My wife and I decided to do an overnight trip up to Hot August Nights in Reno. I'd been to several Hot August Nights events in the past and wanted to see if it was as crazy as ever. And from what I could see, it was.

We didn't see many motorcycles except for a handful of Harleys and metric bikes in various parking lots and the occasional bike jetting by on the highway; it's possible that we missed out on larger collections of motorcycles due to our late arrival.

Lodging

Arriving in the Reno area Saturday, we found that rooms were available for those willing to drive around (or make phone calls.) Western Village hotel in Sparks had a few rooms available, so we snagged one. I'd stayed at this hotel before, during last year's Street Vibrations event, so I knew what to expect: nothing fancy, but affordable. Our room was near an outside entrance and the parking lot, so we did hear some noise during the night. Try to get a room away from the parking lot if you can.

We found out that the Peppermill and the Hilton both had electronic billboards on eastbound 80 coming into Reno showing rooms available as late as 11pm Saturday night, so it may be easier to get rooms these days - a few years back it was near impossible to just come in to Reno and get a room.

Hot Bloggist Nights

or,

"How the hell do I get to the events?"

Once settled in, we decided to head towards downtown Reno and see what we could see. Driving westbound on 80 into Reno, we saw huge crowds outside some of the larger hotels - and many exits were blocked off, making it difficult if not impossible to make our way to the events. We didn't see any detour signs directing traffic towards the events, so, if you don't know how to get around the back roads of Reno, it may be nearly impossible to find your way to the choice events.

We continued west on 80, and found the downtown exits blocked, and the one further down the highway (Keystone Ave) that was not blocked had a mile-long line of stopped cars waiting to exit the freeway, creating a massive hazard. We ended up taking the S. McKarran exit and coming back up 80 east.

There was a sign telling us to take Keystone Avenue for casino access, so we decided to exit the freeway and try to make our way to the main strip, but were blocked at every turn. There were motorcycle police guiding traffic, and every street inbound towards Virginia St. (where the casinos are) was barricaded. There were no detour signs or other directions to help people find their way to the events. After trying just about everything we could to make our way to the casino areas, we decided to head back to the Hilton, since we knew that there were cars there.

The (not Paris) Hilton

We finally ended up at the Hilton parking lot since it was accessible to us, and there was a huge parking lot full of excellent classic and collectible cars. We arrived after dark, so I didn't take many photos. We came back the next morning, and took some photos of the cars I liked.

Motorcycle Row

While in Reno, I decided to check out 'Motorcycle Row' (or at least, motorcycle dealer row) - you can see it from Highway 395: Ducati, Honda, Harley-Davidson/Buell, and Kawasaki dealers right off the freeway. The dealers are all on Market Street - take 395 to Mill St west, then left on Louise, then left on Market. If you need a motorcycle 'fix' in Reno, this is one of the best places I can think of. Most of the dealers are open on Sunday.

Places to eat

You know you're going to get hungry while looking at all those cars. Time to scare up some grub. But where to go? Buffets are for the masses. (Ok, I admit, I eat at buffets, too.) How to find something really good or at least different?

Sushi Club

If you like sushi, there is only one place to visit: Sushi Club. We always visit Sushi Club at least once whenever we are in Reno. We've tried many sushi places in Reno, and I can honestly say that this is the best place in the area. Great food, excellent service, and reasonable prices considering quality, quantity, and atmosphere. Be sure to arrive early to beat the lunch or dinner crowds.

The Nugget Diner - Home of the Awful Awful burger

While walking down Virginia street, we stopped in at the Nugget Diner on the main strip - This sign caught my attention:

Well, with a sign like that, we had no choice but to investigate. Going inside, all the way in the back of the small casino, we saw the diner. We saw a small crowd, even though it was Sunday afternoon and most of the cruisers and gangs had split town. Then I saw a couple of people snarfing down burgers... I was hooked. We ordered the Awful-Awful burger and fries.

The patty was cooked to perfection - hot, with just enough pink showing to let you know that they hadn't overcooked the meat; the lettuce crisp and cold; the buns fresh; and the tomatoes and red onion made the burger something to remember (burp!). The food was served piping hot in a basket filled with a huge serving of shoestring french fries. No need to super-size this puppy, they do it for ya. Free refills on the soft drinks, naturally.

The walls and other horizontal surfaces are lined with local newspaper reviews praising the diner, and the menus and signs give clues that this is no mere burger joint - steak sandwiches, roasted chicken, and other fare is available - I wonder how the 'Hangover Omelet' (which includes a bloody mary!) tastes? There is a 32 oz. "Ass Kicker" margarita which I did not try due to lack of time.

Next time you are in Reno, if you are near the Nugget (or Fitzgerald's casino) and you want something different, do check out the Nugget Diner.