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Traveling through the Reno, Nevada area? We recently uncovered a true jewel of the desert the river inn bed and breakfast in the Peppermill Resort and Casino. Beyond just the gaming and the glamour, the Peppermill the river inn bed and breakfast also has a fascinating back story rooted in the green revolution as a pioneer of sustainability.
The casino and the hotel is the main draw, but what visitors may not know is that the casino itself is heated by what’s going on in the Earth far below. We’re talking geothermal energy, the river inn bed and breakfast and as we found out, there s lots of it to be had just below Reno and the Peppermill Casino.
The history of the casino is fascinating in and of itself. Today’s sprawling operation started from humble beginnings as the Peppermill Coffeehouse in 1971. The resort grew and was built in three phases of expansion over successive decades, with the curved Tuscany Tower added in 1997-2007.
The discovery of geothermal energy directly under the property was totally coincidental and a quite literally a lucky turn for the hotel. The Peppermill Hotel and Casino recently won the 2014 Sustainability Award for Nevada given out in Las Vegas on October 3 rd .
Future plans to include smart thermostats and use geothermal energy to go totally “off-the-grid” and have the Peppermill become totally self-sustaining in the next decade, no mean feat when you consider just how much juice a large high end hotel and casino the river inn bed and breakfast uses.  The two-million square foot property of the Peppermill — including the three huge pools — is heated by a 4,400 foot deep well that has already reduced the CO2 foot print of the casino to the tune of 12,000 metric tons per year. Though this cost $9.7 million USD to construct, the geothermal plant paid for itself in about five years.
Tesla Connector charging stations are also already available on site, and Elon Musk’s Reno facility for his flagship Tesla electric car is due to break ground in Reno next year, another win in the green column for the city.
Another interesting feature of the Peppermill is the Tuscany Room , actually a large cavernous hall that is the largest free span ballroom in North America at 65,000 square feet (that’s about 255 feet on a side).
Today, thousands visit Reno and the Peppermill Casino as an alternative to Las Vegas far to the south. Reno has lots going for it, as it’s also a great home base to explore the ski slopes that dot the Sierra Nevadas and the Lake Tahoe region just to the west.
The Peppermill also makes a great jumping off point to explore Reno and local environs. Urban kayakers can be seen plying the Truckee River through Reno’s scenic and very walk-able downtown district, and the exterior of the Whitney Peak Hotel sports Basecamp , the world’s highest climbing wall at a towering 164 feet.
And Reno’s not just for gamblers. Going to the 2014 Reno ComicCon ? This year, the event will be held at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on November 21-23. Special featured guests the river inn bed and breakfast include Norman Reedus (Daryl of The Walking Dead), William “James T. Kirk” Shatner, and Lou Ferrigno of The Incredible Hulk fame. The Peppermill is running the river inn bed and breakfast package deals for convention-goers starting at 199$ a night. Book now!
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