Suggestions for 5 hour stop in RNO?

[truncated]

Currently on board 5(24) and although we were making great time so far (30 min early into DEN, 45 early into SLC) the conductor just announced we’ll be sitting in RNO until 1pm (eta 8.21am and originally scheduled departure 8.36) since UP has to clear snow from the mountains.

Therefore - any suggestions on what to do in Reno NV for 4-5 hours this morning? And is it safe to assume they won’t leave earlier than scheduled or should I just stay on the train the whole time?

 

[jis]

Currently on board 5(24) and although we were making great time so far (30 min early into DEN, 45 early into SLC) the conductor just announced we’ll be sitting in RNO until 1pm (eta 8.21am and originally scheduled departure 8.36) since UP has to clear snow from the mountains.

Therefore - any suggestions on what to do in Reno NV for 4-5 hours this morning? And is it safe to assume they won’t leave earlier than scheduled or should I just stay on the train the whole time?

Go to a Casino buffet and have a great meal and drinks, unless you want to go upscale to a restaurant that is.

The OTOL Fest group had a long layover between arriving by 5 and departing by 6 the same day and we went to the buffet in a casino to stuff ourselves. The Casino folks were even nice enough to allow us to store all our bag and baggage while we ate. Of course you won't have that issue to deal with.

 

[caravanman]

I guess if the snow is cleared quickly, the train might depart sooner than expected? There is a motor car museum in Reno if that is of interest?

 

[truncated]

I guess if the snow is cleared quickly, the train might depart sooner than expected? There is a motor car museum in Reno if that is of interest?

That’s my fear (that I get left behind in Reno) but the SCAs said we won’t leave before 1 (and there’s a handmade sign at the ticket counter saying to be back by then as well), and the app now has us leaving at 2, so I think we should be ok. And at the very worst I can fly RNO-SFO if I’m left behind.

Car museum looks interesting but as someone who doesn’t know how to drive not sure if I’ll be able to appreciate it haha

 

[BCL]

Well - Harrah's is gone (converted to condos last I heard), and that used to be the place in Reno that I would typically stay at. It was also the closest to the train station.

I'm not sure if the National Bowling Stadium has public hours. That was built with public money as a way to attract big tournaments, and as a result they had extremely limited public bowling hours limited to when tournaments were playing.

The three big casino hotels in downtown are Circus Circus, Silver Legacy, and El Dorado. Of those, El Dorado has the best buffet. Probably too late now. If you're just looking for something quick to eat, there's a McDonald's on Virginia Ave.

 

[Sidney]

Well - Harrah's is gone (converted to condos last I heard), and that used to be the place in Reno that I would typically stay at. It was also the closest to the train station.

I'm not sure if the National Bowling Stadium has public hours. That was built with public money as a way to attract big tournaments, and as a result they had extremely limited public bowling hours limited to when tournaments were playing.

The three big casino hotels in downtown are Circus Circus, Silver Legacy, and El Dorado. Of those, El Dorado has the best buffet. Probably too late now. If you're just looking for something quick to eat, there's a McDonald's on Virginia Ave.

I always stay at the Sands. Quick walk from the train station. Buffet Thursday through Sunday,unless that changed. Going in January as part of a circle trip that includes the Coast Starlight and Sunset/Eagle.Low bucket on all trains

 

[BCL]

I always stay at the Sands. Quick walk from the train station. Buffet Thursday through Sunday,unless that changed. Going in January as part of a circle trip that includes the Coast Starlight and Sunset/Eagle.Low bucket on all trains

I've seen it but have never been there. It was always in a weird location.

The loss of Harrah's Reno is kind of sad, and Reno was where the Harrah's empire started, with (I believe) a Bingo hall. I go way back where I remember Harold's Club (which became the Harrah's East Tower). Then Harrah's bought it, but had some arrangement where it was a Hampton Inn with Harrah's having a casino and restaurants at the lower levels before it was completely converted to Harrah's a few years late. The Reno Hilton was turned into the Flamingo Reno before it was sold and turned into the Golden Phoenix. Even that turned into condos, as did Fitzgerald's (I think it's a casino again under a different name?).

There's still some casinos there, but all those tribal casinos in California really hurt their business.

 

[Jonathon]

depending on the time of day...the Reno Amtrak is only a few blocks from Louie's Basque Corner 301 E 4th ...fabulous food, great people and a good time had by all! Louis Basque Corner | Home of the World Famous Picon Punch

 

[Devil's Advocate]

There's still some casinos there, but all those tribal casinos in California really hurt their business.

I've had some fun in dwindling full service casinos but most of the tribal locations I've visited seemed to focus on hard luck slots and stodgy no-frills betting rooms geared toward gambling addicts rather than casual tourists looking for a laugh and some entertainment. Are they different in California?

 

[me_little_me]

So how do they handle Breakfast and lunch onboard while sitting in Reno?

• Still provide them at the same hours?
• End breakfast early and start lunch late?
• Dump them both and tell people they are on their own?

Can one board and get off at will while the train is sitting in the station?

 

[truncated]

So how do they handle Breakfast and lunch onboard while sitting in Reno?

• Still provide them at the same hours?
• End breakfast early and start lunch late?
• Dump them both and tell people they are on their own?

Can one board and get off at will while the train is sitting in the station?

For us we were held outside Reno for a bit due to freight trains and only pulled into the station at 9am so breakfast was as per usual. Lunch also started at the usual time with the train parked at the station.

We were allowed to get on and off at will, but there was a lot of confusion initially about when to get back — the first conductor I spoke to said we could leave before 1pm if UP was done clearing snow early, but subsequently other conductors and SCAs said 1pm was probably the earliest and we’d be safe till then (which was also what the station staff were telling people boarding at Reno)

 

[DCAKen]

depending on the time of day...the Reno Amtrak is only a few blocks from Louie's Basque Corner 301 E 4th ...fabulous food, great people and a good time had by all! Louis Basque Corner | Home of the World Famous Picon Punch

I'm in Reno visiting family and we went to Louie's last night, since in-laws have Basque heritage. Unfortunately, none of us were impressed by the place. The food wasn't particularly good that night.

The dinner consists of a set menu: a soup course followed by salad, Basque beans, and a first entree of chicken and rice, then the main entree served with French fries, and finishing up with a small dessert. You select main entrees, which were a couple of different steak or lamb options. They also had a salmon special. When the best dishes were the soup and the French fries, the kitchen crew is not focusing on the right items.

 

[BCL]

I've had some fun in dwindling full service casinos but most of the tribal locations I've visited seemed to focus on hard luck slots and stodgy no-frills betting rooms geared toward gambling addicts rather than casual tourists looking for a laugh and some entertainment. Are they different in California?

Depends on which one. At least in Northern California, the big ones are Cache Creek in Yolo County, Thunder Valley near Lincoln in Placer County, Red Hawk near Placerville, and Graton in Sonoma County. The latter was the subject of huge fights because another tribe owned a casino in Sonoma County and apparently has lost a lot of business since it used to be the closest casino to San Francisco. As far as I know, Thunder Valley is still doing gangbusters, especially after its contract with Station Casinos expired and they self-managed. But then there are a ton of smaller ones in remote locations. I've been to a few and they can be kind of sad. Cache Creek isn't really that close to anything, but it was the first and has developed a reputation where people actually travel there. They have some big name entertainment, especially focusing on Hispanic and Filipino acts that I won't necessarily know, but where the target audience definitely knows.

They've definitely eaten away at the business in Tahoe and Reno, although Tahoe still gets people because of the outdoor opportunities.

 

[Jonathon]

I'm in Reno visiting family and we went to Louie's last night, since in-laws have Basque heritage. Unfortunately, none of us were impressed by the place. The food wasn't particularly good that night.

The dinner consists of a set menu: a soup course followed by salad, Basque beans, and a first entree of chicken and rice, then the main entree served with French fries, and finishing up with a small dessert. You select main entrees, which were a couple of different steak or lamb options. They also had a salmon special. When the best dishes were the soup and the French fries, the kitchen crew is not focusing on the right items.

sorry to hear that...have gone to Louie's since 1979...never had a bad experience

 

[caravanman]

Sory to hear that Hurrah's has closed, I enjoyed my last stay in Reno there, I think 2014...

 

[bratkinson]

I know I'll never venture beyond line of sight to train, especially if weather or other delays that can be variable. at sched departure time or delayed time, they don't check to verify everyone is back on board, etc. watching my ronettes and luggage leave without me would be worse than a nightmare, but including a now messed up vacation, cancelled no show fix, etc.

 

[tgstubbs1]

I know I'll never venture beyond line of sight to train, especially if weather or other delays that can be variable. at sched departure time or delayed time, they don't check to verify everyone is back on board, etc. watching my ronettes and luggage leave without me would be worse than a nightmare, but including a now messed up vacation, cancelled no show fix, etc.

Don't they blow the whistle or something?

 

[bratkinson]

Don't they blow the whistle or something?

And if you are in some business, how would you hear it and can you run fast enough to not get left behind?

 

[MARC Rider]

I know I'll never venture beyond line of sight to train, especially if weather or other delays that can be variable. at sched departure time or delayed time, they don't check to verify everyone is back on board, etc. watching my ronettes and luggage leave without me would be worse than a nightmare, but including a now messed up vacation, cancelled no show fix, etc.

On these long station stops, don't they give a firm departure time? So if they say the stopover is 5 hours, if you're back at the train 4 and a half hours later, you should be fine.

After they adjusted the NEC schedules sometime in the 2010s, making the Palmetto essentially a replacement for a Northeast Regional, they increased the length of the Washington DC stopover to over an hour. I was riding the Palmetto up from Savannah and was able to enter the station, walk around, go downstairs and shop at the Walgreens and still return to the train with plenty of time before they left. If I wanted to, I think I could have gone to the food court and gotten something to eat, too. Another time I rode the Palmetto, we got into Rocky Mount really early, and I had time to go inside the station and get a nice hand-dipped ice cream cone from the store there, plus take a look at the old Atlantic Coast Line observation car on display by the platform.

Doesn't the Canadian make something like an 8-hour stopover in Winnipeg, allowing interested passengers to take a tour of the city?

 

[flitcraft]

oesn't the Canadian make something like an 8-hour stopover in Winnipeg, allowing interested passengers to take a tour of the city?

well, given the fact that the Canadian isn't on time very often, I suspect that the city tour is not given more often than it is. On my sample of one, we did not have time for the tour. But we did have enough time to inspect that very impressive station at Winnipeg, which I commend to anyone coming through that way.

 

[joelkfla]

well, given the fact that the Canadian isn't on time very often, I suspect that the city tour is not given more often than it is. On my sample of one, we did not have time for the tour. But we did have enough time to inspect that very impressive station at Winnipeg, which I commend to anyone coming through that way.

Same here. I had just enough time to run through the railway museum located in the terminal.

Our Traveling Artist country singer/songwriter gave a brief concert in the station's rotunda, which I chose to skip since she was also performing twice a day on the train.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Doesn't the Canadian make something like an 8-hour stopover in Winnipeg, allowing interested passengers to take a tour of the city?

When my wife and I took the Canadian in 1984 they had a deal where you could rent a hotel room for a few hours which allowed you to get a real shower and stretch out a bit. We could have toured the city but given it was March and the temperature about -15 F we decided we weren't interested

Of course all these examples are scheduled delays where the departure time is set in stone and the train never leaves earlier unless it is a discharge only stop. The case of a delay due to weather etc. might be different.