48 Hours in Reno

This post is sponsored by Renaissance Reno Downtown.

[dropcap2_large]L[/dropcap2_large]ast month I took a trip to Reno, Nevada. I know what you’re thinking, “Reno? Why?”. Aside from having family nearby and it being just on the other side of my favorite lake, Reno has done a lot lately to redefine their image. The addition of new restaurants and hotel updates take the city beyond its dated reputation of a casino city. Today I’ve partnered with the Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel to share a look at my 48 hour stay in Reno, as well as bring you an exciting giveaway.

Friday, 10AM: My friend Elisabeth and I packed up our things and started on our journey to Reno. The drive is about 275 miles and usually takes just under 5 hours. We set out with lots of snacks and good music to keep us going.

Friday, 3PM: We rolled into Downtown Reno around 3PM after a quick stop for gas and coffee on the way. Our hosted room at the Renaissance was ready, and checking into a penthouse suite was kind of awesome. At close to 1,000 sq. ft. the room offered plenty of space for us to get comfortable. The interior was inspired by the views of the Truckee River which runs just outside.

Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel
Located in Downtown Reno, Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel was recently updated and remodeled in a way to reflect the nature around it. Not only does it have a central location right along the river, the hotel boasts enough amenities to stand on it’s own.
One South, Lake Street, Reno, Nevada 89501 (www)

Friday, 4PM:Once we settled into our room we took some time to familiarize ourself with all parts of the hotel. In addition to the hotel offering a coffee shop, The Shore Room restaurant, bike rentals, it also features live music often, and an on-site indoor-outdoor bocce venue. Bundox Bocce features seven indoor courts and two outdoor courts with other options such as darts, table tennis, skee ball, shuffle board, and pub food with local brews.

Friday, 7PM: We enjoyed dinner at The Shore Room, a restaurant inside the hotel, and by enjoyed, I mean really enjoyed. We started off with an order of Laffa bread with hummus dip, and lamp lollipops. For our main course we had pork loin with fennel and Chilean sea bass. They offered a dairy-free dessert that reminded me of a cobbler style pie, full of fruit and spice. This was extra exciting for me since I have multiple food allergies and usually get stuck with sorbet.

Friday, 10PM: Later in the evening we decided to take a (chilly) post-dinner walk to check out some of the neon signs in the downtown area. It was fun to take some long-exposure shots of the neon signs but the nightlife was a tad overwhelming for me since I prefer quiet.

Saturday, 9AM: Room Service breakfast is an indulgence I like to take part in when I travel. It makes starting the day easier and is a better use of a time for anyone who wants to have more daylight to explore. The room service at the hotel was delivered in a bag instead of on a rolling cart, which was convenient and made for easy cleanup afterward.

Saturday, 12PM: Nevada Museum of Art.

Nevada Museum of Art
Four story art museum showing contemporary art, altered landscape photography, western art & more. The museum was good size, but not too large to feel that you have to spend an entire day. There is an observation deck on the top level.
160 West Liberty Street, Reno, Nevada 89501 (www)

Saturday, 3PM: Exploring Midtown. This area is a hip neighborhood just south of downtown. It’s quiet and full of character.

Old World Coffee Lab
A modern and monochrome-ish coffeehouse serving specialty drinks. They do have some pastries, but when we stopped by late-afternoon they were out.
104 California Avenue, Reno, Nevada 89509 (www)

Batch Cupcakery
Small bakery with organic, gluten-free, and vegan options.
555 South Virginia Street, Suite 104, Reno, Nevada 89501 (www)

Golden Jackal
Cool retro-vintage clothing and home decor. There’s even a neon sign on loan (see above) that changes often.
600 South Virginia Street, Suite C, Reno, Nevada 89509 (www)

Junkee Clothing Exchange & Antique Company
The largest thrift store I’ve ever been in, we spent hours wandering the racks between vintage clothing, home decor, and costumes.
960 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89502 (www)

Saturday, 8PM: We found ourselves back at The Shore Room for dinner, craving some of the favorites from the night before and trying some new dishes as well. In addition to the previous night’s fare, we enjoyed octopus carpaccio and charred brussels sprouts. Dining there twice we really had a chance to check out the decor. One of my favorite pieces were these oversized wooden chains used as room dividers.

Sunday, 8AM: Overnight a storm came in and very heavily dusted all of downtown with snow. Knowing we had a long drive ahead of us, we hit the road early.

Want to win your own trip to Reno?

The Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel has graciously offered a giveaway exclusively for my readers! The prize is a one night stay and brunch for two. For all the details and to enter, see the link below!
[button size=”large” link=”http://bit.ly/2SIGF5E”]Enter to win![/button]

Photography by Elisabeth Wallace and Jessica Doll.

This post is a part of my City Guide series, click here to see them all.

Have you been to Reno lately? Any new places you would add to this list? I’d love to hear!

This post is sponsored by Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel, a favorite place of mine in California. Thank you for helping to support the sponsors that make life here at Hej Doll a little sweeter.