6 Best Sights in Lake Tahoe, Nevada

The classiest of Reno's gaming operations, the Atlantis draws high rollers seeking the allure and sophistication of Las Vegas. The casino packs a dizzying array of table games and 1,500 slots with a loose(ish) reputation into its 60,000 square feet.

Antique and classic cars made by obscure and familiar companies fill this engaging facility. Celebrity vehicles include the Lana Turner Chrysler (one of only six made), an Elvis Presley Cadillac, and the Mercury coupe James Dean drove in the movie Rebel Without a Cause. Hard to miss are the experimental and still futuristic-looking 1938 Phantom Corsair and a gold-plated 1981 DeLorean.

Action-packed, with lots of slots and popular bar-top video poker, the best of the downtown casinos has good coffee-shop and food-court fare. Choose from more than 100 martinis at Roxy's Bar and Lounge. The kitschy Fountain of Fortune is worth checking out for its massive Florentine-inspired sculptures.

A dramatic four-level structure designed by Will Bruder houses this splendid museum's collection, which focuses on themes such as the Sierra Nevada/Great Basin and altered-landscape photography. The exterior's torqued walls are sided with a black zinc-based material that has been fabricated to resemble textures found in the Black Rock Desert.

Slots and video-poker players flock to the Peppermill, whose neon-filled casino generates plenty of glitz. High-limit slots and table games are among the other draws at this hot spot a few miles from downtown.

A formerly dilapidated section of Reno's waterfront is now the toast of the town. The Riverwalk itself is a ½-mile promenade on the north side of the Truckee River, which flows around Wingfield Park, where festivals and other events take place. On the third Saturday afternoon of each month, local merchants host Wine Walk tastings ($30). The monthlong Artown festival in July presents outdoor art, opera, dance, live music, and kids' performances, most at Wingfield Park.