Damonte Ranch Park- Biggest Playground in Town, Epic Sunsets & A Flat and Enjoyable 3 Mile Paved Loop Trail

1950 Steamboat Pkwy
Reno, NV 89521

Directions

When I first moved to Reno, I was determined to find the coolest playgrounds in town for my kids to enjoy, and Damonte Ranch Park was what Google considered most worthy.  Google knows best, so I made a trip out to the park and since have been visiting it often for six years.  With the little experience I've acquired throughout the years, me and my family can enjoy the park year-round with no inconveniences at all.

If I could find a park that really has something for everyone, I'd say that this is the park. Wildlife watchers, wetland lovers, flat trail walkers, eager joggers, playground heads, parents-only club, dog walkers, hill rollers, epic sunset seekers, beginner bikers, skaters on wheels, bridge enthusiasts & picnic go-ers are some of the types of people I see here all the time; that pretty much covers everyone.

Notes:

-3.1 mile, no elevation gain, loop trail

-8 acre park

-completely exposed so in the summer, making it out at early morning and before sunset will be ideal, unless you're looking for some heat and a tan.  Sunscreen is always a good idea, esp. being at a higher elevation here in Reno where the sun is more intense.

-Enjoyable in the winter at any time of the day 

-There are no water fountains so don't forget to bring water

-There are two play structures. One for smaller kids and one for bigger kids.  swing set- 2 baby swings, 2 big kid swings. 4 way seesaw, chimes, tic-tac-toe, climbing structures, many slides, sliding pole, balancing steps.

-This park is very popular and can get busy during weekends, after school hours and holidays.  When the weather is cold and windy, you can have the park all to yourself.

-1 picnic shelter with 4 tables, BBQ, Year-Round Restroom nearby

-Basketball court with two - 1/2 opposing courts

-Stroller 

-There are a couple of cute hills that my kids love running/rolling up and down.  During winter, when snow is abundant, it's the best place to sled down.

-There are nice open grassy areas ideal for flying a kite and playing fetch with dogs.  Though the grass is pretty stripped so when it gets wet, it can get a little muddy. 

-great for photography. beautiful views of epic sunsets, snow covered mountains, nature & wildlife

-During peak hours, parking lot can fill up. In this case, you can park along the street.

-in the summer when the plants are tall, there's a fun maze kids love to run through.

-Keep an eye out for yearly events hosted at the park, under normal circumstances of course, like 4th of July where they put on a grand display of fireworks, set up tents that hand out treats, and provide live music.  Or in winter, meet with Santa and trunk or treat during Halloween.

-The trail is perfect for bicycle family riding or those learning how to use bikes.  paths are wide.

-The trail is lined with people's backyards. 

-Poop bags available at a couple of places.

-There's a plaza down the street with Mc Donald's, Starbucks, Home Depot, Pizza, Subway, Kid's Haircut Place and a soon to be Safeway, if you're looking to get things done while in this part of town.

Categorized Under "Parks and Playgrounds, Picnic Spots, Birthday/Event Venues"

In-N-Out, The Only Burger You'll Need and Want in Life

8215 S Virginia St.

Reno, NV 89511

Directions

(800) 786-1000

Do you know how you can tell how awesome In-N-Out Burger is? I think the lines coming out the street to the stop light speaks for itself.  

I've been eating here since I was a child, and there's a lot of tastes associated with childhood, but all that aside, you will not find a fresher burger anywhere. Do you know how fast the turnover rate is for their ingredients? Weekdays, weekends... they are busy 24/7. They're like the DMV for hamburgers. Coming back to my point- their ingredients don't have time to spoil and they cook burgers so fast that they don't need to freeze their meat.

What's special about their burger is how it all comes together. You can have the freshest ingredients in the world, but putting them together in a balanced way is what makes a burger outstanding. In-N-Out does it with ease. No matter how you alter the burger to your taste- protein style without the bun, animal style with grilled onions and pickles, or 4x4-style with four patties, you cannot go wrong with taste.

The cherry on top is In-N-Out's fast and friendly service. You would think that there are thousands of minions working inside. They are just so fast and efficient that a line never scares me away when I'm craving burgers.

Did I mention how affordable their burgers are? You can go all-out for the whole family and it will likely not break the bank.

Notes:
-Why only four stars?  The low reviews are from people that are trying to shoo away others so they don't have to wait any longer in line. 

-If you want extra crispy fries, toss them in an air fryer for a few minutes. If you want them in stock at home, fresh fries freeze well. 
-Do you want an impossible In-N-Out burger?  Go across the street and order the impossible patty from Burger King and toss it into a vegetarian In-N-Out Cheeseburger. Yes, I've done it for my father and he loved it!
-We love animal style: mustard grilled into the patty, pickles, chopped grilled onion and an extra helping of their famous sauce
-I always get animal style with yellow chili peppers, raw onion, & extra tomato added. Beyond delicious!
-you can get a whole grilled or chopped grilled onions!
-You can ask for extra spread packets, whole chili peppers, ketchup, salt & pepper on the side.
-animal style fries- fresh cut potatoes fried in sunflower oil topped with their famous sauce, cheese and chopped grilled onions
-You can regulate the salt on your burger and fries.  You can also ask for your bun extra toasted if that's your thing.
-their milkshakes have always been too thick for my taste but you can remedy it by ordering a side of milk and adding it in to your shake to thin it out, leave room in the cup. Neapolitan is a combination of all three flavors- vanilla, chocolate & strawberry
-you can pay with Apple or Samsung pay for a contact free transaction
-There are plenty ways to customize your burger. 
-I always wear a mask when ordering and picking up from the window to keep everyone safe.  A Covid outbreak at In-N-Out would definitely not be good for everyone's sanity, soul and tummy. 
-There have been little to no changes to their menu throughout history.  The old-fashioned way is the best way.  
-The workers are always nice to my kids. Some have offered stickers to them
-They control all their ingredients. process their own meat, make their own buns, source the best produce from farms.

-tables available outside

-you can go in and order take out

-always open late night

Categorized under "Good Eats"---> "Burgers"