The Eldorado

I am not sure why, but while reading this book I imagined downtown Reno to just be completely run down and have old, musty casinos, paint chipping of their walls, smoke embedded into the paint, and some of it was correct but not to the extent in which I depicted in my head.  The Eldorado Casino, where Penny and Allison ate at the dessert buffet, had many new additions, or so I assume.  There was a large advertisement TV in the very front corner of the casino, and the casino itself was rather large.  For it being around one in the afternoon it was pretty busy with people going in and coming out.  They had escalades parked outside of the casino that had their logo imprinted on them and people kept stopping the left lane to park next to it or drop people off.  There were flashing lights in numerous places but to be honest it did look a little run down on the outside, or at least showcased that the Eldorado had been there for quite a few years.

In a way, the casino made me think that essentially she never left Vegas.  She believed she could run away and everything would be different but the same scenarios were still occurring, if anything she hated herself even more and could not stand being alone, and the environment and atmosphere between the two locations were essentially the same as well.  This time though, she had made a friend who was there for her and she could be truthful to and found a guy who treated her right.

In the chapter in which Penny and Allison are at the dessert buffet at the Eldorado, Allison essentially has to confront her past, Jimmy, which I believe was a turning point.  Before, she had wanted to keep everything a secret, but after talking about him and discussing problems that had come of her relationship, she started thinking about her new future and leaving the past behind.  She started discussing going back to school to get an education.  I believe the Eldorado was a landmark of change for her in the sense that she confronted her fears and insecurities and established what she wanted to do for herself.

Fourth Street

Fourth Street is said not to be the best street in town, or so I have heard.  I do not know if this was because there was a parade going on and a numerous amount of police around but driving down the street did not seem terrible.  I was able to see Louis's Basque Corner and the Fireside Liquor Store.  The Liquor Store was quite enormous, or at least larger than what I expected it to be and Louis's Basque Corner was smaller than what I expected.  Louis's Basque Corner was quite interesting though; a restaurant in which the food you order is shared with strangers and there are just a few giant tables inside so it is a family style dinner.

After driving around I began to realize how different my image of Reno was from how it actually is.  Yes, there is a homeless food kitchen on Fourth Street but if you are out during the day, with others, near the busy streets, the street loses some of its sketchy characteristics.  Yet, if you are Allison, the outcome is completely the opposite.  The street is a main road she takes and a road in which many places she walks by are located.  From the impression I had developed in my head I did not exactly want to get out of the car.  I am impressed that a woman can be brave enough to walk down these streets and believe that nothing will happen because she had grown up living in not the best areas.  Although, it made me start thinking about her actually being naive. Going out alone, on a street where homeless people are present, sometimes after drinking, and thinking she is not going to need anyone to take care of her.  Almost every time she was drinking, something terrible happened.  Maybe she did not choose to open her eyes and see that the person causing all this pain was just herself.

Just as Allison had questioned her character often times she walked down this street, I began to do the same about her.  The walk she sometimes took from the Cal Neva to her apartment on Fourth Street in the Emerald Arms was a short enough walk to make influential decisions and a long enough walk to let thoughts get the best of a person, especially one unsure about herself.

The Cal Neva

I thought something interesting was that there are four banks within a radius of less than 100 feet from each other. Give or take some feet... I am not the best estimator.

Driving down South Center Street, we came across the Cal Neva Hotel and Casino.

It was a sight that is for sure.  I bet a giant pink building really draws a lot of attention.  The hotel was essentially a look into old town Reno.  The building was obviously aged, the signs on the building looked like they had not been touched for years, they still have great value deals on the meals in the restaurants, and they still used the individual letters on a white board with wire to hold them in place as advertisements for their specials.

This building, better yet the Top Deck Restaurant, is what Allison considered her getaway from her apartment, Jimmy, and her thoughts because they never did anything good for her, or so she believed.  No one knew her and she could pretend like she was someone else.  I believe that after she began to obtain regulars, she felt accomplished and like things were looking up for a change.  I wouldn't necessarily deem the Cal Neva to be my comfort when I needed to get away from myself, but it worked for Allison.
The restaurant was not huge and the people could easily make local regulars.  It seemed like the kind of restaurant to do so; obtain the regular comers who have been eating there and playing their slots for years.
One thing that made an impression as I went by the hotel and casino was how busy the streets were during the day, although I am not sure if that was solely due to the parade.  Also, it doesn't really capture the essence of Allison's normal work day because she worked graveyard shift so I imagine the difference between night and day is quite substantial.
In a sense Reno reminds me of Vegas because of all the flashy lights, spinning signs, busy streets, and gigantic parking garages.  It brings back the feeling of the older days and adds a little biography to the location.  The Cal Neva had a whole section on the other side of the street for a parking garage.  I admit I did not imagine the Cal Neva was going to be as big as it was either.

Onward!

The Bus Station

As I began driving around with my roommate, we realized that our route was going to be obstructed due to the Veteran's Day Parade.  The main street we were planning on using was closed down and there were cops and "No Left Turn" signs everywhere.  As a result of this, my route was a little contorted.

Throughout the book "Northline" by Willy Vlautin, even though it is not exactly prevalent, the bus station is Allison's gateway to a new beginning and her turning point.  She had encountered numerous downfalls and copious dangerous situations in Las Vegas and the bus was her token to getting away.  To starting a life without Jimmy, to keep her secrets of her baby to herself, to get a new job, and to hope that she would receive a better future.  As the book described Reno and where Allison traveled, the only images it kept putting in my head were images of a run down Reno that was sketchy to be in.  After driving around, Reno was not what I assumed it to be.  Some new buildings were built to keep up with demand and expand Reno, and old buildings are still present to show people a little bit of old Reno and its history.  I came across the bus station and to be honest, it was not as I thought it would be.  It was actually pretty nice, a lot nicer than some of the ones in Vegas.  Although, this station did happen to be near Fourth Street which houses a large majority of the poor community.  It even has a homeless food kitchen.

Returning to my previous thoughts, the book detailed the bus station as old and run down but my impression was that due to the large population of people who ride the bus, regardless of their social status, the bus stations are nicer than depicted.  I imagine it costed a little bit of money to make an airborne bus sitting in front of the station.  One thing the book and the actual location did have in common though, was the fact that bright lights could be seen from afar and if there were no busy streets at the time I had gone, I imagine the river could have been heard as well.  Sounds like a peaceful start to a new life.

And with that.. Onto the next location