A Literary Atlas: Cal Neva

Cal Neva:

     I have to say that the Cal Neva was probably the most fun part of the trip and definitely the most interesting.

     I have to say that the Cal Neva is probably one of the smaller casinos I have ever been in and because of that it added a strange aura, not a bad aura, but a unique one. It seemed both friendly and sketchy at the same time, especially when we took this old elevator to the top floor. The staff there were very nice to us and even asked if we were there for a school project - evidently someone else got there before us. I can imagine The Girl (Allison) working in this place, she would fit in. 

     We were lucky enough to find our way to the Top Deck restaurant and look around a bit and for the most part I was able to imagine Allison doing her job here late at night. Even the history of the Cal Neva was interesting. They had little bits of information everywhere in the casino and it was cool being able to stop and read them and learn about the story behind the casino.

A Literary Atlas: Harold's Club

Harold's Club:

     The Harold's Club is the ending of the book and the beginning of Allison Johnson's new life but when we visited the place, I didn't feel anything special about it. It was just an empty square. So obviously the Harold's Club is no longer standing so I did a bit of background research into it to find as to where it used to stand. 

     The location wasn't anything too special, I mean it was right in front of the Reno Arch  but thats always been there. It might be that I am jaded from living here for so long and that these little tidbits don't excite me as much as someone else might be but whatever. Thinking about it, I do think it is cool that it's right in front of the arch because one could look at it in the sense that as one passes under the arch, we enter a new place and with the new place comes new experiences, hardships, friends, challenges, victories, etc. So maybe the location of the has-been Harold's Club is more instrumental to the development of Allison than we know/think. 

But, I don't know, I felt that the square where Harold's Club used to stand is just a sad, open, empty place now and it is not being used for anything.

A Literary Atlas: Bus Station

Bus Station:

     Throughout the book The Girl (Allison Johnson), uses the bus for transportation to and from places and even visits the actual bus station in Reno. While the bus station we visited was recently remodeled, it was still similar to the actual bus station The Girl was at.  

     It was a unique experience going to the bus station. I have never been on a public bus before and while some characters in the book say the bus system is for drunks and old ladies, I know several people that fall into neither of those categories that ride the buses. My friends say the buses are actually okay and not as bad  as some are led to believe. I think its just this idea we have that buses are dirty, gross, and a blight on society and yet we find a really nice bus station with really nice buses right here in Reno. 

A Literary Atlas: Eldarado

     So a pre-warning, the following blog post will be a bit lengthy but on the bright side they will contain photos ( YAAAAAAY ), so stick around. I am also putting these up right around the same time because I wanted them to be similar to like a chapter book. Anway....

Eldarado:

     More specifically the Eldarado Buffet. The Eldarado was our first stop on our little adventure. Once inside, we got slightly turned around and lost with a side of confusion but in the end we were able to make our way through the Eldarado and to the desert buffet The Girl in Willy Vlautin's North Line visited. 

Even though I am a local here in Reno, I very rarely visit the casinos and this experience was something interesting for me as I was trying to place my self in The Girl's shoes and I think I was close. I felt slightly overwhelmed by all the lights and people, it was PURE CHAOS, not really but it was fun to say that. I couldn't experience how she felt exactly because of everything that has happened to her before that but I could touch on how she felt in that moment. possibly touch on it. Its kind of hard to tell. 

      I think this is the right Buffet, it was the only one we could find and it did have a dessert bar but we're still not a 100% sure it was the same or not. Still, it was fun and interesting to visit/find the place and wander aimlessly through the Eldarado.