Things To Do In Fernley

Cottonwoods and willows reach toward the skies across the nine holes of Fallon Golf Course, their towering branches providing natural evidence of the course's 55-year history. Adding to the scenery is the Carson River, which runs alongside the course, providing a home to wildlife such as white egrets, cottontails, and quails. The river flows beside the third hole and cuts directly in front of the second green, while a smaller waterway cuts the fairways on holes five and seven. Before rounds, golfers can warm up at a practice green or stop by the driving range to pick up tees, dip them in bronze, and sew them into an intimidating sweater vest.

CrossFit Captivate’s head coach and owner, Corey Bibolet, serves as a living example of how CrossFit’s commitment to functional movement can contribute to bettering bodies for all types of activities—not just squats and lunges. He began practicing CrossFit in 2008 as a means to build strength and spice up his break-dancing routines and has been dedicated to the fitness medium ever since. A coach for more than three years, Corey holds several CrossFit competition titles, and he travels the country to attend training seminars and find new ways to get his pupils motivated. Today, he and his staff of co-trainers teach more than 30 classes per week in their blue-walled gym equipped with weights, hanging rings, and kettlebells.

For exercisers, BodyFuel Fitness has everything they need, no matter when they need it. The 24-hour facility's floor is stocked with a full compliment of Cybex, Precor, FreeMotion, and Nautilus machines to torch calories and sculpt muscles. And, when clients need encouragement or motivation, they'll be able to easily find a group fitness class in which to enlist, including spin, Pilates, and boot-camp sessions.

With its gleaming marble demonstration counter, wooden cabinets topped with carved grapevines, and overhead televisions, the teaching kitchen at Nothing To It! Culinary Center would look perfectly at home on a film set. Instead, it sets the stage for the school’s master chefs to share the secrets to baking a flaky, golden pie crust or simmering a fragrant Moroccan stew with more than 500 students each month. Under the helm of Culinary Director, Chef Lara Ritchie, a graduate of New England Culinary Institute in Essex, Vermont, expert gourmands constantly add new hands-on and demonstration classes to their already encyclopedic schedule. Budding Boyardees hoping for a comprehensive approach can take the eight-level techniques series, which starts with knife skills and finishes with advanced techniques such as rendering an emulsified aioli or soft-boiling an egg with telekinesis. Pupils interested in more specific, contained lessons join hot-topic sessions, which delve into gluten-free cooking or sausage making, or international classes that explore Lebanese cuisine’s spices or Spain’s rustic charcoal-fired meats. Over the holidays, the 6,000-square-foot center fills with apprentices who learn to craft seasonal edibles such as truffles or gingerbread houses.

Nothing To It! also feeds visitors feasts they don’t have to cook. Its Napa Valley–style Gourmet Deli layers sandwiches with lavish ingredients such as imported cambozola-cheese pesto and flavors salads with creamy curried-mango chutney.

As a new mother, Tanya Rose Bordner found herself suffering from the severe headaches, hormonal imbalances, and emotional lows that often accompany motherhood. She knew she needed to take better care of herself and decided to try Bikram yoga. Though skeptical at first, she found herself hooked after one class when she discovered that she felt better physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and she eventually decided to become a Bikram-yoga instructor.

Now, Tanya and her team of certified instructors—all of whom have trained for several hundred hours—strive to share the benefits that Tanya felt in that first class with others. Using two breathing exercises designed to circulate oxygenated blood, these instructors lead students through 26 postures that carve out toned muscles and pump up flexibility. The classes take place in a 105-degree room with a recently renovated rubber floor, and after each session, staff members encourage students to press an ice-cream cone or the provided frozen lavender towels against their heated brows.