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Stopped in Reno on the way back from the '09 convention as is my usual custom. Always had a room waiting at Fitzgerald's Club but of course that has gone away. I did manage to impress Eldo with some green chip play and have recieved some offers from them. Got one night free with one night paid. Not exactly Diamond Jim Brady but having access to a bed in Reno can be a problem sometimes as the town sells out for their special events, HAN, Air races etc. Bowlers were in town when I was there and they're very nice folks. So running player points here and there in Reno can be good idea.
Sunday morning breakfast at Indian Springs and then the run up to Reno. After reading Al Moe's excellent book, Roots of Reno, I should have poked around Tonapah and Goldfield but kept the gas on till Fernley. Had to make a lap around the Truckinn eventhough it is closed these days. Gonna be a new casino in town shortly, but didn't see any evidence of construction yet. And, of course, Virginia street was closed when I pulled into town so I took the senic route to the Eldo garage. The hot setup for parking is the third floor which has a walkway over the street that brings you right to the hotel desk. Parked forth floor, pushed the "walkway" button and the elevator took me right to the ground floor! After negotiating several dead ends, I made it into the casino. Simple and friendly check-in and easy-to-find elevator to the room towers. You have to show your room key to security every time you access the elevators but really, with the street population in the Reno casino district this is very comforting. The Eldo is less overt in their checks than the bulls shouting "Hey!" down at Southpoint later in the evening. The Eldo folks also wrangle the elevators for us geezers who can become easily befuddled. 
"Going up sir? Right here."
The room. About the same size as the digs at Southpoint and the bath/toilet/shower area was a touch nicer. My room had an unfortunate light grey carpet that would show any bit of soil. The housekeeping staff had obviously been fighting the battle for many year with heavy-duty carpet cleaning that had the poor floor cover just about broken down to its molecular components. Kind of eeewgeey for barefooting there in room 2010 but hey, no spots! Regular sized TV that really looked small after the 42" Southpoint flatscreens. Want to lay in bed and watch TV? Make a pyramid of your bed pillows because there isn't any headboard. How's the view? Actually the best Reno view is looking at the eldorado and since I was in the Eldo... Uh, I had an airshaft that looked down on the pool which looked to be situated on the 5th floor. Reno isn't exactly the pool heaven that Vegas is. Also, you can look right into the other rooms surrounding the shaft because the drapery situation is pretty ugly. Same effect as if someone had set off an IED in a Goodwill colection box. You deal with a sad sack white gauzy affair and cover this eyesore with a wrinkly ill fitting gray curtin that give you some privacy if you arrange everything just so. Room decor isn't a strong point at the Eldorado. Contrast to the redone rooms at the Riv for heavens sake, where everything was easy to look at and touch, so it can be done.
Let's head over to the Nugget Diner, I've been thinking of an Awful Awful for weeks! Packed elevator on return when a lady pipes up, "I smell frenchfries!" "I've got an Awful Awful" which got a nod or two from the Reno vets. Two pounds of fries with these puppies you know.
Down to the casino for some cards. Got into playing green chip balckjack the last couple of years. Since it's right at my absolute bankroll ceiling, it is somewhat more intersting than my usual $5 game. Seems to make me more friends in the pits too. Wanted to get more points on my card for next visit. I know it's not a good plan to play for comps. Got my "rainbow" color out and put the half K piece in my pocket feeling quite the Joe Cool character. Wandered over to Sienna, a favorite because of the dealer Karen who worked for Lincoln Fitzgerald. Found her and teased her about the time she knocked down Fitz twice in just a few minutes. She proclaimed it unintentional and that she "loved that old man!" I ran the name Mert Wertheimer by her without success and got a few more Fitz/Nevada Club tidbits but forgot to ask her if she ever dealt to Levere Redfield, nuts!
It's not easy being in the Sienna "River Club". You buy in and the dealer puts you card on the corner and sings out "Tracking" and the pit critter ignors the card for 30-40 minuets or so. Once the guy finally took it and wandered off and lost the thing. Resolved in about an hour, so's I've got me a newish one now. At least it's consistant there. Got my cashback off a TITO after entering a PIN into a slot machine but on the whole, they don't write, they don't call. If you like your casinos with the same atmosphere as a library, Sienna is your kind of place.
Didn't make the trip up Mt. Rose Hwy. to Crystal Bay, hope those places are still there next time I ge the chance. Did make a stop at Western Village though. Last time I was in Reno, went by there. for some reason, I thought the place was a dump with seriously BTS chips. Actually, you are struckwith what anice clean place Western Village is, got the same green and blue neon as Peppermill on the strip and the same astronomy carpetting as the Peppmill on S. Virginia. Well, guess what, Peppermill owns the joint. Had a nice 21 game when I got a hankering for turkey and sourdough. got spoiled having access to that deli there at southpoint. Got a seat in the coffee shop and an excellent Turkey club that hit the spot perfectly. Seemed to be a regular neighborhood lunchtime crowd atracted by the clean surroundings and good food. Only drawback to Western Village is the seeminly 250 handicapped parking places up close so you park purt 'near in Sparks to get in there.
Stopped in Baldini's to get a cap to wear at work... geez, no table games in the place anymore, so no chips. The caps are usually pretty nifty but they only seemed to have some gaudy Nascar lids that Jeremy Mayfield wouldn't even wear on a meth toot.
Had a good meal at what turned out to be Silver Legacy's coffeshop. I thought i was in Eldorado but what with all the connecting walkways Eldo/Clown and silver Lagacy, I was really over to the neighbors. Very loud C/W while I was eating, glad to finsh and get away fro it. Noticed too loud music also at Southpoint's buffet, what's the deal everywhere?
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