THERE COMES A TIME in every adult’s lifewhen they want to test the waters ofthe fountain of youth to see if they stillhave the ability to pull o� a non-stop,event-�lled, 24-hour day. The idea ofthe 24-hour town is limited to very fewplaces around the country and thegoal was to prove that Reno/Tahoe is adestination capable of topping allothers. My editor enthusiastically agreed,no matter what hour of the day it is,our beautiful area has something todo! So, with a little help from a paletteof energy drinks, a few calisthenics andlots of adrenaline, the GETAWAY Crewgeared up for the challenge!

I wanted to start this baby o� theright way by limiting myself to �vehours of sleep the night before, justlike my old college days. Our departuretime was set for a hair before 5:30 am,leaving from the GRAND SIERRA RESORT in

Reno. When we arrived, the o�cialtransportation for the GETAWAY 24Hours in Reno/Tahoe Tour was waitingfor me, a 30-foot Hummer H2 limou -sine provided by the leader in prestigeand class in Reno, EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINE.We were greeted enthusiastically byour amazing driver, Mel, who spent mostof the morning loading all the stu� wewould need for such a crazy endeavor.We looked like we were packing up foran African safari. You can play golf inthe Sahara Desert, right? I think it wasat this time Mel realized this tour wasno joke. We were in it for the long haul.

After a few pushups to pump our -selves up, we departed and headed forSouth Lake Tahoe. First up on theschedule, a little place they like to callRED HUT CAFÉ, a local favorite known forthe �nest breakfasts in the Tahoe area.Mel whipped the 30-foot limo right up

to the door of the Red Hut like aNASCAR pit stop. We were greeted bythe friendliest sta� you will ever �nd at6:30 am. So what do you order at the�nest breakfast place in South LakeTahoe? One of everything, please! Istarted with a strawberry wa�e andended with a healthy egg white omelet

- rednu I .flesym tuoba retteb leef otstand it’s kind of like washing down abanana split with a Diet Pepsi, but it’sthe thought that counts. The food wasamazing and we couldn’t leave with -out a couple additional items doggiebagged for the ride, just in case.

I said a quiet prayer of thanks thatthe Hummer had overload springswhen Mel boosted me back into thelimo and we were on our way to swingthe sticks and burn a few stored breakfastcalories at LAKE TAHOE COUNTRY CLUB.The setting of this golf club is incredi ble!

in Reno/TahoeBy: Dreu Murin

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I slipped on my �ip �op golf spikes,loaded my golf clubs and took o� tothe �rst hole. I teed up a brand newPink Lady (my ball of choice). Using myfavorite driver, I ripped one right downthe center of the fairway right into thesand. PERFECT…. An hour or so laterthe course Marshall pulled up sayinghe had heard what sounded like a girlscreaming and yelling. I assured himthat I was just hitting my stride and, bythe end of this round, I would scoretriple bogey or better. After my last PinkLady had found a safe place to rest, outof bounds in the beautiful protectedanimal refuge, I was noti�ed by mytime keeper and Editor, Diane, that Iwas out of time and had a schedule tokeep. So I decided to call it a day andhead for the club house.

Time was �ying by! A �lling break -fast and an amazing partial round ofgolf and it was only 10:30 am! Loadedback up in the Hummer, we had a datewith the biggest, baddest lady in Tahoe,who always knows how to have a goodtime: the M.S. DIXIE II. From beach fun toboat tours, ZEPHYR COVE RESORT is theplace to go. It is best known as thehome of one of the largest paddlewheelers on Lake Tahoe. Zephyr CoveResort even has the ability to performamazing beach weddings. I tried topropose to a beautiful blonde at thegazebo with no luck. Maybe nexttime… The whistle blew and it wastime to load up for our cruise toEmerald Bay. Any notion of sea anxietywas settled immediately with Dixie’sspecialty drink Captain Dick’s Revenge

and the, very tasty, Mark Twain food- irepxe euqinu a dereffo saw I .rettalp

ence to enter what they call, in nauticalterms, “the wheel house,” where Iactually got to drive the old girl. Shehandled like a Ferrari Sloth 5000, ifthere were such a thing. I don’t thinkshe’d pull a skier though. Captain Bob

had a wealth of information about theboat and the lake. After I blew the hornand rang the bell a few times like Iknew what I was doing, Bob took backcontrol of the Dixie and steered herback on course. If you are anywherenear the vicinity of Zephyr CoveResort, stop in and take the tour. It’s amust! Occasionally, Captain Bob willlet kids come up to the wheel house,too. Time check: 1 pm. Right on schedule.

Let’s talk art, honestly what do Iknow about art? How to spell ARTwould be the extent of my knowledge.Visiting MARCUS ASHLEY ART GALLERY inTahoe was an entirely new experiencefor me. Not only do they have artpieces that will blow the minds of artenthusiasts, but they also display art atmy level, with Marcus Ashley’s Dr.Seuss pieces. Liv greeted us at the gateand gave us the VIP tour, as she doeswith every customer that visits thegallery. I wanted everything! Can theHummer tow a trailer? Marcus Ashleyo�ers something to add beautifultouches to anyone’s home. I now oweall my art expertise to Professor Liv.

Quick check of the watch and weare 15 minutes behind schedule! MEL!Step on it and drive it like you stole it! Icouldn’t wait for the next stop. A truelocal favorite, The FOX AND HOUND,located on the top of Kingsbury Grade.I have been hearing about this placefor some time. Parched from my artlesson, the bartender told me I was indesperate need of a Fox and Houndspecial, the “BOMB POP!” BOOM! Yeahbaby! The views here are amazing andthe food creativity is somethingspecial. Matt, the owner, o�ered me anoppor tunity to try one of his manycreative dishes that will be featured ontheir new summer menu, a Pig on a Cow. I will tell you it’s high on my “must-try”list!

I would have stayed all day, butone sharp jab in the ribs from Dianeinformed me it was time to go! Withdoggie bags in hand, we loaded up for

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our journey and at 3 pm, arrived at oneof the most historic places in the area,DAVID WALLEY’S HOT SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA

in Genoa, for some well deserved spatime. We immediately made our way tothe spa. David Walley’s o�ers a fullmenu of spa treatments, as well asmineral bath tubs at various tempera -tures suitable for the entire family. Insome cultures, these mineral spas areeven thought to reduce the signs ofaging. No wonder everyone at the spalooked so young! It was honestly thebest spa experi ence of my life! I wasdragged out of the spa by the timekeeper once again, and I fought theentire time kicking and screaming.Before I completely exited the building,I made sure to book my self anotherspa day.

The restaurant at David Walley’s,aptly named 1862, is as unique as thefood they serve. We had the oppor tunity

to sample almost every item from theappetizer menu executive chef Michaelput in front of us. Choices varied fromthe �nest cheese-and-cracker platterto escargot, and even a rattlesnake/python dish—hold the venom, ofcourse. Each dish was a work of art andit tasted just as amazing as it looked! Icouldn’t resist reaching for more. I couldonly imagine what the main courses

must have been like. Running short ontime, we had to say goodbye to DavidWalley’s and I left with a tear in my eye.

After checking the schedule it was6 pm. Time for dinner! I’m thinkingItalian. I wonder how Italian goes withRattlesnake and Python? We weregoing to �nd out. We reluctantly saidgoodbye to Mel and our H2 fromExecutive Limousine as our new formof transportation arrived, an RV/rockstar-caliber tour bus. After we were allloaded up, we headed out to Reno forsome “Modern Italian Comfort Food,”as they call it at LA VECCHIA. The owner,Alberto, prides himself on providingthe best experience at his restaurantand this time was no exception. Eachcourse was beautifully presented andtasted unbelievable! Don’t tell myItalian grandmother because I couldlose a �nger, or my life for that matter,but it was the best risotto I have ever

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had. I don’t know how to say “party inyour mouth” in Italian, but you get thegist! One bite of the Cioppino and Iwas asking my waiter for more. Manja!Manja!

By now, I was feeling like I was onmy way to starring on The BiggestLoser. At 9 pm, Diane stripped me of all

my eating utensils and ordered us toload up because we were going to belate for the show Illuminare at theELDORADO HOTEL AND CASINO. Meghan,another member of the GETAWAYCrew, joined us for the show just ontime. We are so glad she made it! It’sde�nitely not a show you want tomiss—a show that my mom has beennagging me about for weeks and nowI went without her. This could be bad.Mom, I’m sorry!

If the idea of lasers, silks and �regets you excited, you might want toconsult a psychiatrist—or just makesure to go to this show! Illuminaredebuted for the �rst time in the UnitedStates at the Eldorado this year and istruly spectacular, as are all shows atthis casino. Shows like Illuminare willbring you back to your childhooddreams of joining the circus. I didn’twant to leave without trying a few of

those �re stunts, but I was informedthat the Eldorado insurance doesn’tcover idiocy.

I had now been awake for 17 hours—it was midnight. With all the excite -ment, and still as stu�ed with good foodas a tick on a dog’s ear, we had sevenlong hours left in our youthful experi -ment. It was time to make our way toTHE PEPPERMILL HOTEL AND CASINO. Valetinga 42-foot tour bus is not as easy as itmay seem, but the Peppermill wasmuch obliged to assist. It was Throw -back to the 80’s Hip Hop Night at EDGE

NIGHT CLUB. Who doesn’t like to dressup? Walking in, we ran into Run DMClook-alikes and before we knew it, wewere in the VIP room at Reno’s hottestnightspot. I can tell you, it’s not calledthat for nothing! Edge was packedwith some of the best 80s costumesaround, the energy was high, and Idanced my “baby got back” o� tomusic of the top DJs in the area. Eventhough I was mindful of stayinghydrated at the club, I was on the“edge” of exhaustion since it was now 3am and I had been going non-stop for21 hours straight. It’s so true, no matterwhat hour of the day, there is alwayssomething to do in the Reno/Tahoearea!

After saying goodbyes to all ournew friends at the Peppermill, it wason to our last stop for a little gaming.The GRAND SIERRA RESORT was bumpin’,even at 4 am! Gambling is consider ed a

sport for some people. Then, there arethose of us that consider gambling anexcuse for free drinks and the chanceto talk to pretty dealers. Either way, weall have a great time.

The GSR, as they call it in theseparts, is the end to the 24 Hour Reno/Tahoe marathon and wouldn’t it justbe amazing if I won a few thousand?Well, let just say the dice were hot, the

cards were generous and I WILL bebuying myself a new pair of shoes!

By 6 am, I made it back to mybeautiful suite, a little richer, unscathedand with all my �ngers and toes. It wasan amazing experience, and believe itor not, I still have it! Well, at least fornow. I can’t wait until the next one.Maybe you should come along! Thankyou to all that made this a truly memor -able night.

Dreu and the GETAWAY Crew...checkin’ out!

Follow the adventures of theGETAWAY Crew at www.planmygetaway.com

We captured it on video!Check out the adventures of theGETAWAY Crew now. If you don’thave a smart phone, you canwatch us in action athttp://bit.ly/mEwY4p.Just click on “view video.”

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