Destination: Lake Tahoe/Reno, Nevada
When: March 17-21, 2004
Itinerary: Flew into Reno, drove to Tahoe, drove to Las Vegas, flew home from Las Vegas

After being to Las Vegas SO many times in the past 6 years, we decided to try something different. We flew into Reno, Nevada and spent 3 days in Reno and the Lake Tahoe Area. We’re so glad we did! Lake Tahoe is beautiful!

We stayed at the Silver Legacy in Reno. What a beautiful hotel! Reno is like a little Las Vegas with all the casinos and buffets you could ever want. Much of the activity is within walking distance if you plan to stay in Reno. We had a rental car so we could drive to Lake Tahoe, which is about an hour away.

Lake Tahoe is absolutely spectacular! We were there in March, so there was still plenty of snow and people were still skiing. I loved shopping in Heavenly at Lake Tahoe. The shops line the street at the base of the mountains. We took the gondola ride up to the top of the mountain. What views!!! You must to this if you go to Heavenly. There are several wedding chapels and tours to take here. We didn’t to anything other than enjoy the great views and scenery. We picked up HUGE pinecones (the size of a football!) with the intention of bringing them home. Unfortunately, they made a mess in the back of the rental car so we pitched them. I’ll be more prepared next time!

After a few days of Reno/Lake Tahoe, we made our way to Las Vegas. “How was the drive,” you ask? Terrible! We drove through little ghost towns where everything was boarded up, passed brothels literally in the middle of nowhere, drove through dirt devils (sand tornados) and saw tons of wild burrows. Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you start out because there is only one town to stop on the way. It took seven hours to get to Las Vegas (and we were not going the speed limit! Haha!)

My Recommendations: GO! Reno is a good alternative to Las Vegas, if you’ve been to Las Vegas before. I like the small town feel and how close everything is. I especially love that it is near Lake Tahoe, the mountains and wilderness. Three or four nights in Reno is plenty. Same with Tahoe, unless you enjoy skiing.