Parents Nervous about meet but not for the normal reasons..

[MILgymFAM]

My DD has a meet coming up in Reno, and I have started to research hotels etc.

We have a really old (2001) car that's not 100% reliable, so I planned to rent a car to drive to the meet. Then I found out that rental cars do not rent or allow snow chains to be placed on their tires. Driving from the Bay Area to Reno there is a good chance they will end up required by law, even in early March. Then I looked into renting a 4WD, but not all SUVs are 4WD and you reserve a category rather than a specific car- plus I am not comfortable driving big vehicles and I have read a sedan with chains is actually preferable to a big lug with 4WD. Now I am back to our old car and having to buy snow chains- and figure out how to use them. I grew up driving in snow in PA and never once even saw a snow chain till I moved to Cali. Go figure.

I also need to figure out a hotel, but one that doesn't require a walk through a gross cigarette smelly casino would be nice. There are zero hotels walking distance to the meet either. This is not the stress I am used to when it comes to the girls competitions. Any family friendly hotel recommendations in Reno?

 

[Quadqueen]

I had no idea snow chains were ever required by law. I have lived my whole life in the northeast - have never used them, and have driven in snow loads of times!

 

[MILgymFAM]

I had no idea snow chains were ever required by law. I have lived my whole life in the northeast - have never used them, and have driven in snow loads of times!

Yes! I grew up in philly, spent winters in the poconos, and have lived in NY and never knew anything about them. Moved here and got turned away from a part of Yosemite because we didn't have chains- and it wasn't even snowing!

 

[sevenatenine2]

We are driving to FL for Spring Break (from Texas) and renting a minivan. We could have ALMOST flown for the same price. We would have flown, but we're visiting my MIL and other places in FL and would have still needed to rent a car when we got there, but rental cars are not cheap, sadly! Good luck!

 

[twinmomma]

Where's the meet specifically? I may have some ideas for you. And do you happen to have any friends who might have a 4 wheel drive that you could borrow?

 

[MILgymFAM]

Where's the meet specifically? I may have some ideas for you. And do you happen to have any friends who might have a 4 wheel drive that you could borrow?

It's at High Sierra Gymnastics. Which is west of Reno proper, off the highway to the south. I don't know anyone with a 4wd, unfortunately.

 

[Rockygym]

I have no idea how to install chains either, but usually on highway 80 going up over the pass there are people you can pay to install the chains right on the side of the road before the road checks. 4WD obiously would be ideal, but there would probably be help available. And honestly, with the kind of winter we are having this year on the West coast I think there is a good chance you won't need the chains. If you do buy chains, don't open them until you use them as you can usually return them to the store if they are unused.

 

[twinmomma]

Ok so you're close enough to the event to stay on the strip which will be your cheapest options. Grand Sierra is very nice and I never feel like I'm walking through a gross casino there. They even have a bowling alley! We were going to stay there on our drive back from Utah if we got stuck in the snow.

I would definitely look into renting a four wheel drive, as many smaller SUV's are 4x4 nowadays. You might have to get on the phone with Avis, or Hertz or whoever, but I think it would be preferable to either A) fighting on the side of the road with chains or B) having to pay a roadside premium for installation and removal. What you spend on that you would have been able to rent something.

 

[twinmomma]

I have no idea how to install chains either, but usually on highway 80 going up over the pass there are people you can pay to install the chains right on the side of the road before the road checks. 4WD obiously would be ideal, but there would probably be help available. And honestly, with the kind of winter we are having this year on the West coast I think there is a good chance you won't need the chains. If you do buy chains, don't open them until you use them as you can usually return them to the store if they are unused.

This is a good point. Nobody is going to pull you over and check for chains if there's no snow to be had.

 

[wandrewsjr]

As others said, buy the chains, keep them in the box, return in the high likelyhood you don't use them. The chain installers on hwy 80 are permitted by Caltrans and regulated in what they charge (think it's $30 to install and $20 to remove) and it's worth every penny.

 

[sce]

We like staying in a Holiday Inn express wherever we travel. They are nice, clean, usually have a pool, affordable and breakfast is included.

 

[mommyof1]

I had no idea snow chains were ever required by law. I have lived my whole life in the northeast - have never used them, and have driven in snow loads of times!

Ha ha--I grew up in CA and thought everyone used chains whenever there was snow. When I moved to the northeast after college, I went to the auto parts store to buy snow chains for my new car. The clerk looked at me like I was nuts.

 

[momnipotent]

I agree-have only ever been up to Tahoe once when there was chain control-I wouldn't even buy chains until you see what the weather is going to be like that weekend. You can also take Amtrak from Emeryville to Reno and rent the car in Reno if you don't want to chance the drive. No help on hotels, but Circus-Circus is at least relatively kid-friendly.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I agree-have only ever been up to Tahoe once when there was chain control-I wouldn't even buy chains until you see what the weather is going to be like that weekend. You can also take Amtrak from Emeryville to Reno and rent the car in Reno if you don't want to chance the drive. No help on hotels, but Circus-Circus is at least relatively kid-friendly.

We were told last year the coaches stayed at the Nugget and they loved it, so we are doing that. The Amtrak is over three hundred dollars for the three of us, so we will drive. For now, I will just hope for good weather!