If you’re not much of a gambler, there is really not a whole lot to do or see in Reno – which might explain why we spent our evening bowling the night before. But one interesting attraction that might be found there is the National Automobile Museum. This acclaimed museum first opened in 1989 to showcase the collection of gaming pioneer Bill Harrah. Today it contains over 200 cars, displayed within impressive and dynamic displays. Bob and I got there when the museum opened at 9:30am on the morning of Wednesday, June 16, 2010.
We browsed the many displays and cars for a little over an hour, even seeing a group of gentlemen awakwardly bringing a new automobile into the museum. It was a great variety of beautiful, rare, celebrity-owned, or movie-used vehicular units. Amont those not pictured were cars owned by Jack Benny, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, and one used in an undisclosed W.C. Fields movie. Below are some of the highlights of the museum, at least by my standards…
A cool World War 1 ambulance
An 1892 Philion, probably the oldest car in the musuem
On the ‘streets’ of the National Automobile Museum in Reno
Fun with signs and warnings
And to think that my sister says that I don’t look good in hats. I even convinced Bob to join in on the dress-up fun.
There is much to do in the Kid’s Pit Stop section of the museum
Elvis Presley’s 1973 Cadillac
1962 Lincoln Continental assigned to John F. Kennedy
76 Union gas pumps, built between 1958 and 1961
1949 Mercury used in James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause. We saw this just three days after visiting the site of James Dean’s fatal accident
One of my favorite classic cars: the 1948 Tucker. This was car #32 out of 51 total manufactured. Today it is believed that 47 still exist. This one was not one of the 21 used in the film Tucker: The Man and His Dream.
We left the museum a little past 10:30 and made a brief stop at the other, original Reno sign that adorned the city. This one, now located on Lake Street, was originally erected in 1926 to promote an exposition that celebrated the completion of the Lincoln and Victory highways. In 1929, a contest was held to come up with a new slogan at which time “The Biggest Little City in the World” designation was adopted. The winner won $100. This arch stayed in place on the Lincoln Highway until 1934. It was alternately stored and re-located, finally making its way to its present location in the 1980’s.
With the original Reno arch
We had only one stop to make – albeit an important one – before we reached Sacramento and the beginning of the 17th International Sons of the Desert convention. After a 90-minute drive, we were back in the Lake Tahoe region, this time on the south shore of the lake. Among the last-minute casino’s and tourist attractions before Nevada gave way to California was Harvey’s Casino, inside of which was located a Hard Rock Cafe.
Proving my location at the Lake Tahoe Hard Rock Cafe: 6th of the year, 26th overall
We found the Hard Rock shop first and I picked up the souvenirs for my Mom’s ‘my friend Connie’, and oddly, had to walk quite a ways around the casino to actually find the entrance to the restaurant itself. It was a rather small restaurant, with some of the displays actually outside the dining area and located on the walls of the casino. This is where I found the two with which I was photographed. Since I had just had my BBQ bacon burger in San Francisco two days earlier, this time I opted for the Mushroom & Swiss burger.
Ready to stab into our burgers
With a coat worn by John Lennon
This jacket was worn by Ricky Nelson while performing on an episode of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
We left Lake Tahoe around 1:30pm, and headed westward across California, arriving at the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza at around 4pm – ready to jump into the loving arms of Ruben Garza and the rest of my good friends and fellow convention delegates.
Continue with the Sons convention in Sacramento…
Return to the beginning of the Northern California road trip…
I still say you look silly in hats!
Denise
September 30th, 2010
The only thing funnier than seeing a car that is shorter than it is tall (1892 Philion), is watching the parade of ‘beaters’ in “Two Tars”.
Dave Chasteen
October 1st, 2010