The official Reno Tahoe Visitors Center is open! I had a chance to mosey downtown and attend the grand opening with good friends Larry and Natasha and see the payoff of Scott Dunseath's and Reno Envy's hard work.
Before I get into how cool the visitors center is, a special hats-off to Scott, whom unbeknownst to many, did most of the work hands-on, both politically and physically, including construction of fixtures and the wicked-cool Airstream photo booth.
The Reno Tahoe Visitors Center is located at 135 North Sierra Street. You can't miss the bright orange sign and Reno-Tahoe logo.
Upon walking to the rear of the visitors center, the first thing I noticed was the shiny silver Airstream trailer which serves as a fun campy photo-opp for the traveling explorer or explorer-at-heart. Lining the walls and display cases are everything northern Nevada. Seriously. From ghost tours to free bike maps for the Reno area outlining bike routes, to zip line tours in Tahoe, there is a lot do experience see and taste in this region. Thumbing through the various brochures, I was amazed at how much I have missed out in right on my own backyard. This goes way beyond your standard rack of sightseeing brochures. Want to go on a self-guided tour of some of Reno's coolest art installations? No prob, there's info on that. How about boarding on some sand dunes? Ever wonder who the tour companies are who drive people up to Mayberry to raft down the Truckee River? You can find them here. If you think Reno is out of touch with hipness, then you obviously haven't discovered downtown's Segway tours, which you can also find info for in the visitors center.
Beyond brochures, you can also find Aces and Wolfpack gear, Reno Envy's high quality clothing lines, and Nevada-centric books for sale on all subjects, from Native American history to scenic Tahoe guidebooks.
If you're new to Reno, stopping by the visitors center is a must ....because it's not just for visitors. Stepping into this center and being surrounded with so many entertainment and adventure possibilities, I was reminded of why I love living exactly where I'm at; walking distance to the Riverwalk Dining District and midtown, a 45 minute drive to some of the best ski resorts in the country and the most beautiful lake I've ever set eyes upon, and then just a short drive to explore historic Fort Churchill, or Virginia City, or scouting out the perfect desert hot springs.
