One of the things my husband and I like to do is travel to different music venues for concerts. We planned a trip to Tahoe for a summer concert but decided to spend the long weekend in Reno instead. The two towns are about a hour apart and the airport is located in Reno. Our flight left early in the morning so Reno was a logical choice.
Where we stay on our long weekend in Reno
Harrah’s Reno
Cost
For those of you who have spent much time on this blog, it is no secret that we like a casino. We decided to stay at Harrah’s in Reno mainly because our Total Rewards membership reduced the room cost to $144 for two nights (Friday night was $61and Saturday night was $83). There were an additional $20 in resort fees, $3 tourism surcharge, and about $20 in tax. After all the add ons the total cost was just over $220. Still not bad for two nights lodging during our long weekend in Reno.
Accommodations
Harrah’s Reno
Harrah’s Reno has the distinction of being the first hotel when the company was owned by its founder William Harrah. While Harrah’s history in Reno dates back to the late 1930’s the current resort has its roots in the late 60’s. Harrah’s looks its age. While the rooms were clean and had undergone a soft renovation not too long ago, they were dated. We had a room with two double beds. We were told there were no king bed rooms available. The furnishings other than the beds were more than adequate. There were two comfortable chairs and even a small refrigerator (it was obviously a late addition since no attempt was made to coordinate it with the other furnishings but we were happy to have it.) The sink, tub/shower combination and toilet were all in the same room. Newer hotels often have the sink outside the shower and toilet room. The biggest sign of the hotel’s age was its lack of outlets. There were only two in the room and one was behind the dresser. Good thing I packed my extension cord. (see post about packing) The walls and doors were thin so your neighbors conversation was not a secret but overall it was a reasonable value for our long weekend in Reno.
Homewood Suites
We decided to stay by the airport our last night since our flight left so early. We arrived at the Homewood Suites on Kietzke Lane shortly before noon. Check in is not until 4pm but the young lady at the desk was more than willing to see when our room might be ready. We were beyond pleased when our room was available within 20 minutes of our arrival and the desk clerk even arranged a ride for us to the airport the next morning. Our pleasure only increased when we saw our accommodations. We had a sitting area, small kitchen and kitchenette complete with table for two, a desk and a king size bed. We both had work to do on our last day so this set up was perfect! The hotel even provided a blank list for items that you would like them to purchase and deliver to your room as well as a schedule of weekday social happy hour events. I will definitely look for Homewood Suites when we travel, especially when we need to stay more than one night. There is a plaque by the front desk that discusses the travel patterns of ducks and their ability to find a home wherever they are. It states the hotel’s goal to serve its residents with the same resourcefulness and flexibility of the duck. They more than achieved their goal! I definitely recommend staying here during a long weekend in Reno or maybe even longer. Our cost was $185/night.
Dining
Kwok’s Bistro
What a find this was!!!! Only open since March of this year (2018) Kwok’s was efficient, delicious and gracious. The dining area is small. It only seats about 30 but there is a fenced outdoor area with for additional seating. The food was fabulous! So much so in fact that the day after our visit, Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel was filming an episode about the food. We tried two appetizers, two main dishes and a soup. It was WAY too much food but the menu had so many tempting items we had a hard time narrowing it down. We had egg rolls, pot stickers, wonton soup, black bean chow fun and Szechuan eggplant. The bill for all this amazing food was only $44. Kwok’s also has a nice wine list. I had Paul Hobbs Chardonnay for a modest $8 per glass. (this is not included in the $44) This is definitely a Reno treasure!
Hash House A Go Go
Our first breakfast was at Hash House a Go Go in Harrah’s. Their motto is “twisted farm food” and they deliver in a big way! I had the chorizo hash which came with two eggs and my husband had the Tractor Driver Combo (two eggs, bacon and a pancake). The portions were HUGE!!! We definitely could have shared one dish and probably still had leftovers. The food was very good and the service was excellent but we both agreed that the portions were overwhelming. (Cost $35 before tip)
Campo
We had an early light lunch on Saturday at Campo. This was another real treat. We had the Bruschetta Trio: tomato, mozzarella and basil, prosciutto and goat cheese and marinated artichoke and salami. Each bite was better than the next. My personal favorite was the artichoke and salami. We were still a bit hungry so we tried the Basil Marinated Burrata with tomato pesto. It was the crown jewel. The burrata was soft and flavorful but not overwhelmed by the marinade and the pesto gave it a nice punch. I had Rombauer Chardonnay and my husband had a local beer to drink. Our total was $68 with half the cost being drinks.
Great Full Garden
For our second breakfast we ventured about a half mile from Harrah’s to the Great Full Garden. They focus on fresh, local foods and have done an excellent job! I had the avocado toast. It was a full multi grain ciabatta covered in avocado, radishes, tomatoes and pea shoots delicately topped with lemon oil. It was like springtime for breakfast. My husband had the Garden Breakfast, hummus, avocado, spinach and pea shoots on sourdough toast topped with an egg served with a side of sautéed vegetables. He enjoyed it so much he asked the waiter how the vegetable were made. We plan on trying to recreate them at home. This is a spot not to be missed when you are in Reno.
Reno’s Riverwalk
Reno’s Riverwalk is about a two mile walk along the Truckee River. The spirit of the city comes through as you stroll along this walkway. It runs beside both commercial and residential areas. There are plenty of benches to sit and watch the river and the walk is beautifully landscaped in large part by the Rotary Club. There are areas for splashing in the river and we saw more than a few tubers. There was an outdoor theatre with a festival going on and musicians along the walk. The third Saturday of every month they have a wine walk where for $20 you can sample wine from any of the participating merchants. The walk gets a lot of use by locals and they all seemed very friendly and happy to have you join them. We thoroughly enjoyed our walk along the Truckee River and hope to come back and explore further.
We enjoyed our weekend in Reno and were glad that we ventured outside our usual spots. We will definitely stay in Reno again when we head back this way.