My family is going on a trip together this July to Reno and we are staying at the Peppermill. I have heard great things about this hotel, but not so great things about Reno in general. This is what worries me, we are there for 9 days! Did you hear that correctly? NINE DAYS! As you can see, I didn't plan this trip, my parents did. What are 4 25-30 year olds going to do for nine days? We have planned a day trip to Tahoe and a trip for Virginia City. I am not a gambler, or a drinker, or a smoker! I'm afraid I will be stuck at Circus Circus playing games with the children. Please give me some other options. Im begging!

9 days...ouch!

The Peppermill is my favorite Reno casino however it is far from the central downtown area. I am assuming you have a car. Tahoe is a hour away so I would do a couple of day trips (assuming you don't want to stay there).

Take the Heavenly (South Lake Tahoe)tram up the mountain and spend the day hiking.

Spend some time (or days) lounging around the beach.

You can river raft the Truckee River (easy rapids).

Golf.

Good luck. A weekend in Reno is long enough for me .

Are these plans concrete or is there any flexibility? I would split 9 days between Reno and San Francisco. Any chance of that? I liked Reno, but 2.5 days was quite enough for me.

There is some reason your are staying in reno for nine days?? I'm really curious why.

Anyway - 1 day Southshore Tahoe - MS Dixie or a catamaran on the lake, cable car to the very top of heavenly Valley

1 day northshore Tahoe - Sand Harbor, Thunderbird Lodge, Tahoe City, Truckee

1 day Virginia City/Gold Hill - VA city plus train ride to Gold Hill and back. Have lunch at teh hotel in Gold Hill

1 day - hot springs at Grovers State park in CA or Walleys in NV

1 day exploring Carson City - mining museum, victorian neighborhoods

There - I got you out of town for 5 days

There are lots of other places you could go - all will need a car BTW.

I arrived at the Peppermill, and they had oversold and my husband and I and our two friends had to go to another hotel about 5 miles away that was so gross I could barely stand it. The Peppermill staff were rude and unhelpful and kept us hanging around for nearly an hour before telling us they didn't have rooms for us. The cab we took to the other place was gross; covered in puke and the driver asking us for alcohol while driving. I hated Reno. It was dusty and dry, my allergies were horrible, and everything seemed really low rent. Wouldn't go back, and good luck if the Peppermill decides not to give you a room in spite of making a reservation, deposit, showing up on time, etc.

Seriously, you should go to Lake Tahoe instead.

Man I feel sorry for you. Reno is just a hot sity in July. It's not ritzy or pretty. Take a trip to Squaw Valley for the day. Take the tram to teh top called HIgh Camop. You can stay there all day at the pool. There is a grill and a palapa bar, a giant jacuzzi and an ice rink. Our kids rotate through all of these things. You can also hike around up there.

http://www.squaw.com/winter/ski-lake-tahoe.html


Raft down the Truckee River. Great fun for all ages. Take an ice chest with you favorite beverages and food. You can take as long as you like to raft down. Stop on the islands for lunch and enjoy the beauty. Don't rush it. Here's a link to an online coupon:

http://www.truckeeriverraft.com/taho...254/direct?c=1

Rent bikes in Tahoe City and ride along the lake. You can go south nearly to Meeks Bay before the paved path ends.

Speaking of Meeks Bay - great beach. Grill shack available. You can rent paddle boats or water trikes.

Others have posted great ideas so I won't repeat them. Maybe with all this you can have an enjoyable 9 day stay in Reno!

" What are 4 25-30 year olds going to do for nine days?"

I would say drink heavily, but I doubt you could do that for 9 days. Definitely get outta town for more than day trips, even if it means springing for a hotel room in Tahoe or elsewhere.

There are some serious spelling errors in that first part. It should say:

"Man I feel sorry for you. Reno is just a hot city in July. It's not ritzy or pretty. Take a trip to Squaw Valley for the day. Take the tram to the top called High Camp. You can stay there all day at the pool."

Sorry about that!

If you are not a Gambler, Drinker or Smoker I don't think Reno will be much fun. Day trips to Tahoe, Truckee and Virgina City may help. Yes, I think you young people should spring for a motel in Tahoe somewhere (South shore I think) for a couple of nights. On a Sun-Thurs night it should be a little cheaper than on a weekend. There's a good Car museum in Reno if anyone is into it.

Well, as one who lives here, I have to agree with some of the comments, however, there is a lot going on downtown, FINALLY, to much improve things. You could spend a couple of days at Tahoe..you've already had many good suggestions. Truckee is also a very fun town, some excellent restaurants and shopping. Virginia City is good to explore and if you get away from the tourist shtick, it has a wonderful history. The silver helped build San Francisco and supported the Union Army during the Civil War.

Carson City has an interesting museum and if you go a bit further south on 395 and then take a right on Jacks Valley Road you will have a beautiful drive through the valley to Genoa. It was one of the cities on the Poney Express route. They have a couple of good restaurants, little shops, and Wally's Hot Springs spa. That could make for a relaxing day.

Also, in Reno, Art Town will be going on. It goes through the entire month of July. It covers all aspects of the arts, music, dance, crafts, etc. There will be a lot of information around about all that's going on at the time you are here, so you might want to check it out. They have quite a few outdoor concerts in Wingfield Park downtown and it can make a nice evening.

You could also go north on Pyramid Way and head out to Pyramid Lake. It's on the Indain reservation. They have a nice visitor's center showing the history of the lake and the landscape is quite incredible, especially at sunset. There is a farmers market every Thurday, in Sparks, starting at 4:00. Its a lot of fun, good eats, great produce. As our population has grown, so has the market, and it can get really crowded by about 6:00 or so, after everyone gets off work. I try to get down there early so we can get a parking space. Alas, parking can be a problem later on. The Nugget has a parking garage and there is another one by the theatre, and beyond that ya takes your chances.

Also, there is a lot of road work etc, going on around town, so some streets are closed, so getting in and out of downtowm can be a bit tricky sometimes. I'm not sure if the Peppermill runs a shuttle to downtown or not, but it would be worth checking out. I'm not a gambler either and seldom go into the casinos, so that's why I'm not sure if there's a shuttle or not.

You might also check out California Street, It's very close to downtown. There is a group of woderful upscale botiques and shops and also a tea room and several really good restaurants.

So, there is quite a bit to do here that does NOT involve the casinos etc. So, I hope you find a way to enjoy your stay.

In the next town over (Sparks) there is a fun water park, I think it is called Wild Island. My in-laws live in Reno so we have to find "fun" stuff to do everytime because we don't drink (well, not much anyway), gamble, and smoke. I agree with the above posters about going to Tahoe and Truckee. Try to have a good time!

Thanks Everyone!
I wish US kids had more of a say in planning the trip. Not that I am complaining, they wanted to surprise us so they paid for the hotel. I will definetly check out all the places you suggested. We do have a car rented, but just one. Maybe we can split up and go to Tahoe more. Thanks again.

Just a wild guess - but are your parents happy to just hang around the casino paying their "dues"? I'd assume so - otherwise 9 days in Reno just doesn't make a huge amount of sense.

If so - you'll likely be free to do a certain amount of day tripping on your own.

I've usually done Reno as a 1 or 2 nighter. I hate to say it, but I was bored on a 3 nighter there. Although we didn't have a car for the 3 nights, which makes a big difference.

OK...see Reno, a little, then go to Tahoe and spend the rest of the days there....no kidding.

Our son lives in Reno. He moved there from San Francisco because he wanted to sell his overpriced Bay Area house to get more in Reno. His employer, a software company in San Francisco, agreed to let him telecommute. The other reason was to have a big boat on Lake Tahoe. Reno is cute and sort of interesting for a day if you are interested in that kind of culture but I would get myself to Tahoe, if I were you-all.

I stayed at The Peppermill about 8 years ago and it wasn't so bad. I don't gamble or drink either. The rooms were Ok.

The Peppermill is just fine - but the OP is staying there nine days. It is not fine for nine days . . . . .

You should read the reviews on Peppermill on TripAdvisor.

Will you have a car? You didn't say where you're coming from, I assume not from Sacramento? Check out this city, you may drive up to spend some time there, maybe museums or whatever activities you like.