Hike of the Month:
Fall is in the air, and a must-do hike for October is Thomas Creek, out the Mount Rose Highway just 20 minutes south of downtown. Starting at the Thomas Creek Trailhead on Timberline Drive will take you up through a dense canopy of yellow, orange and red aspens and cottonwoods, all the way up into the Mount Rose Wilderness. This hike never disappoints, and it is quite popular amongst the locals. There are several other routes that can be accessed from here; for more information see the Galena Creek Visitor Center map.
For a pleasant fall hike closer to downtown, Evans Canyon is our favorite. Starting from the Basque Monument just north of the University, this trail also features fabulous fall colors and offers a variety of loop options. The Truckee Meadows Trails Guide is an excellent free resource.
Events/Activities
As usual, there is plenty to choose from in Reno this month. The Eldorado hosts the annual Italian Festival downtown on October 7 and 8, with grape-stompin’, sauce-cookin’, wine-walkin’, accordion-listenin’ and, of COURSE, pasta-eatin’ for the entire family!
If your musical taste leans more toward drums and bagpipes, head on over to Bartley Ranch in Southwest Reno for the 27th Annual Reno Celtic Celebration. Featured are some fun bands like Sligo Rags and Dusty in My Coffee, and the annual Piping Competition. In addition there is a whole slew of events and competitions including Highland Games, dancing, living history, and Celtic critters.
If you have always dreamed of roaming the streets in goulish attire accompanied by 20 thousand of your closest friends, you won’t wanna miss the Reno Zombie Crawl, the largest event of its kind in the country (go figure …) and named one of the 10 Best Halloween Costume Parties by USA Today. With a five-dollar admission fee, tons of three dollar drink specials at over 50 bars, free entertainment, and “NO LAST CALL”, it’s also a sure way to get obliterated cheaply.
For a more health conscious route to inebriation, we highly recommend booking a seat on the Reno Brew Bike. This 15-seat party bike will take you to several bars and restaurants around town (yes, you have to pedal ), adorned with glow-lights and accompanied by music of your choosing. Tours run from two to three hours and start at around 20 bucks. It’s a perfect chance to be silly, goofy and outrageous as you careen down city streets stopping traffic and generally making spectacles of yourselves. We felt utterly revitalized.
Food
For some new, hip and delicious bites in Midtown, try out FinBomb Sushi, serving up sushi burritos and poke bowls. The restaurant is set up like a Japanese Subway, which suits me well because I don’t always want to sit down and be waited on (I’m too impatient and don’t always want the added expense of tipping). The ingredients are fresh and delicious and the staff and management are super friendly and fast. We will be back.
— Amy Meeks
