I thought I would hate Reno, but I was wrongDecember 29th, 2008 View Comments |
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What are we going to do tonight? | Reno, Nevada, USA | Dec 2008
Reno, Nevada was intended to just be a stopover, a random one-night stay to pick up a friend at the airport the next day on our way to Lake Tahoe, California. I was planning on disliking Reno; I was expecting to hate Reno.
After two days there, not only did I not hate the town, I started liking it. I drove past the slightly beat-down casinos, the kitschy trying-to-be-gaudy-but-failing motels, the slightly seedy downtown, the run down parts of town, the line of strip malls with the local outpost of every retail outlet known to the United States, but for some reason the effect was different on me than in almost every town in the United States (and I’ve been to a lot of them). Instead of hating it, it began to grow on me.
Perhaps it was the mountains, towering in the distance, full of opportunities, exploration, unencumbered, untainted, standing in stark contrast to the flashing lights of the casino. What is it about the simplicity of drastic changes of elevation that create such awe and wonderment, such excitement?
Perhaps it was because Reno sits in Nevada, with the vestiges of lawlessness, the hope of adventure and exploration that the idea of Nevada evokes in my mind, springing from westerns, tales of the west past and present, the halo of Vegas in the far-off distance.
I don’t know. But whatever it was, I’ll return.
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Ah, I have to thank photographer Emily Setzer for her recommendations over Twitter on things to do in Reno …
December 30th, 2008 at 10:38
“I was planning on disliking Reno…” That's a keeper for your unwritten novel ;)
I lived in Vegas once…after being robbed our first night at a hotel on Tropicana, we sought safer haven far up the hill on the west side of town. The Red Rocks Canyon State Park became a quick, yet sufficient getaway. It was easy to forget the facade-driven glitz of the Strip up there surrounded by the time-worn, mineral-stained rock landscapes (the visitor center was charmingly creepy, as well).
January 5th, 2009 at 10:21
It is a town full of characters, for sure–cowboys, crack addicts, entrepreneurs, explorers. Glad you picked up on that vibe. I can't quite put my finger on the Reno zeitgeist, either, but there is a kind of rough and tumble to the culture that's unpretentious and fun to be around.
Happy New Year!
(keep an eye out for the next Gamechangers post…you'll like it.)
January 5th, 2009 at 17:39
That line could probably launch a better novel than my current half-unwritten novels :)
The contrast between glitz and real, peeling off the various facades of life, is always interesting. I wonder if back in the day cave art and mineral stains were “glitzy” in contrast to the normal unadorned rocks, mountains and landscapes.
What do we perceive as glitzy today that will be eclipsed in the future?
January 5th, 2009 at 17:41
Places are always about the people… and I'm hoping to meet more characters there soon :)
January 6th, 2009 at 1:39
That line could probably launch a better novel than my current half-unwritten novels :)rnrnThe contrast between glitz and real, peeling off the various facades of life, is always interesting. I wonder if back in the day cave art and mineral stains were “glitzy” in contrast to the normal unadorned rocks, mountains and landscapes.rnrnWhat do we perceive as glitzy today that will be eclipsed in the future?
January 6th, 2009 at 1:41
Places are always about the people… and I’m hoping to meet more characters there soon :)
March 4th, 2009 at 12:10
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