Spelled Out

While I was visiting my friends, I took some time on my own to explore downtown Reno, the city they kept insisting I should call home.

The Truckee River runs through the heart of downtown, lined with trees and footbridges. Classic casino signs still glow above the streets, the golden dome of the Pioneer Center catches the light, and public art is everywhere, from the shimmering Space Whale to the giant BELIEVE letters in City Plaza. I also wandered up to the University of Nevada, Reno to see the campus. Outside the ballpark, one sculpture spells HOME, with the state of Nevada standing in for the O.

I laughed when I saw it, because it felt like the city was in on my friends’ joke. Reno was quietly making its pitch, and I was listening more closely than I wanted to admit.