If you don't make it to Las Vegas, you can get a feel
for the nonstop, neon-lit gambler's lifestyle by stopping
in RENO , on I-80, very near the California border.
"The biggest little city in the world," as
it likes to call itself, is a somewhat downmarket version
of the glitz and glamour of Vegas, with miles of gleaming
slot machines and poker tables, surrounded by tacky
wedding chapels and quickie divorce courts. While the
town itself may not be much to look at, its setting
- at the foot of the snowcapped Sierra Nevada , with
the Truckee River winding through the center - is superb.
There
are three things to do in Reno: gamble, get married
and get divorced. The casinos are concentrated in the
downtown area, along Virginia Street either side of
the railroad tracks. To get married , the requirements
are the same as in Las Vegas, though here you obtain
your marriage license at the Washoe County Court , Virginia
and Court St (daily 8am-midnight; tel 775/328-3275).
Wedding chapels all around the city will help you tie
the knot; across the street from the courthouse, the
Starlight Chapel - "No Waiting, Just Drive In"
- does the job for under $50, providing a pink chintz
parlor full of plastic flowers and heart-shaped seats
(tel 775/786-4949).