Sparks
An outdoor railroad exhibit and a number of casinos are on Victorian Avenue. Victorian Square Plaza, a pedestrian mall off I-80 via Rock Boulevard or Pyramid Way, holds events year-round. In summer kids can get wet running through an interactive sidewalk fountain.
From Sparks motorists can take SR 445 north through Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation to the southern end of Pyramid Lake. The two-lane road quickly leaves suburbia behind as it heads north through sagebrush-speckled, austere high desert country punctuated by the barren peaks of the Virginia Mountains. It's a scenic drive beneath a huge sky filled with dramatic cloud formations, and the first look at the lake's turquoise waters is beautifully surreal. At the junction with SR 446, turn right and head southeast toward Nixon; the lonely road follows the shoreline, a landscape dominated by craggy rocks and the flat, shimmering lake. SR 446 ends at SR 447; take SR 447 south to I-80, then I-80 west to Sparks to complete the loop.
Visitor Centers
Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce 449 S. Virginia St., #200 Reno, NV 89501. Phone:(775)636-9550
Shopping
Scheels , a 295,000-square-foot all-sports store at 1200 Scheels Dr. (near the intersection of I-80 and Sparks Boulevard), has a vast selection of gear and clothing for sports enthusiasts as well as a 16-car Ferris wheel, two 16,000-gallon aquariums full of tropical fish, a sports simulator where shoppers can test their athletic skills, a deli and fudge shop, and a Walk of Presidents—in other words, enough diversions to take up most of the day.
Things to Do
Sparks Museum & Cultural CenterWild Island Family Adventure Park