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Bay Area Beau's Marriage Proposal Inspired By 'Amazing Race'

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- Who doesn't like a good marriage proposal?

Well here's one that wasn't just good, you could say it was amazing.

Aaron McDaniel knew his girlfriend Leona Ma loved the CBS reality show "The Amazing Race." And, in September, he decided to pop the question.

"This idea came to me -- an Amazing Race proposal. This would be great!" McDaniel told KPIX 5.

Aaron sent Leona on a ten-hour odyssey around the Bay Area with a friend capturing it all on video. Following a trail of clues, with no smartphone for directions, Leona traveled from San Francisco to Berkeley to Half Moon Bay where she had to sink putts at a golf course.

Later, a friend took her up in an airplane and even made her fly it for a time.

And the challenges weren't always easy -- like arranging a list of restaurants the couple had visited in chronological order. Leona says the most difficult physical test came at a playground with a smart-aleck kid looking on.

At one point in Berkeley, Leona was just supposed to cross the street but she got a clue wrong and started driving back toward San Francisco. With a helpful suggestion from the cameraman, she turned around at Treasure Island.

The rules said she absolutely had to finish by sundown.

McDaniel wondered aloud if he'd set the bar a bit too high.

"I was like, what if she doesn't make it? What am I gonna do?!"

But with two minutes to spare, Leona did make it, and her prince was waiting for her on Russian Hill in San Francisco. Which only leaves one question: is Aaron the best boyfriend ever?

"He is indeed," Leona laughed.

"And now he is the best fiancé ever."

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