Reno Fun Train - 3/4 to 3/6/05

On Saturday at mrsmiley's party I got some people excited (no not that way) about the Reno Fun Train that runs on weekends in Jan-Mar. I mentioned that the train on Feb. 11th. is a Hawaiian theme so we should see how many people can go on that weekend.

Unfortunately, martiki just informed me that the Hawaiian themed train is sold out. :(

So, I am starting this topic to provide some info about the Reno Fun Train and perhaps consider some possible dates for a Tiki Central excursion.

The Fun Train leaves Oakland on Friday afternoons arriving in Reno on Friday night. You can bring your own beer, wine, booze, travel bar, food, etc. The waiter brings you cups and all the ice you need, as well as dinner. There is a bar/cafe car, a piano lounge car, and even a dance car with a dance floor, disco lights, and a band called the Funatics! It sounds cheesy but everyone gets well lubricated and it is more fun than it sounds. The train stays in Reno and returns on Sunday morning so you can see the Sierras covered in snow in daylight.

There are a choice of hotels available but the Nugget in Sparks is the obvious choice because Trader Dick's is there. 2005 is the 50th. anniversary of the Nugget so it should be very festive. The Nugget has great food, including the Awful Awful burger, a good steakhouse, and an incredible oyster bar .

The cost is $255 per person (for the Nugget) including RT train, meals on the train, 2 nights lodging, and transportation to your hotel.

We should probably decide and book something as soon as possible, but I'm going to be traveling next week and not back until early December so I doubt I can book something until mid December.

More info: http://www.keyholidays.com/reno/funtrain/funtrain.html

[ Edited by: thejab on 2004-11-09 18:16 ]

[ Edited by: thejab on 2005-02-02 14:13 ]

How sad is it that the Hawaiian train is sold out, and none of us made it on?

I can't read your entire post, because my eyes keep catching on OYSTER BAR. I don't get enough oysters. Yes, I'm in. I'm waaaaay in. I've not yet been to Reno, and it's been on my list.

Across the street from the Nugget is a great micro owned by a paleantologist (sp?)

Very good ales. Icky (named after a local beaste) is nice stuff. They have the best pepper beer I've ever had.

Good thurenger too.

Don't forget the car museum, they have the only known Dimaxian from our boy Bucky.

Also there is a fairly wierd UFO theme restaurant called Miguel's (Mexican) worth stopping at.

If you want some industrial fun, go to Beer Rob's "Beer Makers of America" on Dickerson...it's like a playroom for beer nuts. Great wierd selections on tap...use a taxi..you might not think you need it but you will

Reno is splendid.

I suggest that we shoot for March 4th- the "50s" themed train. There aren't many rooms at the Nugget left on this package, so we have to decide soon. Who else is interested?

cleen and i are in for sure!!!

does it matter what the overall theme of the train is? if we get enough people involved it will be TIKI themed in one car anyway!

just my 2 cents.

Note that those rates are per person double occupancy, which means single people have to pay twice as much. Who needs a roommate besides me?

On 2004-11-10 09:16, the drunken hat wrote:
cleen and i are in for sure!!!

does it matter what the overall theme of the train is? if we get enough people involved it will be TIKI themed in one car anyway!

just my 2 cents.

I think it is the Jimmy Buffett theme when it is not Hawaiian!! :)

On 2004-11-10 08:30, martiki wrote:
I suggest that we shoot for March 4th- the "50s" themed train. There aren't many rooms at the Nugget left on this package, so we have to decide soon. Who else is interested?

No offense martiki, but I can't stand 50s themes! It really bugs me to see poodle skirts and t-shirts with the sleeves rolled up like Happy Days. For me the Hollywood version of the 50s is like the Jimmy Buffet version of tiki!

Any weekend other than that weekend is better for me. I think we should try and avoid the theme trains and go for the non-theme weekends.

How about a Tiki St. Patrick's - Mar. 11th

http://www.keyholidays.com/reno/funtrain/funtrain.html

Somebody pick a date and we'll see if we can do it. We're very interested.

On 2004-11-10 16:21, Jungle Trader wrote:
Somebody pick a date and we'll see if we can do it. We're very interested.

OK, I'll go along with UB and pick March 11th. for St Patrick's Day. Is that OK with everyone?

celebrating st patrick's day tiki-style in a train to trader dick's? can life GET any better? i'll be deeply torn between celebrating with guinness or cocktails. ahh, the difficult choices in life....

March 11 is great for us,....I think. I'll need to check with the Queen.

looks like cleen and i are in! who else is going?

I know 50s themes are crap, I was hoping we could show them the savage side of the decade.

Mar. 11th is good with me. We'll make green Mai Tais!

If there's no other objections, I strongly suggest we start booking today. It's filling fast.

UPDATE

Not sure if this matters to anyone or not, but the Train leaves at 4:00PM on the 11th and gets in to Reno at 11:00PM. So there's no time in Reno on Friday night, but it might be better for people who are working.

The March 4th train leaves at 10:15AM and gets in at 5:15PM, giving you more of a full night in Reno. The oysters bar for example will be closed by the time we get there on the 11th. Dicks will be open late of course.

What do people think?

I'll have to take a Friday off to get myself up there, anyhow, so I'd prefer getting a solid Friday evening in Reno.

i'm with humu. most folks will be taking friday off anyway. i vote for the early departure.

On 2004-11-11 09:10, martiki wrote:

Mar. 11th is good with me. We'll make green Mai Tais!

Are green Mai-Tai's better than the "green slime" punch at the party last weekend?

So guys,
This means we are back on March 4, right?
There is no early train on St. Patty's.
I just booked the 11th - St. Patrick's already. I can change it to the 50's night if we want the early departure.
I'm easy. (Mr. Smiley places joke here.)

On 2004-11-11 12:21, Unga Bunga wrote:
So guys,
This means we are back on March 4, right?
There is no early train on St. Patty's.
I just booked the 11th - St. Patrick's already. I can change it to the 50's night if we want the early departure.
I'm easy. (Mr. Smiley places joke here.)

That makes TWO of us!!!! :)

You're just dying to get me on that 50s theme train martiki! :wink:

I would much rather get in at 5 than 11! No question we should go on the 4th.

Ok
The way this thread is going, I booked both dates.
So there.
FUN TRAIN PARTY DOWN!!

I recommend paying $9 for the Cancellation Waiver so you don't have to pay if you have to cancel.

On 2004-11-11 12:01, mrsmiley wrote:

On 2004-11-11 09:10, martiki wrote:

Mar. 11th is good with me. We'll make green Mai Tais!

Are green Mai-Tai's better than the "green slime" punch at the party last weekend?

Those were "Mucous Mai Tais". But it doesn't matter much anymore since....

Booked March 4th!

Here we go!

Yeah, I think the early arrival (hell, it arrives during happy hour!) is a better bet. That really leaves Mar. 4 as the only good choice left.

I know the 50s stuff will be cheesy, and I know Dean will probably get the business from the blue hairs on board ("Oooh...Is that Pomade?"), but this is our chance to show them that our way is the right way. And anyway, to hell with the theme- we are our own theme.

So get on the train!

BTW Dean (and others)- they told me that payment wasn't due until the first week of January, so go ahead and book it now so you don't miss the slot.

On 2004-11-11 15:32, martiki wrote:
BTW Dean (and others)- they told me that payment wasn't due until the first week of January, so go ahead and book it now so you don't miss the slot.

Whew! I thought I was going to be the only one who couldn't go because I can't pay for it now! I'm calling now.

I'm in! I asked to be assigned seats near Martiki and Rebecca. He said they would do their best to get us adjacent seats.

I'll call Ed "Christ on a Crutch" to see if he wants to come up for this.

Does anyone want to share a hotel room with me? I promise to behave. :D

On 2004-11-11 15:57, cynfulcynner wrote:

Does anyone want to share a hotel room with me? I promise to behave. :D

Fear not, single folks. I was just told that the Single Occupancy rate at the Nugget is $325. Only $70 more (not bad since the rooms run about $140 EACH night for that weekend if you didn't do the FUn Train package.
NOTE: tell them that you are with the Martin Cate party so we get seated in the same train.
Unga and those others who have already reserved, I would call them back and ask them to sat you near Martin Cate or Bruce Woodbury. ZAZZ!!!

as of right now there are only 5 rooms left at the nugget! better hurry and make your reservation.

Do they serve trader dicks beverages at the crap tables?

On 2004-11-11 16:15, the drunken hat wrote:
as of right now there are only 5 rooms left at the nugget! better hurry and make your reservation.

was that before or after Mr Smiley reserved his??

Unga and those others who have already reserved, I would call them back and ask them to sat you near Martin Cate or Bruce Woodbury. ZAZZ!!!

Done!

i think we reserved after you smiley. and also, we are catching the train in sac, so dont wait for us in emeryville!

On 2004-11-11 16:20, the drunken hat wrote:
i think we reserved after you smiley. and also, we are catching the train in sac, so dont wait for us in emeryville!

ok- I was gonna lay down in front of the train--now I won't have to!!

and since when did you start talking in third person?? the drunken hat wants to know!

On 2004-11-11 16:21, the drunken hat wrote:
and since when did you start talking in third person?? the drunken hat wants to know!

I only talk in the third person when I am seeing double. Enough math lessons for today!! :)

On 2004-11-11 16:21, the drunken hat wrote:
and since when did you start talking in third person?? the drunken hat wants to know!

What are you doing on the computer right now? Shouldn't you be driving a ......COCA-COLA truck or something right now? "It's the real thing" !! :)

I thought Jab would like this.
Tiki Grease

I'm booked for the 4th! whee!

On 2004-11-11 16:24, mrsmiley wrote:

On 2004-11-11 16:21, the drunken hat wrote:
and since when did you start talking in third person?? the drunken hat wants to know!

What are you doing on the computer right now? Shouldn't you be driving a ......COCA-COLA truck or something right now? "It's the real thing" !! :)

i don't work for PEPSI in the rain. i might melt. plus, im a house-bitch currently. the only work i am doing right now is sewing a poodle skirt for colleen so she can impress thejab with her fabulous '50s look.

On 2004-11-11 16:51, the drunken hat wrote:
the only work i am doing right now is sewing a poodle skirt for colleen so she can impress thejab with her fabulous '50s look.

Thank God it's for Colleen.
How's Bruce's skirt commin along?

Great photo UB! I didn't know moais, permed hair, polo shirts, and espadrilles were 50s! You learn something new every day!

drunkenhat wrote:

"liquor in the front, poker in the rear"

Are we going to find this place in Reno or what?!

[ Edited by: thejab on 2004-11-11 17:05 ]

Great photo UB! I didn't know moais, permed hair, and polo shirts were 50s! You learn something new every day!

drunkenhat wrote:

"liquor in the front, poker in the rear"

Are we going to find this place in Reno or what?!

[ Edited by: thejab on 2004-11-11 17:04 ]

dean~ are you feeling okay? :)

the drunken hat says: with any luck, we might find it. and no, i am not speaking in the third person.

:drink:

On 2004-11-11 17:05, tikicleen wrote:
dean~ are you feeling okay? :)
:drink:

I gotta lay off those 2 martini lunches! I'm writing double.

Just made my reservations, for the 4th, & the Nugget, gettin' on in Emeryville! (Jeez, I love that little town.)

The woman said she'd try to get the whole Martin Cate party together, but that we were getting awfully big. :)

Can't wait!