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A Tool in Town for Tool

 
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Jan Fri 27, 2012 5:00 pm    Post subject: A Tool in Town for Tool Reply with quote

Two weeks ago, I visited Reno to attend a Tool concert and see what I could see. I'm a professional guy, married, living in Alaska, so this is no easy trip. I take trips like this once or twice a year to see shows or sporting events that I can't see back home, sometimes solo, sometimes with my wife or brother. This one's solo.

After working Friday, I take a 1AM Delta flight to Salt Lake, connecting to Reno, arriving about 9:30A Saturday. At the airport, I rent a car from Hertz for one day for just $17 all in. Since I'm a Niner fan, they're playing the Saints that afternoon, and I really don't have any good Niner gear, my first stop is Scheel's Sporting Goods in Sparks. I've been here before: hugest sporting goods store I've ever seen. Unfortunately, the bandwagoners have picked most of the Niner gear clean. Nevertheless, I find a decent red sweater and wear that.

My next stop is nearby, Western Village. I've been coming to Reno for decades, but I've never been to this place before. I wander in. Inside, it looks just like the Peppermill, but much shabbier. I sign up for the slot club, grab my card, and scram.

I love to play casino games, but I hate to gamble. In fact, I've never gambled in my life: I just play whatever I can for low stakes and free drinks. I like to bet sports when I'm in a casino, but I've never done a parlay card. So before the game, I stop at Cal Neva and put $20 on the Niners, Patriots, and Flames.



I get 2 of 3 right and lose my $20.

After a stop at Wal-Mart for some hotel room supplies, I head to south Reno for my favorite chain restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings.







I love this place. I play bad video poker but somehow win $20 or so. I watch the Niners win a thriller among other Niner fans, a rare treat. I play Buzztime trivia, drink beer, and eat way too many wings, including their hottest, Blazin', which make tears come down hard. So great.

It's about 5P Saturday. I stop on Virginia street to put a couple gallons in the car. I drive downtown and check in at Circus Circus, taking advantage of a deal VAPA posted about. Sat, Sun, and Mon for about $115 total. The room is very mediocre but completely fine for a solo guy like me. The wifi even works well.

After watching the Patriots show Tebow what time it is, I head over to the Reno Events Center for the concert. Heading down the elevator, two hot, young, overly-tattooed broads (a word I've chosen carefully) find it cute that this older guy is also going to Tool and take me under their wing. The blonde says she's too drunk to finish her drink and gives it to me. I take a sip from the classy styrofoam cup. It appears to be Kool-Aid and vodka, just without the Kool-Aid. I leave the rest on what used to be a pay-phone counter. Yecch!

We get to the Events Center, about a 5 minute walk. I should mention Reno's cold (for Reno, that is), it's probably 30F or so. There's a big crowd, all dressed in black, tons of tattoos, piercings, bizarre facial hair, you know the type. Good people by and large, but in a group they definitely spook Grandma. What's weird is there's a HUGE line to get in. It's about 7:45P, 15 minutes before the show, and the line to get in runs two blocks north on Center, one block east on 6th, a block south on Lake, and then back to Center along 5th. Ugh! Fortunately, being with the tattooed broads comes in handy: apparently pretty young things don't stand in line! Nor, it turns out, does their mascot-ish older-guy friend! We get right in. But in the crush, we're separated, and I don't see them again. Thanks to Amanda and Donna from Auburn, wherever you are!



I have a good seat, right in the middle of the arena. The show's good, but not as good as when I last saw them, in Victoria, BC in 2007. The venue is great though, not too big (just 7,000 or so) and probably not a bad seat in the place. I'm glad I went, I just wish the song selection was more to my liking. A minor quibble. Also, at this point, except for maybe 3 hours of semi-sleep on the first flight, I've been up for like 40 hours straight, so I'm not in a good position to judge.



Okay, now it's Sunday, about 9AM. After showering, I realize I forgot deodorant. So I walk a couple blocks north to Walgreens to buy some. Out front, an obvious meth addict (well maybe not, but he looks like what I'd expect a meth addict to look like, shivering in the cold) is standing in the parking lot holding a beat-up plastic red gas can. He gives me the obvious story about needing a couple gallons to get to the hospital in Carson City to see his sick daughter. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't born yesterday and head inside.

Newly deodorized, I drive the car next door to Silver Legacy and check it in. Very convenient being able to drop it downtown for no extra fee. Now it's time to walk to the Cal Neva and make today's parlay wager. On the way, I check out the Reno sign and the cool municipal outdoor rink along the Truckee, one of the best things Reno government's done in a long time.







Here's today's parlay: Ravens, Giants, and Warriors. The Giants and Warriors perform as predicted, but the Ravens lose by that pesky half point. Dang!



Okay, a little more about me and how I do Reno. I love public transit. When a bus line streched to my Bay Area neighborhood in 6th grade, I used to disappear for hours on it, worry my mom like crazy. I like it in both Reno and Vegas especially because I can drink and still get around town. Reno has good service, and a mere $4 yields a 24 hour unlimited use pass. Another thing I really like is sports bars. Where I live, there's no sports culture, and no good sports bars or pub grub. So I'll start my day by hitting some places I researched before the trip.

First up is Bully's on Sierra Highlands. I ride a bus from downtown for about 25 minutes. But on the way, I see another Bully's, on Robb, one I read about but haven't been to before. I call an audible and hop off. Inside, there's good wifi, cheap beer, and wings. I play more awful VP but again win about $15 somehow. Here's my happy server.



An hour passes, time to hop back aboard for the Bully's I was really going to. Same drill: video poker, cheap beer, and wings. I know, this wing affliction will get me, I get it.



The Ravens win, but only by 7, not the 7.5 I need. Time to move on. This time, I walk, to the Flowing Tide Pub about 10 minutes away for the start of the Giants-Packers game. I wait a while for a spot at the bar to open up. This time, just a quick beer comped for some bad VP play. It disappears quickly, as do I.







I hop a quick bus back downtown. Last time I was in Reno, I got to see an Aces game. Very cool stadium. This time, I thought I'd check out some of the venues in the Freight House District, but it's completely shut down. So instead I pop over to Cal Neva and Siena and run thru $11 in free play at each place.

Sobering up, I decide to seek my fortune down south. But on the way, I stop off at Ceol Irish Pub, on Virginia about 5 blocks south of the river. At night this place gets pretty busy, but it's just 5P or so and quiet. I drain a Magners and head outside for the Rapid Bus.

Next stop: Atlantis for $20 in free play, and to let them know I'm still alive and to keep sending me mailers. I settle in at the sports bar and play some pretty good VP. And whaddya know, I hit a couple good hands. This'll fund the Reno part of the trip if I keep my wits about me, for a change.





Hop back on the bus, this time to Peppermill. Head inside to play bartop VP again, this time at what until recently was called the Fish Bar. Time to classy up the drinking. I switch to drinking Godfathers (half whiskey, half amaretto, on the rocks). The bartender serves it in a handsome rocks glass. Two is plenty. I cash out up again, maybe $40.

Yes, they're cheesy, but I'm a sucker for good live lounge acts. On this Sunday night, there's a good one. I don't know the name, but I watch for 20 minutes or so and really enjoy them. The bass player was really good, I always like that.



One thing I haven't mentioned is how empty Reno is. It's a three day weekend, but there's no snow in the Sierras. The end result is the town is dead dead dead. I feel like I own the place. Well, I do, and so do all the vagrants in town. There are a lot of homeless people here, shivering in the cold, wandering about. The McDonalds across from Silver Legacy is basically a homeless shelter, with vagrants huddling over cooling coffee. Not good.

By the time I get back downtown, it's about 10P and I've had enough. I stumble back to the room and konk out. Another well-done Reno day!

Okay, its now Monday time to actually play real casino games. It snowed a little bit overnight, the snow's sticking in the shadows. I play everything as long as I can do it at a good value, I'm after entertainment, not money. Craps, blackjack, roulette, pai gow poker, and VP. Heading through Eldorado, I see this weird craps machine. It has real dice, which sit on this plunger-type shaker-table. Up to 8 players sit around the table and place their bets via video. The basic layout is pretty good and pays well: $1 minimum with double odds. I lose about $40 or so, but enjoy the technology.





After some more freeplay at Siena, time for some lunch. Before I left, I bought a Groupon-like "Sweetdeal" via the Reno News & Review's website. By the way, if you're not yet in the habit, I highly recommend reading the RN&R before visiting Reno, it has lots of cool info about the town and what's going on. Anyhow, I paid $10 for $20 worth of food and drink at Men Wielding Fire, a BBQ joint downtown.



I had their half rack of ribs, wet, a side of beans, and a very good microbrew from Ukiah, Boont Amber Ale. About $20. Not the best BBQ I've had, but very good, and a great deal.



I spend Monday afternoon wandering downtown, seeing what's up. A lot of nothing, that's what. I make a point to visit Reno eNVy, a whimsical Reno t-shirt shop on Sierra Street by the river. I buy this but not this.

I wander over to Sands Regency. It is filled with vagrants drinking their fill at the two bars. I get their newest slot club card, Affinity A-Play or something. I play a little 50 cent roulette. I scram.

Scram to the relative comforts of the Cal Neva for craps and pai-gow poker.





By now it's late, and I still haven't had an Awful Awful. Bee-line to the Nugget Diner to fix that. Sooooooo gooooood!





Tuesday morning. I have 6 hours before my flight, plenty of time to wander about. While wandering I see that another one of the boarded-up motels downtown is being torn down. This time it's the Shamrock, which apparently caught fire in July. Depressing.



After a little more freeplay at Siena and Cal Neva, time for one last meal. What to have....WINGS! At the Nugget! Yum!



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Circus Circus shuttle to airport at 1230P. I'm the only one on-board. Check in, wheels up at 1:50P, quick change in Salt Lake, land back home at 8:45P. Gambling wise, I win $139. Another great trip to Reno, can't wait to get back! Hope you enjoyed something in this lengthy TR.


Last edited by Shooty on Jan Sat 28, 2012 11:52 pm; edited 2 times in total
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JD



Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 956

PostPosted: Jan Fri 27, 2012 7:03 pm    Post subject: TR Reply with quote

Excellent TR, Shooty.

No doubt I gotta master my digital cam.
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john
Site Admin


Joined: 17 Dec 2005
Posts: 1181

PostPosted: Jan Sat 28, 2012 8:32 am    Post subject: Holy Cow! Reply with quote

Very impressive trip report, Shooty. Great pictures, links and reviews. I'd bet you put more time into that than most people put into making their marriage work.
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Jan Sat 28, 2012 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the compliments. Just trying to give the flavor of how I do Reno these days when I'm by my lonesome. Cheap gambling, cheap booze, unhealthy food, wandering around looking at the decay. What's not to love?

Maybe more of a cry for help than a trip report Embarassed
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BC Dave
Site Admin


Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 1592

PostPosted: Jan Sat 28, 2012 1:52 pm    Post subject: Thanks Shooty! Reply with quote

Great report! After reading your report and especially looking at the pictures, I realized how hungry (and thirsty) I was. (Snack snack, glug glug, munch munch). Love the pics. Congrats on the 4 OAKs, they always brighten your day.
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Zydeco



Joined: 03 Sep 2008
Posts: 302

PostPosted: Jan Sun 29, 2012 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A GREAT trip report and I love the photos.
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Dave



Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 212

PostPosted: Jan Tue 31, 2012 11:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the great report. Loved the pictures as well!
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Larry.the.Legend



Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Feb Thu 02, 2012 4:49 am    Post subject: Trip Report Reply with quote

GREAT PICS!!!! and I see you enjoyed and AWFUL AWFUL... cant wauit for my turn in Aprill..... how was the Nugget looking? I will fly SOuthwest from Milwaukee Wis
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Feb Thu 02, 2012 11:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Trip Report Reply with quote

Larry.the.Legend wrote:
how was the Nugget looking?
It hasn't changed much to me for at least five years. I remember it having live tables, but that was a long time ago. The goth chick working the counter was sassy and smart, very cool. The diner's prices are definitely up, but I'm cool with it, they produce great products. Not stuff you want to eat frequently, but stuff to look forward to occasionally.

As I write this, there's a Nugget Bucket to my right, full of Canadian Whisky and Diet Coke. Love these glasses!
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CaSwede



Joined: 28 Feb 2006
Posts: 866

PostPosted: Feb Fri 03, 2012 9:10 am    Post subject: Tool-Tool-Tool Reply with quote

Very nice report. I have some Tool music in my truck for road trips. I am glad to see you ate healthy on this trip (I did see some celery in one picture).
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stan_allen



Joined: 19 Dec 2005
Posts: 1129

PostPosted: Feb Fri 03, 2012 3:16 pm    Post subject: Bully for spending time at Bully's... Reply with quote

A tour de force of a trip report. Not to get all French, but that's what I was *wishing* my last trip report looked like.

Nice venue for the concert, too - big enough to provide a 'grand' sensation without requiring you to sit in the 90,000th row and observe the whole thing on giant overhead monitors.

Great work on the conspicuous consumption, both of quality food and clearly-delicious beer. Makes the mouth water, it does.

Go back soon!
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