Reno-Tahoe Trip Report - Sept 2022

The Jackson Browne concert was originally set for Saturday, Sept 11, 2021.  The Caldor fire started August 14th of that year, thanks to the reckless actions of David and Travis Shane Smith.  The fire spread over the next several days, threatening the entire Eldorado National Forest, and was still burning the second week in September, spreading northeast to within a few miles of the town of South Lake Tahoe.  When the entire town was evacuated, a million of us with late summer Tahoe reservations had to replan.

So Jackson and his promoters said:  Save your tickets, and we’ll see you in a year.  It was now time to finally get to see one of our fave artists perform.  Jackson Browne is the world’s finest songwriter.  Says me.

The week before the trip, I noticed the air quality was on red alert for the area.  Hmmm.  It wasn’t till our approach to Reno that it become obvious that there were fires in the area again.  This time the Mosquito fire was burning in two counties midway between Tahoe and Sacramento.


The annual Burning Man Festival was winding down as we were coming in and many attendees in full regalia were finishing up their pilgrimage at the Grand Sierra hotel.  I cheerfully did my part to support the Blackrock commune by providing a pair of my favorite socks to a barefoot alternative who was seeking any kind of footwear.



Burning Man Mobile (one example)

 

This trip we decided to forego the rental car and instead try out the public transit options here in America.  It was pretty slick to catch the GSR hotel shuttle back to the airport and catch the South Tahoe Airporter to Harvey’s where it was a short half-mile walk to the Station House Inn.   It meant we could relax and enjoy the view.  However, upon reaching the point en route where you can catch the first glimpse of the beautiful alpine Lake, we were afforded only smoky haze.

 

 



View from Lake Tahoe toward Heavenly Resort and Eldorado National Forest


We ended up staying inside in the air conditioning for most of the trip. No beach days this time. 


The hot tub at the Station House is FINALLY open after being closed for a couple of years but after having finally escaped a record-setting hot Great Basin summer, plus given the smoke and ash reigning down on the area, we weren’t that interested. What we were interested in was Fog Nozzle, a local light sparkly IPA that was declared to be my favorite beer following my first sip in a moment of superlative enthusiasm. The owner Steve dashed my hopes and dreams when we said they were out of it, as the South Lake Brewing Company supplier had not visited that day. Alas, alas, I was gripped with sadness, but quickly recovered when presented with multiple alternatives including a watermelon lager, which I settled for.  Sigh.


This??



Or this??














Friday night we ate at a pizza place we had discovered a couple of trips ago, Lake Tahoe Aleworx.  The wood-fired Veggie Feast is the bomb and we must partake every time we visit the area.  



Michael said it’s the best pizza he’s ever eaten, to which I gave a loud HARRRUMPH since I am a Chicago native and he knows better than to speak like such a silly sot.

 

All teasing aside, Michael is a great husband, a great father, and the best friend I could have asked for.  He is loyal and attendant, committed, willing, able, loving, caring, gentle, and gentlemanly.  We have fun all the time, but travel is the pinnacle of joy.  We’ve done a lot, and we travel well together.  As an example, he is respectful of my wish to *never* turn on the TV in the hotel room, and I am tolerant of his need to change clothes *several* times a day.  We celebrated our 6th anniversary last June (my time flies) and we’re coming up on the 10th anniversary of our first date – Oct 11, 2012.  He invited me and my kids to come and join him and his kids in Las Vegas for a night, so Jackie and I made the trip down.  We stayed at the Luxor and ate at Tacos and Tequila back when it was still open.  He paid for dinner, so I call that a date.  And when we got rained on walking the strip that night, he was cold and had no jacket (see pic) so I offered to put my arm around him to keep him warm.  And he accepted the offer.

First date, Tacos and Tequila, 10/11/12

We’ve done a lot of traveling since that night.  Northern California, Southern California, Arizona in the spring, Chicago to see family, a tri-state camper tour to NV and ID, Eastern Europe including Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, and Salzberg, a week trip through Southern Utah in the camper, England including London, Horsham, and East Anglia, and of course Vegas, Wendover, Tahoe, and Mesquite.  I insist on a side activity whenever we go to casino towns, so hiking, biking, back roads, lakes, or camel rides may be on the itinerary.

Saturday was the night of the concert so we started the evening with a scooter ride to a small, elegant, local favorite, Café Fiore off of Ski Run Boulevard.

Cafe Fiore Garden Seating


Later that night, we streamed into the concert at Harvey’s outdoor venue with all the other fans for An Evening With Jackson Browne.  We are mostly an aged group.  Jackson always belied his now-distant youth with his global awareness, social intelligence, and phenomenal songwriting.   He opened with Somebody’s Baby, which got us all to our feet.  He played songs from every decade (six), including two from his debut album in 1972 (Doctor My Eyes and Rock Me On the Water).  He played songs I was hoping to hear from his latest album, including Until Justice is Real, A Little Soon To Say, and the title cut, Downhill From Everywhere.  Also performed was Long Way Around from Standing in the Breach, a song whose lyric is full of human sorrow wrought from youthful transgressions, or inflicted by gun-toting murderers.  To the delight of Michael and Bestie Dawn (had she been present) who likes her Jackson mellow, he played Late For The Sky.


Jacksonian

Sometime after his opening songs, Jackson said “Uh-oh, I think I might forgotten to set up tickets for a good friend of mine… Craig, are you here somewhere?” A chorus went up from all the Craigs in the audience. “No that’s too many Craigs. Craig Fowler, are you here?” Nothing of note for a response. “Uh-oh. He emailed me three times to remind me about the tickets.” Jackson picks up his (RED) cell phone off the top of the piano and started scrolling. “Ohhh no” he says. “I knew I was forgetting something.” He really looked distraught. A few minutes later, Craig waves from the front row. “Oh phew” he says. “Now I can get rid of this. Who wants a cel phone around when you’re playing?” (hands the red phone off to stage crew)

Accompanying him was phenomenal talent.  Two lead guitarists (Val McCallum, Greg Leisz) a bassist, drummer, keyboardist Jeff Young, and two beautiful African-American vocalists (Alethea Mills, Chavonne Stewart) that rocked and charmed the whole house.  The pedal steel/slide/lap guitar by Greg Leisz was Heavenly.  We the crowd were spellbound, profoundly moved, enchanted by this beloved artist who knows and sings to our tortured inner souls.  Jackson is humble to his core and gracious with his audience, visibly moved that we showed up to be with him.  He heaps praise generously upon his band members, and stands in hushed awe of their talents.  He is vulnerable and honest as are all artists, unafraid to share the crucial messages that emerge from his deep concern for the Earth and for America, coupled with his exquisite songwriting.







After a show that made us feel truly appreciated by this man simply by our presence and our knowing the lyrics, after finally learning the story behind That Girl Could Sing, after the encores were complete (Take It Easy and The Load Out/Stay) and the lights went down, we all were immensely satisfied.  Fans streamed out of the venue to get some shuteye or seek fortune.  Of course, we chose the latter.

Hard Rock Casino incentivizes players to sign up for a Player’s Card (“Backstage Pass”) by an introductory offer.  If you lose $100, they will give you $50 in Free Play.  I signed up and was counting every dollar, ready to claim my promotional prize.  Fortunately/Unfortunately, it was late/early, while Michael was on the Blackjack table and I was still trying to lose $100, when this hit: 




This hand was dealt to me, held for me, and credited to me in one swoop.  This is done by the machine in case a player doesn’t realize what they have, so they won’t do something dumb like panic and hit the DRAW button or throw away the kicker. 

 $1200 and above is a “hand pay”.  It took three cycles by the slot attendant, but I finally got paid.  

Then not a half hour later, after Michael joined me at the Video Poker bar, I hit this:



This is only the second Royal Flush I have ever hit.  As you surely know, the chances of hitting a Royal Flush in Draw Poker are 40,390 to 1.



 



Fast forward about 15 minutes.  Then this:



This was Michael’s first Royal Flush.  As it happened, he drew four to a royal and asked me to hit the Draw button for him, which I did.  Because of this, I managed to get undeserved credit for his hit.          


After this, we decided to call it a night.

 

Soooo I did not get to claim my Hard Rock promotional bonus, but I’m okay with that.







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