Kids & family

Best place to consider the fundamental nature of man while pumping iron

People who go to Sports West Athletic Club often head there to increase the girth of their biceps, triceps and quads, but who ever goes there to inflate their soul? Trainer Bruce Jenks is always willing to spend a few moments discussing the relative goodness or badness of humanity in between reps or measuring the body fat around your midsection. And when it’s time to start filling out the board for Monday Night Football, don’t ever suggest that gambling might be immoral because he can tell you the chapter and verse in Apostles that suggested that the disciples drew lots to see who was going to take Judas Iscariot’s spot when he resigned his commission.

Best place to embrace the silence

Subject Matter Books, 105 Hubbard Way, is Reno’s least-known bookstore, but it’s a dandy. It’s located on a side street across Virginia from the Peppermill. Its long-time fans will remember when it was a combination motorcycle shop/used bookstore (who knows why?), but the motorcycles have been shipped out, and it’s now all bookstore. Like most good used bookstores, it is full of items that cannot be found anywhere else in town.

Best afternoon getaway for new parents

Parents of babies and toddlers are grateful just to get five minutes of alone time and even happier to get more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. As much as they love their little tykes, moms and dads need a break once in a while. David Walley’s Resort, Hot Springs & Spa, 2001 Foothill Road, Genoa, is a good place to get a few hours of R&R. For $20 per person, you can let the stress melt away in one of the resort’s seven mineral pools (which range in temperature from 98 to 104 degrees), take a dip in the 85-degree fresh water relaxation pool or take advantage of the steam room and dry saunas located inside the men’s and women’s locker rooms. No diaper changes, bottles to clean or mountains of laundry to wash. Just a few hours of steamy bliss. Ahhh.

Best pay-per-view library

You can sip on their great coffee while reading from the latest and largest selection of magazines around. Or, you can sit in one of their comfortable reading chairs and sink into a novel from among what is easily the greatest selection in town. There’s always a selection of brand new music to listen to, and the staff is beyond helpful. It’s too good to be true, and you want to keep it that way, so eventually you take something up to the register and actually buy it. There’s no library card needed here … you’re at Border’s Books and Music. Barnes & Noble, close second.