Gambling in Reno
September 23, 2004
Almost every action we take is a gamble. Maybe the biggest gamble we take is driving on the streets and highways of the world. But of course, Reno presents the option to engage in other forms of gambling. The slot machines, poker tables, etc. attract hoards of folks with the goal of instant wealth. Although we know the odds are against us, the attraction of easy money is almost irresistible. The gigantic casinos and hotels with multiple restaurants – often with excellent food at a reasonable price – suck in folks looking for a good time. Booze flows freely and now there are even smoke-free gambling areas. Of course, another attraction is the shows, often featuring young ladies showing extensive areas of skin.
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But, Reno in September is an organized mad-house. The “Hot Balloon Races” one weekend is followed by the “Air Races” the next weekend and then the bikers flood the city for “Street Vibrations.” Hotels that charge $50 per night during the week, charge $150 per night during these special weekends. All the RV parks follow the same strategy and are filled to capacity. We have been here in Reno for a couple of weeks and have stayed in hotels, motels and RV parks. The one consistent tactic we hear is “we only have one room or RV site left. You better hurry and get it (at triple the normal cost) before it is gone.”
To see the balloon races, it is best to get up at 4:00 A.M. so you can observe the hot air balloons take off in the dark. When the operators turn on the gas and the flame lights, the brightly-colored balloons glow and present a surreal but fascinating scene in the desert air. Sometimes the synchronize the burns so that all balloons glow at once. But is it worth paying three times the normal charge for everything to see these events? Well, our first weekend here, there were no spaces that we could find in any RV Park so we retreated 30 miles east to the town of Fernley. The second weekend, we found lodging in Lake Tahoe at a smaller motel. When we asked if space was available at Harrah’s, the clerk smiled and replied that Harrah’s and all the other hotels have been booked solid since May.
O.K. by now you may have guessed that we were not spending a couple of weeks in Reno by choice. Our motorhome was losing coolant so we stopped in Reno to have it checked out. The local Cummins Engine Service Manager informed me that it would be a week before he could fit us into his schedule. “You might try the Reno RV & Auto Repair Shop,” he suggested. This is the point at which I knew I was taking a big gamble. Cummins Inc. generally provides fairly reliable service but independent mechanic shops are a mixed bag. Some can be very good and some are rip-off experts. But I did not wish to wait a week to start repairs so I took a chance. The shop seemed to be relatively clean and was filled with RVs, so based on the recommendation from the Cummins folks and the fact that they were doing lots of business led me to believe that the risk was not excessive.
Leaking head gasket was the answer. “We can fix it in a week.”
“How do you know that the head gasket is the problem,” I asked bravely. The shop owner seemed to take my question as a personal insult to his integrity. To humor me, he started an extended discourse on the complex mechanics of the diesel engine. I cut him off after about five minutes and asked: “what technique did you use to absolutely establish that my loss of coolant was caused by a leak in the head gasket.”
“Oh,” he said, we used a strip test where we dip this chemically sensitive strip into the engine oil. If the oil contains coolant the color of the strip changes and we know. I was satisfied!
Two weeks later and we were still there. Oh well!
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