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Reno advise please

FORANE

Well Known Member
After reading the unfortunate news about Reno closing after this year, my wife and I have decided to go in September. She's never been; the last time I was there was around 45 years ago when my folks took me.

Questions...
We're thinking about just Saturday and Sunday at the races. Is that a reasonable amount of time there?

We are planning on pit passes of course and likely the chairman's hospitality tent. What all does the tent offer? A place to get out of the sun for most of the day or just food and drinks? Is it open bar?

We would consider daily guest passes for the checkered flag club but we're not members and likely would not join for just 2 days at a sunsetting event.

We'll likely go to Yosemite for a few days before Reno.

Suggestions please...
 
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You'll have the most fun in the orange tshirt section.
There is a small ritual to become a member for the price of a tshirt.:D
 
If you're flying your own plane in, most folks go into KCXP and rent a car from there. Two days, Saturday and Sunday, you'll see most of what you want to see, and catch the best two days of racing. Chairmans Club is nice, but not worth the price, IMO. The only thing it offers you that is not already available is shade - sometimes that is worth the price.
 
Two days should give you the full experience. The IF1 (formula 1) races start really early, like before 8AM, and the last Unlimited race ends at almost 5PM, so they are long days.

As far as clothing and equipment, you should plan for anything between 95F full sun and 50F windy and even light rain.

Places to find free shade to sit for awhile:

1. There is a large tent in the Jet class pits at the east end of the field. It is primarily for Jet pilots and crew, but if you just wander in and sit and watch, especially during Jet heats, no one will bother you.

2. Many of the pits in Sport class have friendly folks and folding chairs. Unless they are feverishly working to get their plane ready for a race, most will be welcoming for you to stop in and stay a few minutes in the shade and chat. Do stop in at the tent for Sport Race 49, a red RV-6 with white composite wings.

3. Inside the huge hangar where the IF1 and biplanes are, you can find a place to sit for awhile

There are plenty of food concessions. Expect it to be expensive, even for a bottled water or a soda. A coke is about the same price as a beer.

If you like to look at the airplanes on static display (at the east end of the field, beyond the Jet pits) and also walk through the Sport class and IF1 pits (at the far west end), expect to walk A LOT! There is a little shuttle that drives around that you can hop on to save a lot of walking.

If you are flying commercial into Reno, you will rent a car there.
If you are coming in your own airplane, you won't be able to fly into Stead. You can fly into Truckee, Carson City, or Minden, and rent a car through Enterprise. Check rental prices both ways, (a) to arrange for the car at the airport or (b) at the rental office in town in Carson City.

Expect to have a blast.
 
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Oh, and if you are going to tour a little of California and Nevada while you are in the area:

Virginia City is a fun place to visit for an afternoon
The National Antique Car Museum (formerly Harrah's) in Reno is very good

For outdoor natural spectacle, you can not beat Yosemite. On the drive there from Reno, you will go through other great areas. As others have said, a quick visit to Donner Lake State Park you can go through a little museum and read about what happened to the Donner party. No food there but you can get food in Truckee for a picnic.
Then, there are several ways to drive to the Yosemite area, each with unique sights. One spectacular way would be to drive down the shore of Lake Tahoe, either on the Nevada side or the California side (I like the sights on the Nevada side better) From the south end of the lake, go out Hwy 89 over Meyers Grade to Hope Valley, then west on Hwy 88 over Carson Pass, and down to Jackson, where you can go south on Hwy 49 thru the goldrush country to the Hwy 120 entrance into Yosemite. This is, of course, NOT the most direct route. It is a trip with a lot of cool things to stop and see on the way, and a great experience of the heart of the Sierra Nevada and goldrush country. On the return trip back up to Reno, go east out of Yosemite over Tioga Pass, Hwy 120, then north on Hwy 395 up the east side of the Sierra thru Lee Vining, Bridgeport. A side trip to the old mining ghost town of Bodie is fun, but a bit of a drive over dirt roads.

For a longer trip, San Francisco is a beautiful city, and nearby great wine regions, redwood forests, Pacific ocean beaches.

There is a lot to do!
 
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Oh, and if you are going to tour a little of California and Nevada while you are in the area:

Virginia City is a fun place to visit for an afternoon
The National Antique Car Museum (formerly Harrah's) in Reno is very good

For outdoor natural spectacle, you can not beat Yosemite. On the drive there from Reno, you will go through other great areas. As others have said, a quick visit to Donner Lake State Park you can go through a little museum and read about what happened to the Donner party. No food there but you can get food in Truckee for a picnic.
Then, there are several ways to drive to the Yosemite area, each with unique sights. One spectacular way would be to drive down the shore of Lake Tahoe, either on the Nevada side or the California side (I like the sights on the Nevada side better) From the south end of the lake, go out Hwy 89 over Meyers Grade to Hope Valley, then west on Hwy 88 over Carson Pass, and down to Jackson, where you can go south on Hwy 49 thru the goldrush country to the Hwy 120 entrance into Yosemite. This is, of course, NOT the most direct route. It is a trip with a lot of cool things to stop and see on the way, and a great experience of the heart of the Sierra Nevada and goldrush country. On the return trip back up to Reno, go east out of Yosemite over Tioga Pass, Hwy 120, then north on Hwy 395 up the east side of the Sierra thru Lee Vining, Bridgeport. A side trip to the old mining ghost town of Bodie is fun, but a bit of a drive over dirt roads.

For a longer trip, San Francisco is a beautiful city, and nearby great wine regions, redwood forests, Pacific ocean beaches.

There is a lot to do!

That's a good one..... If only The Donner Party knew that.....:eek:
 
Yosemite

Due to the huge snowfall this year, it is possible that Yosemite’s famed waterfalls may still be going full blast in September. I suggest calling the Nat’l Park service now, see if reservations will be needed, whether a day trip or overnight. Crowds usually thin out after Labor Day but this year may be different.
 
I've been twice for Saturday and Sunday. We flew into KCXP both times and had an Enterprise car waiting. It's about a 40 minute drive to Stead. I booked rooms in Carson City one year and Reno the next.
We bought assigned bleacher seating and brought our own stadium chairs. As others said, there's plenty of food and drink vendors on site.
We didn't buy a pit pass because the pits are open to all after 5pm. There's a Wal-Mart 2 blocks from the gate. Bring CASH for event parking. $15-$20 per day.
 
I expect Yosemite to suffer severe flooding this summer. Park may still be recovering in Sept.

6 months is a long time.

Our family keeps a house 10 miles from the South entranance. Yes, we got LOTS more snow than most years. Our experisnce (30+ years) is that big snowfalls make for GREAT waterfall actitivy into August.

Contrast that with two years ago in July: Upper Yosemite Falls looked like a garden hose with a crimp in it.

So, please go visit Yosemite. But plan for a hotel instead of camping, just in case.
 
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Nudging this thread just a little further off-topic...
As others have said, a quick visit to Donner Lake State Park you can go through a little museum and read about what happened to the Donner party.
 

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Thursday or Friday?

Was thinking about Thursday or Friday, when it (maybe) less crowded. Worth it or is the weekend just better?
 
Was thinking about Thursday or Friday, when it (maybe) less crowded. Worth it or is the weekend just better?

The racers are jockeying for position on Thursday and Friday, and to some degree Saturday. Sunday is the final race, for all the marbles, and they will run harder and faster. Saturday and Sunday are generally the best racing. The last several years, crowd has not been a problem - it might be this year, since it's being heavily advertised as being the last year.
 
Is Carson City the best airport to get a rental car?


Truckee-Tahoe (KTRK) has rental cars. I went to NCAR in 2016 and rented from Enterprise. Their local office person was not employee of the year. But, I'm betting they replaced him by now.

If you're ok with high DA airports, this would be a good choice IMHO.

At this late date I'd call ASAP for a reservation regardless of where you rent from.
 
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