"Reno-The biggest little city in the... " a Reno Travel Page by TheTravelSlut

Reno is located in the Great Basin and lies at nearly 5,000 feet above sea level and is on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains and 15 miles east of the California border. Adjacent to Reno is the city of Sparks and the entire area is called the Truckee Meadows and includes about 10 different communities such as Verdi, Stead, and Sun Valley.

Reno is a large city despite its arch motto of "Biggest Little City in the World" and is diverse enough to offer everything you would find in a large city but still holds a little city ambience in most situations.

Because it is high desert, it does get hot during the summer months with averages in the 90's (F) and occasionally in the 100's (F) but nightly the temperature usually drops 20-40 degrees from the high so you might be wearing a t-shirt in the day and a light sweater at night.

The Truckee River rolls through downtown Reno (it is fed primarily by Lake Tahoe overflow) and ends at Pyramid Lake. The river offers many activities from kayaking to fishing.

Two links to Reno information include: http://www.reno.com/ and

http://www.cityofreno.com/vis/

Reno in the winter can be colder than Lake Tahoe about 20 miles southwest of downtown and Lake Tahoe is almost 2,000 feet higher in elevation. This occurs during inversions where cold air is trapped on the valley floor (Truckee Meadows).

Temperatures in the Reno area during winter often hover around 50 degrees (F) during the day and drop to the teens and 20's during nightfall with snow & ice occuring regularly. Be prepared to drive in snow or on ice if you visit between November to May.

There is no skiing in Reno proper but there are many resorts within 30-60 minutes of Reno, the closest being Mt. Rose ski area (the Mt. Rose Highway summit linking Reno to north Lake Tahoe is at 8,900 feet in elevation).

Contrary to popular belief, prostitution and brothels are illegal in Reno (Washoe County) but about 10 miles east of downtown Reno just south of Interstate 80 lies the first of several legal brothels in Storey County (of Virginia City & Ponderosa fame).

There is alcohol and gambling available 24 hours a day in casinos and you will even find slot machines in grocery stores, 7-11 convenience stores and drug stores.

The Reno area offers so much more though with some type of major festival or event weekly during the spring-summer-fall months and monthly or so during the winter.

The Reno Air Races, Hot August Nights, Reno Rodeo, Great Reno Balloon Races to name a few events that draw thousands of people from all over the world.