“You’re going to stop in Reno?” Faith asked incredulously. “It’s a hole, a lame version of Las Vegas.”
Reno has virtues beyond a big airport, cheap downtown casino hotels, cheap retirement homes for Californians who’ve come to enjoy Nevada’s income tax-free environment, and lack of traffic jams.
Up on a hill to the north of town is the Wilbur D. May Center. Wilbur’s dad was a poor hardworking Jewish boy from Leadville, Colorado who started the May Department Stores chain in 1887. The son, however, found that work wasn’t to his taste. He got his pilot’s license and a series of airplanes, learned to paint and compose music, bought a ranch in Nevada, and traveled around the world shooting animals and collecting trinkets. The trinkets and animal heads are on display in Reno. Wilbur May went around the world 40 times before his death in 1982 at the age of 84.
Smack downtown is the National Automobile Museum, mostly the collection of Bill Harrah, the founder of the Harrah’s casino chain. These are the most beautiful cars that you’ll ever see, with a lot of fantastic examples of custom coachwork from 1910-1935. A car back then was sort of like an airplane today: handmade in small quantities and priced between 1X and 3X the cost of a nice house.
As it happened the arrival of Diamond Star N505WT coincided with “Hot August Nights” and 5000 classic cars cruising around town, mostly street rods and 1960s muscle cars. After going to the gym and watching the cars roll past, I had dinner in the Eldorado’s Italian restaurant. An accordian player filled the room with the theme from The Godfather movie.
The 8:00 am trip over the Sierra at Donner Pass was smooth and uneventful at 10,500′. “Welcome to the West Coast,” said the friendly woman at Travis (Air Force Base) Approach before handing me off to the Napa airport tower.
Hey, if you enjoy red meat, my dad runs Dave’s Giant Hamburgers in Fairfield, near Travis AFB. He’s been doing it for almost 40 years, and has got the system down.
1055 N. Texas Street
Allan, just how big are those Giant Hamburgers?
Any plans to visit McCall Idaho? My man-friend flew there after Oshkosh to take a few mountain flying lessons in his Cessna 182 and has not left the place in days. Lakes, scenery, parks-national, state,monuments, microbreweries, no crowds or bugs…he’s talking about another trip out there next year. Likes it better than Moosehead Lake….
A Smith, Washington DC
1/3-pound (151 grams), if memory serves–and the shakes are salubrious as well. The local paper, in their “Best of Solano County” competition, wrote him up:
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/articles/2002/02/23/export2706.txt
You forget the National Bowling Stadium…
http://www.renolaketahoe.com/bowl/stadium/
-s
Doesn’t Leadville have one of the highest airport elevations anywhere in the country? Someday when I finish my license I’m going to take a mountain flying course there…
Leadville Airport: It’s THE highest in North America, third highest in the world.
http://www.leadvilleairport.com/
Funny, I always think of Las Vegas as the Bizarro World version of Reno, that was progressing normally until something went horribly wrong. I think of Reno as a mid size city just like any other, except downtown has casinos instead of office buildings.
Hot August Nights might be nice for tourists, but for locals it’s time to stock up on canned food and lock yourself in the house for a week. And if you do go out, don’t go within five miles of downtown.
“Lame version of Las Vegas” — This doesn’t describe Reno, it describes Atlantic City. Just like Las Vegas, only without the culture.
Lake Tahoe, nuff said.
Allan:
I lived in the Fairfield area from 1982 through 1987 and agree with you – Dave’s Giant Hamburgers are the best! What I really like is his Chili Cheeseburger. You need to talk your Dad into getting a website with a live cam – that way all of us who enjoy Dave’s, but don’t live in the area anymore can sneak in and make a visit. PS, email me a picture of Dave’s!
Bill Bowe
St. Louis, MO
Allan – Sorry – my email address is: williambowe1956@yahoo.com
Dave’s Giant Hamburgers are the best – I have over 20 years experience / eating the best burgers anywhere.
I just read on the internet that Dave Heim of Dave’s Giant Hamburgers in Fairfield, CA died at the end of 2006. For many years in the early 1980’s I visited Dave’s Giant Hamburgers weekly – they were the best!
To all the members of the Heim faimly, my deepest sympathy. I hope that Dave’s Giant Hamburgers continues – they are the best!
Bill Bowe
Dave was my uncle and he is sorely missed. His wife, Carol, is keeping the doors open and the burgers and shakes are just as good as ever!