We are OFF on our longest trip so far! Nine weeks touring the Pacific Northwest and Yellowstone. We had a little bit of a rough start with a fridge that wouldn’t cool down before we loaded up but we managed to fix that just in time to get all the food loaded up.
The first major stop on our trip is Reno, Nevada for Jeff’s USBC Open Bowling Tournament. The tournament is a 5 month affair where people from all over the country come to test their bowling prowess against both pro and amateur athletes. There are well over 10k people competing over the 5 months in three different divisions. Jeff bowled in a 5-person team division, doubles and singles. He did well in the doubles…
Reno National Bowling Stadium
Bowling is a huge draw in Reno. In 1995, Reno opened the National Bowling Stadium, a 78 lane house with the goal to attract more tourism dollars from Las Vegas. The building is often called the “Taj Mahal of tenpins”.
But, more importantly, it’s the location for the grand finale “Showdown” between Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson’s characters in the movie Kingpin.
It’s Not all Fun and Games…
Sometime during one of Jeff’s bowling times, I noticed our toilet had a leak from a hose. Fortunately it was clean water coming out and not, well, not clean water. He was able to fix it and move on. No one ever said RVing was for the faint of heart! It is super helpful to be handy.
And speaking of RV Parks, some present interesting sites without even leaving the park.
Like their idea of trash cans vs recycle bins.
Or the built in pond and wildlife.
Truckee River Walk
Because of the tournament, we didn’t have a lot of time for site seeing. But we did take a short stroll down the Truckee River Walk, a 3.5 mile out and back paved trail that runs along the Truckee River through downtown Reno. Along the trail, you’ll pass by some beautiful art, a whitewater park where you can test your kayaking skills (currently closed due to the high levels of the river from all the rain and snow this season), and more than your fair share of odd and strange characters.
I was also able to take photos of some totally cool abandoned casinos. Stay tuned for some stories around those on my other site, NicoleBandes.com.
Hiking at this stop – 14 miles
Animal sightings to date – 2 (ducks, geese)
Next stop, the beautiful Lake Tahoe!