Hey everyone,
Thank you all so much for the information and advice about our trip. For the most part it matches up with what I've been seeing in most reviews and research that I've been doing. We will be driving to Reno from just south of San Francisco so we for sure will be spending time around Lake Tahoe checking out the area.

Barry,
WOW, that's a ton of information! Thank you so much for taking the time to write that up for me. We are going to arrive in Reno on August 3rd (Tuesday) and will either be leaving on the 4th or 5th. For some reason hotel prices are VERY high for mid week! Here are some of the prices I'm finding for the two nights:

Nugget casino Sparks - $274
Silver Legacy - $333
Peppermill - $433
Eldorado - $324
Circus Circus - $378
Atlantis - $375
Grand Sierra - $375

Maybe it's just me but those prices seem ridiculous for mid week! I have heard good things about Pam's eggs and might have to give that place a try while we're in town. I'll continue researching and keeping track of these prices then work on what activities we will plan. Thanks again for your help, I really do appreciate it!