11 Things I Learned On A Trip To Reno And Lake Tahoe
I'm a huge traveller, and there's only a handful of destinations I won't visit. I mean, do you blame me? What 20-something wouldn't jump at the chance to visit a new place?
But I gotta be honest, when I got an email asking to join a weekend getaway trip to Reno and Lake Tahoe in Nevada, I was skeptical. I've been to Nevada once before (to see Britney Spears perform in Las Vegas, duh), and I wasn't a big fan of the gambling lifestyle. And upon a quick Google search, I learned Reno was known for their casinos too.
But you know what? I decided not to let my fear of casinos stop me from taking the chance. Like, how could I pass up the opportunity to cruise along the same lake Alanis Morissette, Canadian icon, owned a house on? AND explore the city Golden Bachelorette runner-up Guy Gansert is from?
So I said YES! It was a three-day getaway with five other gals I'd never met before. And oh boy, did I learn a TON from the trip, including a huge surprise I wasn't expecting.
Without further ado, here are some very honest thoughts and recs from my trip to Reno Tahoe — coming to you from a certified high-maintenance girlie.
My very first impression of Reno Tahoe was from the plane. And it was unlike anything I've ever seen before, as someone who has basically never been in the desert. Thankfully I booked a window seat, because I was snapping pics the entire time...these hills were ALIVE, all right.
You could also see snow-covered hills in the background, which was soooooo cool.
After worrying too much about it, it turns out that I surprisingly enjoyed watching the hustle and bustle of the casino and seeing so many people out and about. I'm a certified extrovert, so maybe that's why. I found it creates a cool ambiance, ya know? Even if I don't wanna gamble myself, it's honestly really fun seeing other people so engaged in it. But I have to say, I equally appreciated the quieter weekdays, especially by the pool...so I'd definitely visit during the week if that's more your vibe.
We stayed at the Grand Sierra Resort, which was HUGE and really proximal to pretty much everything. And can I just say, the food and activity options were A MAJOR WOW inside the resort. Bowling? A whole cake shop? A Starbucks? An Asian restaurant, sports bar, buffet…yeah. Sign me the heck up. I very well could've never left the resort if I so desired.
Although, like, I definitely did get lost making my way up to my room on the 15th floor. Yes, I'm flexing. The view was beautiful.
The weather in Reno was scorching — like, 35 degrees Celsius and sunny every day — which I personally LOVED, as someone who has been the victim of constantly rainy spring weather in Toronto. I had no clue that Nevada gets so hot (clueless Canadian over here), but it was awesome! I spent every free hour I got at the pool, soaking in the sun.
This is your sign to just BOOK THE TOUR, wherever you're travelling. Even if you're hesitant to really lean into the whole "tourist" thing, seriously, find a tour and book it anyway! We went on a pedicab art tour around Reno and saw so much sustainable art, which was absolutely sick as someone who loves both art and the environment.
That polar bear!!! How adorable?!
On the tour, I surprised myself with how much I learned, and it totally helped me appreciate the city even more. Plus, the tour was the perfect thing to do at the beginning of the trip, because from then on, I couldn't stop gawking at all the murals all over the city.
OK, let's talk about Lake Tahoe. We went there in the early morning, which I highly recommend to beat the rush (and if you're jet lagged, it makes total sense). It was around 45 minutes to get there from the hotel, which flashed by. We went on a clear kayak tour with Clearly Tahoe, and I can't even begin to explain to you how STUNNING it was. By far my highlight of the trip.
Truly, during the entire tour, I just kept gasping the entire time. The colour of the water is unbelievable, and being surrounded by the mountains is so unique. Seeing the bright water under my legs in the kayak was truly life changing. I swear, that two-hour kayak tour single-handedly melted all my stress away.
Now I understand why so many celebs own houses on this lake.
Other than the undeniably beautiful views, there's also a ton of deeper history behind Lake Tahoe that was fascinating to learn about on the tour. I'd tell you myself, but what happens in Lake Tahoe stays in Lake Tahoe. Here's my favourite fun fact from the tour that I've been sharing to everyone, like the Ravenclaw I am: Lake Tahoe is deeper than the height of the Empire State Building. Try and wrap your brain around THAT.
We hit up a Banana Ball (AKA Savannah Bananas) game in the evening, because we were lucky enough that the Party Animals team was visiting. If you don't know what Banana Ball is, think of it as baseball, but a million times more entertaining and absurd. And in the spirit of honesty, I have to tell you, it was way more fun then any MLB game I've been to (sorry, Blue Jays).
At the game, between innings and outs, they had the most hilarious audience interactions — like a "dad bod" relay race and an old couple make-out sesh (yes, I'm serious). Plus, there was music playing at all times, making it a huge dance party at the same time. Vibes were ON POINT. Now whenever I go to a regular baseball game I'll wonder, Why is nobody dressed as a giant frog or monkey, leaping around the field while the teams play? It just won't be the same.
I gotta talk about the restaurants in Reno Tahoe for a sec, because I had some of the most unique meals of my life. Sage Leaf Tahoe had these incredible sage biscuits, and a chicken bowl I'll be dreaming of forever. Not to mention a wholesome brekkie at Great Full Gardens, and celebratory dinner at Mexican steakhouse Toro Bravo. So if you're wondering if we ate well in Reno, the answer is a thousand times YES.
IMHO, Reno is definitely the place to go with friends. Our group of five girls was the perfect number, and it was soooo much fun to explore the activities with some new gal pals. There's no way to bond quite like exploring a new city — we genuinely had the greatest time all together. (If you're reading this, ladies, HI!! Your new Canadian pal misses ya!)
And lastly, here's the one thing about Reno Tahoe that I TOTALLY didn't expect and truly knocked my socks off: the sheer volume of activities and events. This city is ALIVE and VIBING!!! We went to the Reno River Festival, for one, but there are countless events going on every single week — I'm talking food festivals, street parties, and world-renowned art shows.
Like, just LOOK at this list! I'm a huge traveller and I've literally never seen anything like this before, so this was definitely the biggest shocker. It's worth going back to Reno for the events alone.
You heard it here first: Reno Tahoe gets my gold-star stamp of approval. So what do you think? Are you adding Reno and Lake Tahoe to your bucket list? Will I maaaaaybe see you there on my next girls' trip? Tell me in the comments below!
And if you're into travel, make sure to follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram for more!
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