Russell's 7th Birthday: A Weekend in Reno

In what is now an annual tradition, we spent Russell's birthday weekend away from home in Reno, Nevada. We chose Reno because we were fortunate to have been given a free room by Jenny's college friend Christine. After a 5-hour driving ordeal through the Sierra Nevada mountains, we arrived at the Peppermill Hotel & Casino, one of the newest properties in Reno.

Except for a brief jaunt to Circus Circus, we basically did not leave the hotel during our 2-night stay in Reno. There were plenty of restaurants, entertainment, and of course, a huge heated swimming pool to keep up busy. At night after putting the kids to sleep, I took about an hour each night to play the slot machines and keno (for the first time).

From my perspective, the trip was a success. Everyone had fun and we enjoyed hanging out with Jenny's friend Christine and her family. I must admit that I really do miss hanging out at casinos every now and then.

The iconic entrance to Reno sign

The entrance to the Peppermill Hotel & Casino

Jenny makes a toast to our friends at the Oceana Restaurant at the Peppermill

Our suite at the Peppermill

Punky tries his hand at driving a video game while holding onto his dinosaur

Russell rides the Harley video game

The Brewster Boys underneath the elephant at Circus Circus

The Brewster Boys are all smiles before heading out for the pool