Boulder City Nevada Road Trip Recap

Introduction

As I usually like to do after a road is recap what I experienced.  This is more or less for me, as an online diary of my adventures.  It really doesn't have a whole lot to do about running, but it does capture some of the experiences I had -- big and small.

I like to go back, from time to time, and read my previous adventures and remember what I've done.  Often times, the small details of trips fade and without this record, I'd likely forget about them.  So bare with me in this short indulgence.

Friday

Me at the Casablanca Hotel and Casino in Mesquite, NV

The plan was to get home as early as possible from work, throw my stuff in the car and head out before too much Friday traffic delayed me.  I had about a 6 hour drive to Boulder City, Nevada and I was fortunate we had company meetings that ended just before 2 PM.  Shari got home at 2:30-ish and I was itching to go.  

Unfortunately, our 20 year-old cat had other ideas.  She hasn't been doing too well and Friday evening she was sick.  So after some hemming and hawing, it was decided I'd have to go solo (shucks (/wink)).

I beat most of the traffic and made excellent time.  We were having unseasonably warm March weather and by the time I got to the southern part of the state, I was filling up my car in 80+ degree weather.

Another half hour later and I pulled into the Casablanca Hotel and Casino in Mesquite, NV.  Mesquite is the first Nevada town you come to when going to Vegas.  I had a coupon for money off at the buffet, so I helped myself to some cheap carbs..... and it was a bargain too!  I held back on the precracked crab legs (it's never good to eat too much seafood before a race)

I gambled some and actually left up a few dollars.

I made the rest of the way to Boulder City in just under 2 hours.  Traffic was a little tough near Vegas, but by the time I was passing through, it was well after rush hour.

The hotel was nice.  I had visited before and I thought it was very classy.  It isn't like the strip at all... very subdued and quiet.  The casino didn't have a lot of my favorite machines, which was good.  It stopped me from gambling too much (although I did play).  I wound up giving back some of my winnings that I had won in Mesquite but I wanted to go to sleep, so I called it a night fairly early.

Saturday

I slept horribly.  I am not sure why but I think I was nervous about the race and I was bug-eyed from driving.  If I was lucky, I got about 2 hours of sleep and it was fitful at best.

View from my room

In the morning, I wound up running the St Patrick's Day / 6 Tunnels Half Marathon, which you can read here.  

After the race I tried to use the pool at the hotel, but it was out of order -- the entire bleeding weekend.  Argh.  So I wound up eating lunch at the hotel (Rancho Heuvos) which wasn't too bad and it certainly was filling. I also sucked down a ton of Arnold Palmers.  I was completely dehydrated and I wound up drinking a lot throughout the day.

After eating I was kind of depressed with my time at the race, so I headed upstairs to lay down in the room and find something to watch on the 20-channel TV (that had a line of static running through it).  I was starting to fall asleep -- in my over caffeinated state -- and there was a knock on the door.  Housekeeping....

So I had to find something to do.  I suppose I could've hung out in the room, but I didn't want to just hang around, so I wound up filling a water bottle up and walking to the Hoover Dam along the Lake Mead Train Hike, which you can see here.

I had a strange occurrence as I was coming back to the hotel.  I was walking through the parking lot and a big burly Harley Davidson riding motorcycle guy pulled up next to me and asked me, "Hey... what kind of car do you drive?"

I was like, "uh?"

He was obviously pissed off and asked his question again.

I explained to him that I had just finished a hike and I hadn't driven my car in several hours. 

He looked me up and down and gave me a dirty look and sped off.  I figured he was looking to kick someone's butt after a road altercation (and it would've been no contest versus me).

He sped off north and not more than a few minutes later paramedics came flying down the road from the opposite direction.  I tried to find something in the paper but to no avail.  I suspect he had witnessed a hit and run and was looking for the culprit.  Just glad it wasn't me.

I cleaned up and gambled some more at the hotel and I wasn't having any luck.  Luckily, I wasn't too into gambling and decided I needed to find some place to eat for dinner.

I Googled around for a cheap buffet.  I was thinking of trying the Railroad Pass Buffet up the road but decided I wanted to go the Fiesta Hotel and Casino.  Usually the Station Casinos do a good job and I know they'll have a decent casino.  I just hoped that the line wouldn't be too bad.

I got there and it wasn't too busy.  I wound up blowing some money on Fu Dao Le and my minimal losses turned into a slightly larger one.  Luckily I knew when to quit and found the buffet.  It wasn't too bad for $10.  They pretty much had the same food as the other Station casino buffets, but the upkeep wasn't as good and there weren't any premiums (other than the Mongolian grill).

I made my way back to the Hoover Dam Lodge and played a bit more there but once again Lady Luck wasn't with me and I called it quits after about 15 minutes.

Sunday

In the morning, I woke up early and went for a quick run.  I was still sore as anything from the day before, so it was more or less a shuffle for about 3 miles.  I wound up taking a few pictures as well.  There were a few other runners out and it was a really nice and peaceful run.

After cleaning up, I checked out and went and visited my aunt and uncle in Summerlin at the Rampart Hotel.  I haven't seen my uncle since -- well, when I had a full head of hair.  Probably since the early 90's.  We caught up over breakfast and I wound up winning about $10.  

Originally I had planned on taking Monday off and staying the night in Mesquite (I'd get it for free) but I wasn't terribly in the mood for gambling and I didn't really want to blow a day off.  So I wound up driving from Summerlin back to Salt Lake City.

Traffic going north is starting to resemble what I experienced going from Las Vegas to California on a Sunday evening.  Utah's speed limits aren't for the faint of heart and people were driving like maniacs.  I don't think I'll ever do that again.

I did make it home safely -- and 4 days after running the half marathon, I am still fatigued and even a little sore from it.

But I have a lot of good memories about this trip.  It was nice to get out on my own and really tear up the hiking trails.  I've wanted to hike the Lake Mead trail for a very long time -- and I even got a chance to run it.  Maybe next year I'll repeat this trip...

Laughlin Nevada - Weekend Recap

Introduction

While my blog is mostly about running, I do like to recap my adventures of my trips to races.  Mostly I just like to capture these moments for myself.  However, maybe you are bored at work or something and you like to read about my adventures (or maybe you are my mom and like to hear these stories).

Either way, on my way down to the Lost Dutchman Marathon we passed through Laughlin Nevada.  I've been to most gaming towns throughout Nevada but I have never made it down to the southernest part of the state.

Laughlin itself has fallen on hard times since the Great Recession.  And when I got there it sort of showed.  A lot of the hotels were in dire need of updating and it just struck me as worn out and tired.

To me, Laughlin is a place where senior citizens go where you don't want the expense and the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas, and yet you still want the Vegas experience.  Hot weather, gambling, and cheap buffets.  Just like Vegas used to be.

I am 47 and I felt like I was one of the youngest ones there.

Laughlin 

We rolled into Laughlin, making the epic drive from Reno to Laughlin all in one day.  On the way in, we had stopped at the Suncoast Resort for a delicious buffet.  By the time we rolled in it was pushing 9 pm (if not later).

I was worn out and tired of driving -- as it takes over 8 hours to go from Reno to Laughlin.  

Also, the last 90 minutes I was driving in pitch darkness and almost swerved off the road when a raccoon or something jumped into the middle of the road.  It is so easy to lose control of your car going 75.  Luckily, the varmint saw me coming and got out of the way, but it was white knuckle driving.

Finally, after passing through Searchlight NV we reached Laughlin.  We came down a massive hill and it was a joy to see the lights of their "strip" below.

We quickly found Harrah's of Laughlin where I had scored some $21/night rooms.  I was feeling horrible -- I had a touch of bronchitis and I was just exhausted from driving.

We made the long walk from the parking lot to check-in.  There obviously was a problem with our room as the lady checking us in was talking with her supervisor.

The last thing I wanted to do was wait ... I just wanted to clean up and go to bed.  

The check-in lady explained that there was a hole in the ceiling of our room and that the room was under repairs.  Uh oh.... then she said she would give us a free upgrade to a suite.  Score!  

When we got to the room, it was an epic upgrade... it was at the top, with a view, and it was huge!  Normally the room goes for close to $80 a night, so I was thrilled.

Harrah's -- like the rest of Laughlin, needs some updating, but overall it was a pleasant stay.

In the morning, we had two free buffet passes for the breakfast.  Harrah's definitely has a premium breakfast that we enjoyed.  It was nearly noon by the time I felt like eating and the place was a ghost town.  They have a good variety of food and it looks like the buffet, much like Laughlin, was once used for bigger and brighter things.

I had talked about doing some hiking, but I felt like garbage -- like crawl into a hole and die garbage. So we tried to find me a doctor.  There were only two in town -- and one didn't take our insurance.  Both wouldn't take an appointment and both said it was at least an hour wait, possibly longer.  I even rolled into one office and looked at the other sad sick saps and decided no way.

I wound up buying some cough syrup (expensive!) from the hotel gift shop.  Luckily, it helped immensely.

So I wound up walking around the city and poked around in the half a dozen or so casinos.  I tried to  to enjoy the atmosphere but I felt drained and horrible.  I sounded like an asthmatic smoker -- even walking at a good clip caused me to cough and wheeze like crazy.  Luckily, I didn't have a temperature, but I just felt drained.

I wound up gambling some but I had zero -- and I mean zero -- luck.  Insert money, press a button a few times, and walk away with pennies.  Seriously.  I saw people winning but clearly I was having no luck this trip.  Eventually I just sucked it up and continued my moaning and watched other people play (which isn't much fun)...

We wound up eating at Harrah's for dinner.  We were already at the hotel and I didn't feel like moving.  The buffet was pricey for dinner but not too bad.  There was also an army of Koreans there -- obviously touring the state and I wound up chatting with a few of them (I am fascinated by their pop culture) 

In the morning, we wanted to try a different buffet.  Shari had heard that the Tropicana had a free buffet when you signed up for their player's club card.  Turned out that was false -- you got 10% off.  The buffet, at best, was average.  We should've gone back to Harrah's.

I felt horrible -- despite having a decent night's rest.  I was still coughing up a storm, I was broke, and to be quite frank, I didn't see how I was going to run anything this weekend.  I could hardly walk with coughing and hacking up crazy amounts of yuck.

We talked about simply returning home.  I was leaning towards just leaving that day and driving until I felt tired and getting a room.  

After some serious hemming and hawing we opted to continue to Arizona.

Conclusion

First off, Laughlin's rooms are cheap.  There is free, covered parking (unlike Vegas now) and the food was actually fairly reasonable.  They weren't exactly giving it away, but it wasn't a ripoff.

I had had much higher hopes for the gambling.  Neither one of us had any luck.  Most of the casinos had newer games though.  We didn't have any problems finding games we wanted to play.

I'd definitely stay here again especially if I wanted something more quiet and cheaper.  It looks like there is some hiking and I was dying to run to the California and Arizona borders so I could claim running in three states in one day.... but I could hardly walk down the hallway let alone run.

I also would've loved to have seen Crystal Gayle -- she was playing.  But I would've ruined the show with my incessant coughing.  Maybe next time!

St George Half Marathon Weekend Recap

Celebrating yet another Half Marathon at the Casablanca Resort in Mesquite, NV

Introduction

Well this isn't necessarily a running-related post.  It is just a recap, mostly for me and my mom to record the adventures I had on my long weekend to run the St George Half Marathon.  It is purely a selfish endeavor and I like to look back at my adventures after a certain amount of time.  It is amazing all the little details that one forgets as time passes.

Friday 1/13

I got to work super early and worked a bit of extra time on Thursday and managed to duck out prior to 3 PM.  This was to avoid any traffic and there seemed to be a hint of a snow front moving in and I've driven to southern Utah in snow before and it isn't fun.

The drive to St George from Salt Lake City is pretty much a straight shot down I-15.  Once you get south of Provo, it is pretty bleak country.  You can probably count the number of map dots on both hands and still have fingers left over.  It also isn't terribly scenic.  I usually just settle in, put the car into cruise control and away I go.

I got into St George just before 7 PM.  I made my way to the Dixie Events Center and picked up a ton of tech shirts (they were selling them for $1 apiece), a pair of $65 2015 Brooks Adrenalines, and talked to the race directors of the Ogden Marathon and the Sand Hollow Marathon.  Both were looking forward to me running their respective events.  It was nice to be recognized though.

After picking up my bib we headed over to the Black Bear Diner for a bite to eat.  It was busy there (and loud) but I was happy to try the place out.  I grabbed a delicious veggie burger.  I would definitely eat there again.

I had a mouth sore that was bothering the heck out of me.  I wasn't sure what caused it but my gum was irritated.  So I went to a desolate K-Mart and scored a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, which helped a ton (hint for gum infections, swish with it).  We opted to drive an extra mile to check out Utah's oldest active LDS temple.  For a Friday night (and late too) the temple was bustling with activity.

St George Mormon Temple at night

I then drove back across town and checked into the St George Hilton Garden Inn.  We had a really good stay there and it was so convenient to be pretty much at the starting line once I exited my room.

I actually slept pretty well and with a 9 AM start and not having to move my car anywhere, I was able to sleep in a bit.

Saturday

I woke up around 7:30, took care of business and ate and prepared for the race.  At 9 AM I ran my first race of 2017.

After finishing the race, I quickly went back to the hotel, showered and packed up and within 30 minutes or so (I am quick) I was on my way to Mesquite, NV.  

I had a 2-for-1 buffet pass for the Casablanca Hotel and their buffet closed at noon.  Thankfully, Nevada is one Pacific time, so I made it in plenty of time.  They do have a good buffet and Shari and I ate for about $9.  You can't beat that. 

Shari hit paydirt right away and won about $170.  Unfortunately, we stayed a bit too long and she wound up giving it back and then some.

Me ... I tried pretty hard and didn't get squat.  I did get some play time, but I definitely paid for the buffet.  I never win in Mesquite and I should just stop going.  You think that it is not Vegas you have a better shot but it just doesn't pay out.  I've never won there.

We rolled into Summerlin Nevada in about 90 minutes and stopped in at the Suncoast.  I've had good luck there.  I wound up playing my favorite slot machine and got a bunch of bonus rounds, but they all paid next to nothing.  Soon my investment was gone.  Just nothing.

We met my aunt there and we circled the casino some more.  After a while we ducked over to the Rampart but I realized my luck was crap and had pretty much called it quits for the day.

Tired of gambling, we went over to my aunt's house in Summerlin and settled into our "hotel" for the next 2 nights.

In the evening we went to Casa Di Amore for dinner. My uncle had posted pictures of the food he was eating there one time and I knew I had to try it.  It was noisy, cozy and a bit pricey but the food was really good.  I thought their marinara sauce was gold.

I love Italian food and this place was definitely worth the drive to the other side of Vegas to check out.

Sunday

I slept in sort of late (for me) on Sunday and woke up looking to do a shake out run.  I love exploring towns and I wanted to see what Summerlin had to offer.  So I laced up and headed out.

I kind of know Summerlin, as I've visited all of their casinos and have run their half marathon twice (each time on different courses).  I am not saying I know every nook and cranny, but I have a general gist where everything is.

I just started wandering around -- cellphone in hand with Google Maps on it in case I got lost (which I kind of did).

I did a 5 mile loop, snapping pictures at whatever tended to interest me.  It wasn't the most glorious run I've ever done but it was nice to explore.  There were a few other runners out but certainly fare less than what I expected would've been.

It was nice to run in the sunlight and not have to worry about slipping on ice.

After cleaning up and eating we headed over to Red Rock Canyon.  Just an awesome place to visit and I definitely want to explore more on my own sometime. 

After visiting the canyon, we returned back to my aunt's house and dropped off Frank, an aged Sheltie who is just adorable to have around.  

We decided we would go to the Green Valley Ranch Casino in Henderson.  I had heard about the place but never have been.  I had also read that the buffet was good.

I tried my luck yet again and didn't get anything.  It was like insert money and watch it swirl down a toilet.  Not terribly satisfying too.

We wound up eating at the buffet.  My aunt had comps there, so we would up eating for free (thanks Aunt Cathy!).  

The decor and the whole look and feel of the place was similar to Summerlin's Red Rock Resort. We would've paid about $15 for a Sunday dinner and I would say the buffet is worth that.  They didn't have a lot of premiums, but their Mongolian Grill with made to order stir-fry stuff was good.  

I was like a bottomless pit and I was there for nearly 90 minutes.  My aunt got tired of watching me eat and so did Shari.  After a while I was there by myself just shoveling in more food.  I wound up eating a bit too much though... But if I was going to lose in their casino, I'd win at their buffet.

Shari wasn't having any luck either so we circled the casino and watched the Packers beat the Cowboys.  My aunt was having a pretty good run on a machine so Shari and I wound up gambling a bit more.

I finally got my ONE and ONLY hit of the weekend.  It was my very last spin and I had about $1.70 left in the machine.  I bet $1.68 and wound up winning $160-some-odd dollars.

I wound up cashing out with a lot of it and decided not to press my bad luck any further.

We returned home and spent most of the evening talking and watching TV.

Monday

We wound up eating breakfast at my aunt's house and got a fairly late start on the road.  Luckily, traffic outside of Vegas wasn't bad at all and it was pretty much smooth sailing.

Once again, I stopped in Mesquite -- this time at the Virgin River Casino, and decided to use my free play and use the bathroom.  It was a costly stop and I wound up tossing away $80 in a few minutes.  I got absolutely NOTHING.  Once again, I am pretty much done with Mesquite.  Too tight for me and it left a bad taste in my mouth for the 4.5 hour trip home.

I wasn't terribly hungry when we were there, but about half way to St George, I looked at the gas gauge and figured I'd fill up there.  Then I figured, what the heck, it was almost 1 PM Utah time so I bet Culvers wouldn't be busy.

On a holiday Monday -- it was busy.  I've seen Culvers a lot worse, but it definitely wasn't a quick easy in and easy out.  Still it was good and I got good and greased up for the trip home.

The rest of the way was pretty uneventful and we got in around 5:30 PM.  Again, for a holiday Monday, traffic on the I-15 wasn't bad at all.

Conclusion

This trip was a lot of fun and MUCH needed.  I hadn't done anything cool for a while and I needed a road trip.  I managed to check out a new casino and actually win at a Station-owned casino (go figure).  I also got to knock off the Red Rock Canyon off my bucket list.

I had a great time and it was made a lot cheaper with the help of my aunt, who was super cool to put us up and entertain us for the weekend.

Lake Tahoe Trip Recap

Introduction

If you are a regular reader, you know that after an epic weekend to a marathon destination, I like to write about my experiences: what I ate, what I did, etc.  This is mostly for my purposes -- as a personal journal that I have decided to make public.  Sometimes friends and family like to read it, or maybe you might find some interest in it.

Either way, I write this for strictly for me. So without further ado, here is my trip recap to Lake Tahoe.

Friday

I took half a day at work, which was much needed.  I haven't taken much time off this year (believe it or not) and I was in dire need of a break.  

The plan was to break up getting to Lake Tahoe over the course of 2 days.  I had snagged a free room at the Red Lion in Elko, NV and that is about 3.5 hours from our house.  On Saturday we would do the remainder of the 5 hour and change drive to Lake Tahoe.

I rented a Hyundai from the local Enterprise Rent-a-car place.  Unfortunately it didn't have cruise control (I was too cheap for the mid-size car) so I was constantly lead-footing it on the way out there.

The salt flats after some rain

The salt flats after some rain

Just shy of 3 PM we hit the road and made good progress to Elko.  We did stop at the Montego Bay Resort in Wendover.  They had a special where if you merely checked in you would earn a prize.  We weren't expecting much, but I won $15 in free play.  Shari won some tickets to a drawing you had to attend.  We gambled a bit since it was a nice comp multiplier but we had a long weekend to prepare for and we didn't want to blow our budget there.  As usual, when they have a comp multiplier the machines are super tight and I wound up pissing away about $40.

The rest of the drive to Elko was pretty uneventful.  I was pretty hungry so we opted to eat at the Red Lion Buffet.  I held my appetite in check as I know if I eat too much leading up to a marathon, I would wind up feeling bloated.  I still ate pretty well though and the cost was offset by our $6 coupons that Shari and I each were able to use.

We checked into our room and then hit the casino.  I was off to a good start managed to get a red envelope on my favorite slot machine (actually my favorite's new edition).  By the time I had gotten through my free play and a few bucks of my own, I had made up my losses from Wendover and was actually up some.

We then headed across town to the Gold Dust West.  Shari had some birthday free play to go through and I had a bi-weekly free play to use.  As usual, Gold Dust West took my money greedily.  I was up briefly but I was having zero luck there.  I like their casino, but I rarely ever win there.  And before I left I was back down to about even.

I actually wound up sleeping great, which is a surprise.  I had some anxiety about the race and I was kind of stressed with the day's events.

Saturday

We woke up fairly early and hit the buffet.  It wound up being more economical and we didn't have to wait for service.  I kept the amount of food I ate down to a minimum. I know that sounds anti-buffet, but that's the way I was going to roll.  

We also had our free play recycle at the Red Lion, which Shari and I used.  We wound up winning a few bucks, but nothing too noteworthy.  I should just be 100% loyal to the Red Lion.  They treat me very well and I actually came out a head strictly gambling at their place.

We left just shy of noon and made our way westward.  It was actually a pretty easy drive and I enjoyed seeing the scenery again.  I drove along in silence and I often wondered why lay just beyond the free exits that I was passing by.  I also made mental notes of little villages and cities that I would like to one day explore.

Once we got on the outskirts of Reno, I decided to take a slightly different way into Tahoe.  Normally you take I-80 into Reno and then head south from there.  It is slightly longer distance-wise but faster in terms of speed limits.

Instead, I hooked my way south through Fernley and took the scenic, but shorter route there.  This was a pleasant diversion.  The speed limit was definitely slower, but it was good to see Silver Springs, Stagecoach, Dayton and the outskirts of Carson City.  There were a bunch of casinos that I would've loved to have checked out as well.  I really find a lot of peace in just seeing all the empty space.

We eventually rolled in Tahoe (after almost getting a flat tire in a construction zone).  We were staying at Harvey's Hotel and Casino and Tahoe is pretty easy to navigate.  So we parked, checked in and I headed on over to the marathon expo to pick up my gear.

I wound up gambling some more but really wasn't winning very much.  I figured Tahoe was going to be tight so I wasn't expecting much.  The casinos there all had our favorite games and we found no shortage of games to play.

The "strip" as it were wasn't bustling like Vegas.  It was certainly busy but as the night got cooler, less and less people were out and about.

Banner welcoming runners over the "strip"

We wound up eating at the Harrah's Cafe.  The food was all right and I had some vegetarian pasta thing.  It was just enough food to get me filled up without feeling bloated.

We wound up circling the casino for a bit.  The Harrah's Casino, which I have always had decent luck, had giant-sized Fu Dao Le machines.  I actually won on these things and quickly made up my losses that I had taken earlier in the afternoon.

Feeling lucky, I wound up also putting a small bet on the under on the Bears vs Colts game, which I lost.

I turned in just shy of 10 PM and set my alarm early for the marathon.

Sunday

I slept like garbage the night before the marathon.  I mean one of the worst nights ever.  Between pre-race anxiety to the fact that there was some sort of damper or "something" was slamming with semi-regularity every few minutes.  I'd just about be back asleep before I'd hear a "slam".  It was too late and too much work to change rooms, but if I got more than 3 hours of solid sleep, I would be surprised.

I assembled my stuff and walked the 10 minutes to the bus pick-up and ran the Lake Tahoe Marathon, which you can read here.

After finishing, despite being exhausted, I was actually feeling pretty good.  The weather had been okay and I wasn't freezing.  I managed to limp back to the hotel (with Shari's help), showered, and we sorted out where we wanted to eat.  I didn't want a buffet and I wanted something quick.  

They had a Straw Hat pizzeria at the Harvey's Casino.  Straw Hat was a chain in southern California and it had been years since I had their delicious pizza.  So we decided to eat there.

It was "Raiders Nation" there and everyone was rooting for them.  I wasn't used to that.  But I remembered I was within close proximity of San Francisco.  The pizza was half way decent and they had unlimited, serve yourself drinks, which I greedily gulped down:

After eating, Shari and I wandered around the California side of Lake Tahoe taking in some of the trinket shops.  This is something she likes to do and since she had pretty much killed the morning off waiting for me, this was her time to try and enjoy the trip.

That was short lived and we wound up gambling a bit, neither winning nor losing much.  After a while we got tired of that and it was getting closer to dinner.  I wasn't terribly hungry yet -- that pizza sat in my gut like a bowling ball.

I wound up hitting the Harvey Pool.  It was pretty chilly for a run, but the sauna was an excellent decision.  It really helped and I certainly felt less sore as a result.

Afterwards we wandered around the town, taking in the nightlife -- or whatever was left of it for a Sunday night.  We had only checked out two of the 4 main casinos so we wandered to the Hard Rock Casino.  I attempted to play Fu Dao Le there and wasn't getting anything (their progressives were much better than Harrah's).

I was almost back to even or maybe down a few bucks at this point before walking over to the Montbleu.  This casino was the most spacious I had ever been in.  Tons of room between aisles of slot machines.  Feeling daring, I popped in a $100 into a slot and bet max with reckless abandon.  I wound up nailing a $140 bonus round, which helped me bring back my bottom line:

After a while, I realized I was starving.  As any runner knows, after running a marathon your appetite is pretty dulled until a few hours later when it roars with reckless abandon.  The buffet was closed (it was getting late) but we found the Hard Rock Restaurant (in Harveys, not Hard Rock Casino -- go figure) was open and eager to serve.  The food was good but pricey -- I had some vegetarian cauliflower veggie burger with fries.  Actually super good.

We pretty much gambled a bit more and we did okay (surprise surprise) before turning in.

Due to the noisy room we had on Saturday night, Harvey's had graciously moved us to the newer section of the hotel.  This room was far more spacious, modern and fresher.  What a difference!  If I was ever to stay there again, I'd pony up the extra bucks to stay on that side versus the older side.  Despite being near the elevator, I wound up sleeping perfectly.

Monday

We wound up waking up fairly late in the morning due to both of us being tired.  Shari had a wicked cold and I was just tired from running the marathon.

The first order of business was getting some more cough medicine and finding a place to eat.  I had spotted a line-up of people going into Heidi's Pancake House the day before on my run.  It looked like a quaint, homey, Swedish breakfast place.  Judging by the cars in the parking lot it appeared like they were doing a lot of business.

So we went there.  The service was quick, coffee piping hot and the food -- delicious.  I was definitely in California / Tahoe when the bill came -- $40 for breakfast.  Ouch.  But it was good and kept me filled for most of the day.  The inside was filled with Swedish decor and I wouldn't hesitate in going back.

Heidi's Pancake House

After eating, Shari and I visited Secret Beach and Spooner Lake.  

We had some visions of going into Reno and eating there for the evening.  However, we made it to Carson City and we gambled there for about an hour.  We both lost our shirts there.  I had hoped being at a smaller, independent casino might result in a "luckier" experience, but no dice.  I still like the Fandango Casino but it was a tough day.

I was tired of driving and it was approaching rush hour so we opted out of going into Reno.

I had some time to kill and I wasn't quite hungry for food, so of all things, I decided to go for a run.  I NEVER run the day after a marathon.  But being I was in Lake Tahoe and I had sort of missed the final 3 miles or so of the marathon due to deliriums (I am exaggerating) I decided to go for a run.  I wound up feeling pretty good and probably rocked out 5 miles.  I actually felt BETTER than when I had run the marathon.  Go figure.

We drove back to the hotel and I wound up hitting the Jacuzzi again.   What a nice reward after a tough day.

For dinner, we dined at the Harrah's buffet.  It had gotten mediocre reviews, but it was the only buffet open in town and it was a buffet -- and I had to try it.

I'll agree with the reviews to some extent.  The food was fresh and well prepared, but it wasn't the best buffet -- by any means -- that I've ever been to.  There was an ample selection but not a lot stood out as fantastic (maybe the pizza).  For the price, about $20 each, it wasn't a total ripoff but it won't make my top 10 casino buffet list.

Tuesday

We wound up getting up early -- virtually at the crack of dawn and left Tahoe.  We had toyed around with eating again at Heidi's but we decided to try the Fandango Casino's breakfast.  It was passable and less than $10 a person.  The place was empty -- including the casino -- so we had the place to ourselves.

I don't think we gambled at all and quickly got on the freeway towards Reno.  I was surprised to find rush hour traffic to be not that terrible (it was just shy of 9 AM) and we made excellent time.

We hit Elko about midafternoon.  We had some free play at the Red Lion ($12 each) so we decided it would be worth stopping in and trying our luck and using the rest room.  I wound up hitting another red envelope and cashed another $100.  Definitely worth the stop!

$130 win

I was getting hungry, but we had a 2-for-1 buffet in Wendover.  So we made the 100 minute drive from Elko to Wendover.  The buffet was a ghost town -- and in fact they were changing the carpeting on half the buffet, so it 50% of the seating area was closed.

After eating, we decided to kill some time there waiting for our food to digest.  I played various games and wasn't having much luck.  I did jump on a Wonder Woman game, which usually results in a lot of entertainment but very little in return on your investment -- money-wise.  But this time I hit a nice bonus round on a $1 bet and got the best screen you could possibly get:

$120 win

Shari wound up hitting a nice bonus round too and we definitely came out ahead in Wendover.

The rest of the trip home was pretty uneventful.  While I lost an hour coming from Pacific Time, I still was able to have a good portion of  the day left.  Also, the amount of cash I brought on the trip was roughly the amount I came home with (okay, maybe down a few twenties).  

Conclusion

What a trip.  I got to do so much off my bucket list.  I managed to take down California and experience running on the bike trail along the lake.  I also got to experience "The Strip" of Tahoe and see what it had to offer.

I'd definitely like to go back -- even rent a cottage for a few days and run freely without worrying about a race.  It is just a pretty area and there is a lot of hiking / outdoors things to do.