Picture perfect
Click here to see a slide show of the area's natural wonders.
Hiking to the “N”
By Brandon Stewart
Collegiate stress is inescapable:
financial aid requirements, research presentations, graduate
school entrance exams. It’s everywhere.
A moonlit hike to the University
of Nevada “N”—north of campus—offers
a breath of sanity. A natural method of relieving stress,
fear evoked by deviant shadows and unsettling sounds
of rattling branches purge the body of unnecessary adrenaline.
Coyote howls and thoughts of bridge-dwelling trolls further
dissipate stress.
Ascending the summit, the subsequent
view of downtown Reno provides the sought-after solace.
Sliding silently...
...Up Mount Tallac With a
Snowboard on My Back
By Jeff Cowen
I heave and sweat under the
weight of my pack and snowboard. Body heat rushes out of
the neck of my jacket, like a billows, with every step.
The summit is getting so steep that the snow is right
in front of my face. My legs continue their rhythm, but with
more excitement and exhaustion as I realize how near
the top we are. Kick, stomp stomp. Kick, stomp
stomp.
I glance under my arm and down the north bowl of Mount
Tallac to the train of climbers below. It is 8:30 a.m.
and we have climbed 3,500 feet, most of it over 50 degrees
steep. None of us will say it, but we are all thinking
it: Do I even have the strength left to snowboard
down?
The snow on the summit crunches with a deep, hollow
sound. Small slabs break away. Underneath the crust is
a layer of soft, light powder with the consistency of
TV static.
We all wearily and happily congregate on the windswept
rocks at 10,123 feet and gaze over the expanse of Lake
Tahoe to the north. The lake spreads its indigo mass
over the basin in silent grandeur. Part one of the prize
for our effort. After a lunch of salami and
cheese cut with the teeth of someone’s crampon,
some of our strength has returned and we start to set
our boards up and draw straws to see who gets first
descent. The ride down is an unbroken, silent slide with more
powder than any of us can get to.
Things to do in Reno...
...When
You’re Bored
By Alisha Wike
Just
minutes from the University of Nevada, Reno campus, there
are plenty of places to visit for fun. Walking south
of the casino strip in downtown Reno, you can visit
local coffee shops and cafes, giving the privately owned
places some business. You can play the piano at Dreamers
Coffeehouse & Deli (27 S. Virginia St.), admire art
at Java Jungle (246 W. First St.) or drink a frappe from
a jar at Deux Gros Nez (249 California Ave.), a vegetarian
café just across from the stunning Nevada Museum
of Art (160 W Liberty St.).
Into
sports? Downtown Reno now offers kayaking on the Truckee
River in the summer. And in the winter, there’s
ice-skating at a riverside rink.
One activity that’s
fun all year long: Simply walking through the casinos
pretending to be tourists. You may choose to dance
salsa at the Reno Hilton (2500 E. Second St.) or drink
at the Brew Brothers inside the Eldorado Hotel Casino
(345 N. Virginia St.). If casinos aren't your thing, you can hear awesome bands at the
New Oasis (2100 Victorian Ave., Sparks) on the weekends.
Whatever
you choose to do, you are destined to meet interesting
people from the musicians jamming on their guitars or
harmonicas on the sidewalks to the homeless men looking
for shelter or selling their poetry. And don’t
forget about the young ones covered in tattoos and piercings
lounging around in front of Java Jungle, waiting for
fun to find them.
The
antique shops can be a cheap exciting thrill, as is wandering
for hours at the thrift store Savers Thrift Store (2350
Oddie Blvd., Sparks), a popular place to buy clothes
for the college student on a budget.
The Reno bar scene
Sapphire Lounge
Inside Harrah’s
Reno
219 N. Center St., Reno
(800) 423-1121 By Cassandra Wedlake
The
Sapphire Lounge provides an intimate environment perfect
for a quiet date or even for a fun night out with your
friends. There’s no being bumped into like in crowded
bars and no massive amounts of sticky liquor on the floor
to stick to your new brand new shoes. Great martinis are
served in glasses with twisted handles and pink-sugared
rims. This lounge is definitely worth a visit. There’s
live music—frequently jazz—on weekends.
West Second Street Bar
118 W. Second St., Reno
(775) 348-7976 By Allana Zacaria
My
favorite bar in the down town Reno area is the West Second
Street Bar. There is plenty of seating and two dance floors
on either side of the bar. West Second Street is great
entertainment not only for college age kids but also for
a mature crowd. There is a mix of hip hop, country and
rock music and karaoke songs, and if you’re lucky
you’ll run into a biker or two.
Hot August Nights
http://www.hotaugustnights.net
By Kate Marshall
Mufflers rattle the pavement
as vibrant colored cars cruise around Reno and Sparks. Crowds
gather to gawk at the old-school autos, dreaming of the day
when they may be able to afford the restoration of a ’57
Chevy or a ’65 Mustang.
Tens of thousands of classic car lovers pack the streets
of Reno and Sparks for the annual Hot August Nights.
It’s a big block party for classic car owners to
show off their beauties while others drool and point.
This jamboree is packed full of a variety of cars restored
to mint condition. The best place to camp out and make
your “I want” list is Victorian Square in
Sparks.
Sparks Hometowne Farmers Market
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/living/com_events/farmers_market/
By Vanessa Montecerin
Where can you munch on fresh,
just-picked strawberries from the California coast—while
getting your face painted, your back massaged, and your
corn cobbed?
On Thursday nights in the summer, the place to be is
Sparks Farmers Market where you will find a plethora
of mouth-watering fruits, vegetables, crafts, giant onion
rings, pad thai, frozen, chocolate-dipped bananas and
steak tacos.
More than 120 vendors that set up for this event and
more than 15,000 people attend. The streets are usually
jam-packed with people eating great food, soaking up
the summer weather—even occasional wind and rain!—and
relishing the great company.
As nighttime falls and the farmers pack up their booths,
the party begins. Enjoy a nice cold beer and great music
at Burg’s Bar. Get a custom-brewed “Icky” at
Great Basin Brewing Company. Or a strawberry margarita
at Cantina Los Tres Hombres.
Gimme a B!
Brüka Theatre
99 N. Virginia St., Reno
(775) 323-3221 By Leslie Pearson
What’s better than being a couch potato, veggin’ in
front of the TV? Being a couch potato in front of a stage.
At the Brüka Theater in downtown Reno, you can watch
a play while lounging on a comfy sofa and drinking a beer.
Why not just stay at home, you ask? At Brüka, you can
have fun, pretend to be cultured and still be comfortable.
Brüka Theater is on the corner of First and Virginia
streets in downtown Reno.
Now playing
OH, HELL! Sub-Brüka Productions presents Oh, Hell! at
8 p.m. Oct. 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29. $13-$20. Brüka Theatre,
99 N. Virginia St., 323-3221.
Skate Reno
http://www.cityofreno.com/res/com_service/parks/skateparks.php
By
Shadrach Close
The skateboarding scene is alive
and well in Reno. Nine years ago the first skate park appeared
in Idlewild Park, near Reno High School in northwest Reno.
It boasted many transitions, a pool, and a good set up so anyone
could find a line. It wasn’t long before other parks
started popping up.
Lazy 5 in Spanish Springs, just off the Pyramid Highway north
of Sparks, boasts twin mini-ramps, a steep handrail, pyramids,
and all around good street terrain.
Burgess Park, off Pyramid Way and Greenbrae Drive in Sparks,
features great street and tranny terrain for more advanced
skaters.
Rattlesnake Mountain (also known as Mira Loma), off McCarran
Boulevard, is one of the biggest parks in the west with 40,000
feet of skateable terrain and lots of pools, waterfalls,
ledges, rails, and pyramids.
If skating at skateparks sounds tame, the University
of Nevada, Reno has spots galore, but beware UNR’s
bored campus police officers.
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