Because after all...isn't that really what keeping a blog is all about? At least for me it is. A little bit of informing friends of family of what I'm up to, and a little bit of just airing my thoughts.
I have found myself recently looking forward to one trip this year a little more than any of my other trips that I've taken in the past, or any others I have planned for the future. In November I will be flying out to Monterey, CA to run the Big Sur Half Marathon. Interesting thing about the Big Sur Half Marathon is that it does not take place in Big Sur, CA. It takes place in Monterey. OK...well maybe it's NOT that interesting.
While I am looking forward to the race, I'm looking forward more to being back in Monterey. I left Monterey 28 years ago after being stationed at a military school there for nine months. It was a nice place to be stationed. The school overlooked Monterey Bay, I walked would regularly walk down to Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf or in to Pacific Grove. But being young and stupid, I really didn't take advantage of being stationed there for nine months. There were so many other things I could have, and should have done while I was there. So I'm getting a second chance. I've already started planning. The plane tickets have been purchased, the hotel room and rental car reserved.
In the mid-1980's, when I was stationed there, the school was pretty much an "open" base, meaning anyone could drive through without being stopped or showing any type of identification. The world being what it is now, gates have been constructed at the school, and military ID is required to gain access. I've started making arrangements with the president of the Alumni Association for the school to be able to get access to the base while I'm there and take a tour. I've purchased my ticket to take a whale watching tour while I'm there. I'm hoping to drive out to Big Sur and drive along US Rt. 1, a very beautiful coastal roadway (ironically where the Big Sur Marathon is run each April). I also want to check out some of the areas I frequented when I was stationed there, see some of the local sites that I didn't take advantage of then and really explore the area. That will be a lot to try to fit in during a relatively short amount of time. So I'm already thinking about planning another trip to the Monterey area next year. To do that means taking longer to get in some of those out of state races that I want to get in. But I can play it by ear to some extent. See how much I actually accomplish in November, and decide then if I want to make another trip back to California for more.
Not a bad thing to have to worry about though. Where to take vacations. Running is my excuse for travelling, and as much fun as the running is, seeing parts of the country that I wouldn't have otherwise is really what I enjoy most.
At the end of this year I should have 31 more states to visit for races. A few of them are states I've visited in the past, when I was much younger. However, most are states that I've never really seen. Maybe I've driven through, but rarely did I check out what sites they had to offer. Now I'll see them. I'll go see the bigger tourist attractions and I'll stop at the little "hole in the wall" museums and sites along the way. I'll see the country and run the races. Some of the races will have thousands of people running, some will have less than 100. Each will have its own unique story and most will provide me with opportunities to see places I would not otherwise have seen.
And now for something totally different....
I have found myself recently looking forward to one trip this year a little more than any of my other trips that I've taken in the past, or any others I have planned for the future. In November I will be flying out to Monterey, CA to run the Big Sur Half Marathon. Interesting thing about the Big Sur Half Marathon is that it does not take place in Big Sur, CA. It takes place in Monterey. OK...well maybe it's NOT that interesting.
While I am looking forward to the race, I'm looking forward more to being back in Monterey. I left Monterey 28 years ago after being stationed at a military school there for nine months. It was a nice place to be stationed. The school overlooked Monterey Bay, I walked would regularly walk down to Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf or in to Pacific Grove. But being young and stupid, I really didn't take advantage of being stationed there for nine months. There were so many other things I could have, and should have done while I was there. So I'm getting a second chance. I've already started planning. The plane tickets have been purchased, the hotel room and rental car reserved.
In the mid-1980's, when I was stationed there, the school was pretty much an "open" base, meaning anyone could drive through without being stopped or showing any type of identification. The world being what it is now, gates have been constructed at the school, and military ID is required to gain access. I've started making arrangements with the president of the Alumni Association for the school to be able to get access to the base while I'm there and take a tour. I've purchased my ticket to take a whale watching tour while I'm there. I'm hoping to drive out to Big Sur and drive along US Rt. 1, a very beautiful coastal roadway (ironically where the Big Sur Marathon is run each April). I also want to check out some of the areas I frequented when I was stationed there, see some of the local sites that I didn't take advantage of then and really explore the area. That will be a lot to try to fit in during a relatively short amount of time. So I'm already thinking about planning another trip to the Monterey area next year. To do that means taking longer to get in some of those out of state races that I want to get in. But I can play it by ear to some extent. See how much I actually accomplish in November, and decide then if I want to make another trip back to California for more.
Not a bad thing to have to worry about though. Where to take vacations. Running is my excuse for travelling, and as much fun as the running is, seeing parts of the country that I wouldn't have otherwise is really what I enjoy most.
At the end of this year I should have 31 more states to visit for races. A few of them are states I've visited in the past, when I was much younger. However, most are states that I've never really seen. Maybe I've driven through, but rarely did I check out what sites they had to offer. Now I'll see them. I'll go see the bigger tourist attractions and I'll stop at the little "hole in the wall" museums and sites along the way. I'll see the country and run the races. Some of the races will have thousands of people running, some will have less than 100. Each will have its own unique story and most will provide me with opportunities to see places I would not otherwise have seen.
And now for something totally different....
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