Waking up in Reno

We finally made it to Reno. It was warm (60's) and sunny. I was surprised at how diverse the scenery was. Part of Reno (the Virginia Mountains) look like the foothills of Denver where I grew up.


And then there is the infamous strip. Reno has really been devastated by the economy! The big casino “Fitzgerald” pictured here is all boarded up. The artisan shops that my friend, Ellen, visited a couple of years ago are gone. The mom and pop shops are gone too.

Just the tshirt shops, pawn shops, and giant casinos remain, and I do mean giant! We stayed at Circus Circus, which seamlessly connects with the Silver Legacy and the El Dorado to take up three enormous blocks. They contain over 5000 hotel rooms, along with restaurants, shopping, shows, and of course, gambling! It was like a mini city. It is obvious that they want to draw you in (with your money) and keep you content (until all your money is gone)!

Apparently not enough people have thrown pennies into this fountain that honors "the god of fortune"

I saw a lot of people gambling (they prefer the word "gaming") but honestly none of them looked very happy.