Help Fodorites!

I'm taking the week of Thanksgiving (Nov22-Nov30) off and am planning a 5 night stay at the Silver Legacy. Since Squaw Valley is tentatively set to open on Nov 22, we are hoping to spend a couple of days skiing. But, if there is no snow can anyone provide some ideas for entertainment?


Will there be any golf courses open? Is there any good shopping? Are there any good nightclubs? Any must-try restaurants (anything from casual to gourmet)?

I'm afraid we'll be stuck in Reno with nothing to do if I don't get some ideas together in advance.

Also, if anyone can provide their opinion of Silver Legacy, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks.

VegasLocal, I may be in Reno almost on the same dates, and it's hard for me to find something enterntaining there.

Seinfeld November 29 - that's about all... unless the free circus at Circus Circus counts. If you're into drinking there are lots of bars with music.

This thanksgiving is my husband's turn to pick a holiday place, and of course his choice is a casino.

I can't even find a good web site with a list of activities! My hope is there will be some booklets in the hotel.

Somebody out there help me AND FainaAgain!!

BTW Faina...where are you staying? Found Silver Legacy at $29.99 Sun.-Wed. that week on their site (click on internet specials). Thursday is higher. Spa suites are $79.00.

I have stayed at Silver Legacy mutliple times and they have nice (albeit casino type) rooms.

The oyster bar there is good as well as the buffet at Eldorado. The Sunday seafood brunch buffet at Peppermill is great if you like seafood.

I can't help at all with entertainment--we always go there for the gambling although there must be something else to do.

Even though it is looking to be a dry winter, the ski resorts usually get a fair amount of fake snow on the slopes to take advantage of the Thanksgiving weekend. I just read an article in the Sunday Chronicle talking about a "price war" for lift tickets since Heavenly lowered theirs to $39--hopefully you can find some good sking deals.

Have a great trip!!

IF we go, we'll go with San Francisco Lucky tours - the best way for us as we don't drive, they pick us up close to home and take care of reservations, even discount coupons and some money to play. They even distribute the room keys while people are still sitting on the bus! The hotel is Sundowner which is acceptable for us, few blocks off the very center. Bus RT and 2 nights hotel is $200 for both of us during holidays.

Virginia City is a decent afternoon jaunt from Reno, perhaps combined with the museum in the old Carson City mint.

The ski areas will almost certainly have a few runs open, Alpine Meadows and Northstar do a fair bit of snowmaking as well.

I kinda like Silver Legacy (though it has been a while since it opened, may be ready for a refurb). I prefer the downtown casinos because of the way they flow into each other with the skywalk.

What is there to do in Virginia City?

VegasLocal, I thought you're this board
long enough not to ask "what is there to do"

If you (or anything who'd read this later) interested in museums, here is a website with the list of Reno's and Virginia city's museums.

http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/muse...o/nvmuseum.htm

Well, it`s snowing right now in Reno and the mountains, so that is a start.

Wooohooo!! Think snow!!

On another note...seriously, can anyone provide any ideas other than museums?

Shopping? Dining? Shows? Bars?

There's a great Basque food bar/restaurant called Louis' Basque corner on 4th Street in Reno. Good local ambiance & FANTASTIC family-style steak dinners.

Depending on the weather and your sensitivity to urban environs, it's easily walkable from the Silver Legacy.

Thanks Scurry! This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Sounds like the perfect place for dinner after a day of skiing. It's casual, right?

Can you give me the cross streets? 4th and ?

Very casual & lots of really good food. My wife thinks its on 4th St. & Evans.

We found it to be a fun experience; we were seated with people we didn't know, and had a good time, but we certainly wouldn't call the food great, or even anything close to great.

To each his & her own.

Here's what Jane & Michael Stern say about LBC in their highly-recommended travelling companion, Eat Your Way Across the USA:

"Just a few blocks from the casino's glitter, Louis & Lorraine Ereguible's high-spirited dining room provides customers with a taste of Pyrenees cuisine as developed by Basque cooks and chuckwagon chefs in the American West. A twist of French style (crusty bread), a jot of Spanish spice (in the paella or tripe stew), and a whole lot of garlic are the fundamental elements of the hearty meals spread across Louis's bright-clothed tables. From barley soup to garlicked salad to exotica like chicken Basquaise or shepherd's stew to hefty steaks or pork chops, the tasty meals seem to go on forever. To wash them down, you want hearty red wine; the only thing Louis does not provide is a goatskin flask to squirt it from."

Phone: 702-323-7203

Whoops -- the area code for reno is now 775.

It sounds like a wonderful place, and I will definitely give it a try! I will, however, be skipping the tripe stew.

Any suggestions out there for fun bars? Where's a great place to get some beers after we eat at Louis'?

Also, can anyone recommend a place to spend a couple of hours shopping. Thought I'd get a jump on my Christmas list.

There's a micro-brewery in the Silver Legacy called Brews Brothers that's quite popular with the locals. Also, I like the Trader Dicks tiki bar at J.A.'s Nugget. Other than that, all my reno choices would involve a car & some very complicated directions.

Up at the lake, you might try Bar of America in Truckee or Jake's, Bridgetender & Sunnyside in/near Tahoe City.

That time of year Harrahs(TAhoe) and Caesars(Tahoe)usually have some really good productions for Xmas.
I believe Caesars does " A Christmas Carol" and Harrahs "The Nutcracker" (SF Ballet Co.) Might be the other way around. They are both great productions and the Xmas decorations at both are good as well.
If you are into shopping and Xmas Meadwood Mall in Reno does a good job and also have an Ice rink if you like that.

Panhandle, thank you for reminder, Vegas, if you're into ice-skating there is an open air skating rink right by the river, if you walk down the river promenade you can't miss it. And there is also indoor roller-skate rink. It's all withing walking distance from Silver Legacy.