The convention was held at The Atlantis, Reno’s newest casino/hotel. The amenities of the hotel were nice, but it was difficult to navigate my way through the main floor to the front desk or restaurants, since that floor was a maze of gambling machines complete with flashing lights and noxious booping sounds. The place always had people gambling, even when I walked through at 7:30 in the morning!
The Atlantis modified their flier for us -- note the pointy ear
Many of the gamblers smoke like chimneys. I had planned on going to the sushi bar on their “sky terrace,” but it was glass-enclosed, not open-air. The cigarette smoke wafted up the staircase and escalator, which was not my idea of a pleasant eating experience (and they had their noxious gambling machines on the terrace, too). My friend Linda Donahue stayed at a different hotel, since she knew she wouldn’t be able to tolerate the smoke.
There’s a “fun area” on the second floor, featuring video games for the whole family. And I did see children there. But these arcade games look so similar to the gambling machines on the first floor (easily visible from the second), I wonder if this is just a way to entice a new generation of gamblers.
I’m grateful to the Reno fans for arranging everything at the Atlantis Casino, as well as a the Convention Center, but it was a trying experience.
On the positive side, I had breakfast on the way to the airport at a retro McDonald’s. Note the golden arches. I could see them from a good distance!
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