Grand Sierra Resort & Casino RV Park

Tuesday | 8 May 2007 | Reno, Nevada:  Hello from the Biggest Little City or something like that. We are never really sure about Reno, but we know the drive to Reno from Bishop is one of our favorites. Outstanding - only made better with a stop at the Schat's Bakkery in downtown Bishop before leaving town. The bakery is famous for their Original Shepherds Bread. We find this crusty loaf a bit bland, but really enjoy their pastries. DT had a huge apple fritter (his favorite) and I enjoyed a small pecan pastry. Orders shipped, sugar consumed - we were ready to start our way north on Highway 395.

The drive between Bishop and Reno is beautiful - the road crosses over several mountain passes - one at 8138 feet in elevation - and passes through forests, meadows, plains, quaint towns and brilliant blue lakes. Just twenty miles north of Bishop we had this vista near Sherwin Summit (7000 feet):

Mt. Tom (13,652 feet elevation)

We also stopped at Mono Lake. The visitor center is closed mid-week, but there were still many tourists walking along the paths and view points above the lake. Mono Lake is finally again receiving water from various streams and is no longer the Caribbean blue color it was even five years ago. (This is a good thing!)

Mono Lake Visitor Center


Mono Lake, from the Visitor Center

Swallows are nesting under the eaves of the Visitor Center and DT snapped this great photo. The birds are completely silent until Mom appears with a mouth full of food - then the fledglings scream for their portion.

Here I am with a huge chunk of rock. Sadly, it is only obsidian.

It is tough on a girl to travel with a geologist. Sometimes, like when he is explaining how and when the Sierra Mountain formed, it is great. Other times, like when he is explaining that a diamond is nothing more than boring old carbon... well, I really don't enjoy that part much.

After more beautiful turns and twists in the road, 395 climbs through forest and then drops down into a rocky canyon and follows the Walker River into Nevada. We stopped along the river to enjoy the last of our taco salad.

Our lunch camp


Taco salad for lunch


Our luncheon view

Soon enough, the 395 traveler leaves the wilderness and enters the long and crowded road that starts south of Carson City and ends in Reno. Terrible road conditions and terrible traffic. When we finally arrived at the KOA at the Reno Hilton we found it was no longer a KOA and the Reno Hilton is now the Grand Sierra Resort. We should not be surprised. The first time we stayed at the hotel (in 1981) it was the MGM Grand! Somehow, they are turning the hotel into a resort condo project and our usual RV park may soon be (RUMOR) the best and largest water park in America (if not the world). Looking for a great place to camp in Reno, folks? Not any more. This is very sad news.

Temporary Steak House

After settling in, we walked over to check-out the renovations at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino. It is looking a little sparse to me. If you didn't know they were renovating, it could seem like a casino that was half-closed. Many areas are closed for remodeling and it was a bit of a ghost town. However, we did find a nice (and surprisingly crowded) steak house, which is just the steak house "for now", until Charlie Palmer opens in the hotel in a few months. We had a delicious dinner (with more than enough leftovers for tomorrow).

RV Park: RV Park at Grand Sierra Resort