 345 N Virginia St), and south of here, across the new train trench, you can rub a Blarney Stone for good luck before headin…
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Eldorado's Chef's Buffet
- Reno, USA
- Restaurants › Buffet
The all-you-can-eat buffets at the casinos are popular fueling-up options and can be a good bargain if you like to stuff yourself silly. Some open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Prices tend to be higher on Friday and Saturday nights when most casinos put out especially lavish spreads. Some serve Sunday brunch. Other local favorites include the Silver Legacy's Victorian Buffet (775 325 7401; 407 N Virginia St), Atlantis' Toucan Charlie's Buffet & Grille (775 825 4700; 3800 S Virginia St) and nearby Peppermill's Island Buffet (775 826 2121; 2707 S Virginia St).
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Truckee River Whitewater Park
The Truckee River Whitewater Park injects action into the middle of downtown with year-round kayaking. There's a mellow beginner's area, but most of the park is Class II or III rapids. Located on the valet level of Silver Legacy, Wild Sierra Adventures, run by the affable Jim Bell, offers tons of adventure: kayaking, tubing, mountain biking, skiing, horseback riding and snowmobiling.
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Wild Sierra Adventures
- Reno, USA
- Activities › Other
The Truckee River Whitewater Park injects action into the middle of downtown with year-round kayaking. There's a mellow beginner's area, but most of the park is Class II or III rapids. Located on the valet level of Silver Legacy, Wild Sierra Adventures, run by the affable Jim Bell, offers tons of adventure: kayaking, tubing, mountain biking, skiing, horseback riding and snowmobiling.
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Fitzgerald’s
South across the train trench, rub a Blarney Stone for good luck before heading inside Fitzgerald’s, with its dopey ‘lucky leprechaun’ theme and the cheapest buffet in town. It’s near the landmark Reno Arch, built in the 1920s, which proclaims Reno the ‘Biggest Little City in the World.’
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Great Basin Brewing Company
The Great Basin Brewing Company, just outside Reno, is a bar, restaurant and band venue that brews its own delicious beer. Get on in for some chilli or a quesadilla, and have yourself some Wild Horse Ale. Entertainment includes amateur stand-up, rockin' cover bands and a three-hour happy hour, which you might need to get you through the first two options.
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Green Room
Inside a former fire station right in the heart of downtown, Green Room comes with a big performance space where you can chill with free cult movies or a band most nights. Entry is usually no more than a couple of bucks and if you dig hip hop and indie grooves a little more than the casino has-been scene, then this is the Reno venue for you.
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Fleischmann Planetarium
The Fleischmann Planetarium on the University of Nevada campus does the usual planetarium-y things: simulations of the night sky and assorted astronomical phenomena are projected onto a dome-like screen, plus there's gee-whizz movies shown on a wraparound screen. The building itself is most unusual, looking not unlike a giant potato chip.
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Beaujolais Bistro
- Reno, USA
- Restaurants › French
With its starched white linens, brick walls, framed posters and formal service, this place pulls off the Left Bank vibe with panache. Besides such culinary challenges as frogs legs and veal sweetbreads, the menu also features boeuf à la bourguignonne, braised lamb and other dishes for less adventurous gourmets.
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Silver Peak Restaurant & Brewery
- Reno, USA
- Restaurants › Pub
Casual and pretense-free, this place hums with the chatter of happy locals settling in for a night of microbrews and great eats. Also open for lunch and with a late-night snack menu plus a solid happy hour during the week, the Silver Peak will suit your needs at some stage. The house beers are worth stopping by for.
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Davidson's Distillery
Yes, that's a vending machine with cigarettes and spare parts for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. As long as you come in with a live-and-let-live attitude you'll have a blast at this rocking locals bar with a heavy biker contingent. A tattoo and a Harley shop share the building, if you get inspired.
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Reno Arch
Near Fitzgerald's, check out the landmark Reno Arch, built in 1926 to commemorate the completion of the first transcontinental highway in North America. The original has since been replaced twice (the last time in 1987) but still proclaims Reno as being the 'Biggest Little City in the World.'
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Harrah's Steakhouse
Sporting old-fashioned elegance and amazing service, Reno’s top-voted steakhouse does right by tradition, from T-bone steaks and lobster tails to tournedos of buffalo Rossini topped by foie gras. Flavored soufflés and boxed truffles are available for dessert.
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Celebrity Showroom at John Ascuaga's Nugget
John Ascuaga's Nugget has a 700-seat theatre, mainly featuring comedians and bands you'll remember from the 60s, 70s and 80s. It's a distinctly Reno mix of the nostalgic, amusing and embarrassing and just the ticket if you've been dying to see Peter Cetera or Three Dog Night.
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Roxy's
Inside the Eldorado, this is one of Reno's best casino restaurants. Snuggle into a red velvet booth or sit on the indoor patio overlooking the Fountain of Fortune. Food here is mostly of the meat-and-seafood persuasion and best preceded by one of Roxy's 100 martinis.
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Ultimate Rush Park
Next to the Grand Sierra Resort, Ultimate Rush Park has a 180ft-tall ‘skycoaster’ that’s like bungee-jumping, sky-diving and hang-gliding all at once ($25, re-ride $10), along with bumper cars and miniature golf.
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Nevada Museum of Art
The Nevada Museum of Art has striking sculptures on the outside and permanent collections inside that include more than 600 photographs of landscapes, paintings from regional artists, and a good sampling of contemporary and pop art.
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Peg's Glorified Ham & Eggs
Widely cited as the best breakfast place in the city, if not the state, Peg's offers tasty grill food that's not too greasy. It's the perfect place to sit outside and read the Sunday paper while munching on an overstuffed omelet. Kid-friendly.
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National Bowling Stadium
Do you feel lucky? Think you can bowl that perfect game? Do it in style at Reno's National Bowling Stadium. This complex has a mind-boggling 78 lanes and a 137m (450ft) scoreboard - a sight you can take in from the stadium's spectator stage.
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Bubinga Lounge
At this sexy ultra lounge, DJs pull in an eye-candy crowd with a pulsating mix of house and hip-hop. If the crammed dance floor is just too much, chill at the Eldorado’s Brew Brothers brewpub, with live bands nightly.
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Luciano's
This intimate feel-good trattoria is perfect if you're in the mood for deftly prepared, no-nonsense Italian food. All the classics are here - luscious lasagna to plucky penne puttanesca and tasty chicken parmigiana.
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Lulou’s
- Reno, USA
- Restaurants › Fusion
At this arty gourmet eatery on an otherwise drab stretch, bold canvases hang on brick walls and creative chefs fuss over modern American and Eurasian concoctions in the open kitchen. Reservations essential.
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Walden Coffeehouse
This charismatic coffeehouse comes alive with a bluegrass jam on Thursday, open-mike night on Friday and local and touring bands on Saturday. There's free wi-fi and a small menu of sandwiches, but no booze.
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Silver Peak Grill & Taproom
- Reno, USA
- Restaurants › Grill
Downtown outpost hums with the chatter of happy locals settling in with microbrews and great eats, from wild-mushroom pizza to barley-crusted chicken sandwiches and lamb burgers topped with kalamata olives.
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Bertha Miranda's
This Reno institution is beloved for its fiesta decor, roving mariachis (on weekends) and big-flavored dishes, from the excellent enchiladas to the nicely spiced chimichangas. Its margaritas pack a punch.
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