Three Days in San Francisco - Part One

Our usual travel schedule got a bit of an overhaul this year because of our upcoming epic trip to Alaska. That meant we had to skip our February BVI trip. With only two marathons in the winter season we were itching to get out of town for a few days. We decided that Easter Weekend would be a great time to visit San Francisco. We visited San Fran quickly in 2014 when we passed through on the way to the Big Sur Marathon and 10.4 mile race. This trip would be a bit more of an immersive experience.

We landed Thursday night, checked-in to our hotel on the border of Chinatown and the Financial District, then climbed the steep hills to the Fairmont Hotel for our reservation at The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar.  In 1945 Hollywood set designers transformed an indoor pool into one of the original tiki bars, making this a Mecca for fans of mid-century tiki culture. We lucked out with a poolside table near the boat-shaped bandstand. The 3-person group was kicking off their second set when we arrived. To our amazement, the stage started to float out into the center of the pool. We were thankful for reservations because the bar section became crowded real quick. Our dinner was good; Pu Pu Platter type food. Dave was in heaven.

Friday: With the two-hour time difference we woke up before the alarm. We had a full day of touring on the agenda. By boat we were going to visit both Angel Island State Park and Alcatraz. The reason we were visiting both was because me missed out on buying just Alcatraz tickets so we had to buck-up for the combined tour. It was actually a decent value considering the extras included.

We decided to walk to Pier 33 - a mile from our hotel. We wanted to look at Coit Tower / Telegraph Hill on our way. This was another encounter with a really long steep hill. We were tired and sweaty after climbing to the base of the building, but we were offered some great views. We found the best way down was to take the Greenwich Steps. We were thankful we were going down. The stairs were narrow and went on forever.

The trip to Angel Island allowed us to get some different angles on Alcatraz because of the boat's route. Once on Angel Island we received an hour guided tram tour that highlighted the natural beauty and military installations dating back to the Civil War era. Angel Island is considered the "Ellis Island of the West" since it was the second largest immigrant processing center in the country and served as a detention center during WWII. The hilly island offered wonderful views of San Francisco and the Marin County coastal towns. We had a decent lunch at the cafe on the island.

As we approached Alcatraz the first thought that came to our minds was "how are we going to avoid getting crapped on by those birds?" It was nesting season and there were so many birds flying around. Luckily we survived. Upon disembarkment a friendly park ranger "ordered" everyone to listen to her orientation - which was helpful. 

We jetted up the hill to beat the crowds for the prison audio-guided tour. The program was told as a narrative from the POVs of guards and inmates. We toured cells, solitary, the dining hall, intake, and the grounds where the employees lived. Interestingly enough, Alcatraz had a fort on the island before it was a prison.

When we arrived on mainland we went over to Pier 39 (against our better judgment). Good Friday with beautiful weather meant people were out in-force. We found refuge in a sushi restaurant and had beers and rolls. We escaped "The Pier" quickly and headed to a grocery store to pick up some things. We realized it would only be another .6 miles to get to Rogue's Public House (we went there in 2014) so off we went. After climbing the hills we swore we would cab to the hotel, but it was only .6 miles away. We walked it.

Dinner was a dress-up event. Restaurant Gary Danko did not disappoint. We enjoyed pre-drinks at the bar and excellent service the whole evening. Dave spilled something on his shirt and someone on staff noticed. A man discreetly delivered Shout stain wipes. Our meals were delicious and included all the little extras like an amuse bouche, little pastries with dessert, and take-home cakes. If we are back in SF we would not hesitate to visit again.

After dinner we went back to the hotel. With the time change and aggressive touring we were wiped out. The next day was shaping up to be just as busy.

Lost Dutchman Marathon (Arizona) Race Report and Video - February 2017

Here is Holly's report from the Lost Dutchman Marathon in Apache Junction, AZ.   As usual Dave's comments and video will follow.

I heard a race report about this race on a podcast and it sounded like a fun, unique, small race.  It was also appealing that it was in Arizona in February, a good time to get out of Illinois.   As luck would have it we left sunny and unseasonably warm Illinois for rainy and unseasonably cold Arizona.   I conned Stan and Michael into joining me for the marathon and we had a great group of brave cheerers as well: Lee, Laura, Pam and Dave of course.  

The race starts at the top of a mountain and you need to get a shuttle bus to the top of this mountain very early.   Michael, Stan and myself left the hotel at 4:30.    Michael drove us to the shuttle parking area and it was chilly and pouring rain.   Luckily they had the system down and we did not wait for a bus.  We walked right on and as soon it was full we started the long drive up to the start.   It was dark, very dark and I don’t think our bus driver had ever driven this route before.   We finally make it to the top and she exclaims, we made it, boy that was scary!    Yikes.  They want you there early to be sure they have enough time to get everyone up the mountain.   There are fires and stretching mats and food available while you wait.   Obviously with the rain none of that was available.  However they did let you stay on the buses until right before the start, which is of course what we did.   We momentarily lost Michael at the port o potties, but luckily found him right before the start.  The sun was up now but it was still raining and quite chilly.  

The first 6 miles was mostly downhill with a few uphills thrown in on a dirt/mud trail.   With the rain our feet were muddy and soaked within the first mile.  This was going to be a long uncomfortable day.   We tried dodging the puddles, but it was pretty impossible.   We were laughing and having fun though.  It would have been a beautiful run if the sun was shining over the desert landscape.   We got off the trail and now had road for the rest of the race.   We saw our spectators and they were all soaked.   They were real troopers.   They did go and procure some umbrellas.    I was freezing as I wore my running skirt thinking I would be fine, but the rain made it extra cold.   I remembered I had some throw away pants in our luggage.  They were from a race expo and they were Tyvek material and huge.   I managed to get them on but they wouldn’t stay up while I was running.   We all called them my sexy pants.   They eventually got a hole in them and I had to ditch them, but I think they helped me for a few miles.

The course itself was nice with just some rolling hills.  The fire department had a water stop with lots of goodies, including, WARM and crispy bacon.  Delicious.   We were soaked, we were miserable but we kept going and kept laughing at the ridiculousness of doing this.  

Our group did a great job of following us and getting us supplies when needed.  We can’t thank them enough for standing out there in the cold and rain.   The sun finally came out and the rain stopped at mile 25.5.    We finished and were very glad to be done.   The medal is great and the organization of this race is top notch.    They also offered showers at the local state park, and we took them up on the offer.   I was so cold and so thankful for a hot shower.    I would like to go back and try this one again when the sun is shining, although there is no shade on the course so I could see that being an issue as well.  



Dave's Comments

This was pretty awful.   Not my worst experience, but just yucky (as evidenced by lack of photos).  The good news was the spectators could not go anywhere near the start so we got to sleep in.  We left the hotel around 7, got breakfast at Basha's Grocery, and ended up hanging out around mile 6.5 with the local neighborhood cheering squad.   They were nice and offered us coffee.  The rain started coming down a bit harder at this point and we were not prepared for it.   Mile 8 was by a Walgreens - umbrellas were procured.   The course was open to cars so we had an easy time spectating and we had a good handle on timing of how long we could stay in the car before they showed up.   Although it was cloudy we did get to see some nicely landscaped homes with cacti and other desert things.

Snacking options were available at a few locations.  Basha's Grocery had great donuts at a very reasonable price plus most of them had Starbucks inside.

At Mile 24 we were across from the rodeo grounds.  Per the officer we could have cut into the finish area by going that way.   Not really.  Only shuttle buses could cut through.   We decided to try to beat the clock and go the long way around.  I failed.   As we were walking toward the finish I saw our runners in the distance approaching the line.   Nuts.   We got the runners to the State Park for showers while the rest of us took in the only 20 minutes of sunlight that day.  We got Subway sandwiches for lunch then proceeded to drive 4 hours towards the Grand Canyon.

Here's the video:

Charity of the Month: Dana Farber Cancer Institure Boston Marathon Team - Runner Kimberly Markey

Charity of the Month is a way Team Tizzel is helping to support some very worthy organizations. As part of this program, we will dedicate a post to a charity that we will sponsor through the month by donating Holly's training run money.

March: In March we supported water.org and tried our first-ever giveaway.   We were hoping to buy 10 glasses for readers through the Buy a Lady a Drink promotion but only two people took advantage.  So we donated $104 and sent out two very nice beer glasses.  You can use the link above to buy your own glass or donate directly.

April's Charity:

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston Marathon Team:  Runner Kimberly Markey

Borrowed from the Disney Parks Blog

If you are a fan of RunDisney race events you likely know Kimberly, or have noticed her.   Kimberly and friends are known for their elaborately themed costumes.  We first met Kimberly the year she ran the WDW Marathon after going through rounds of chemotherapy so she could fight breast cancer.  

You can hear her story on many running podcasts including The Marathon Show, Mickey Miles and More, and Runners of a Certain Age.   You can find her most anywhere on social media, especially at Run All the Races.

Borrowed from Facebook

Kimberly is running the Boston Marathon as part of a charity team supporting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.   As part of her fundraising efforts she is selling some of her Disney Race outfits to help meet her goal.  The Boston Marathon is a few days away so it would be great if we can help her meet the fundraising goal.  You can visit her Facebook page to learn more about costume sales.

From her Dana-Farber Runner Page:  My grandmother had breast cancer when she was in her 60’s. First in one breast and then five years later, it had spread to the other. My mother was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer at age 42 which eventually took her life at the age of 54. I was diagnosed with breast cancer Stage 1, HER2+ at age 41. 

I have two children and with my family history, we know my children will have an increased risk of developing cancer. I am hopeful that by the time they are adults a cure for cancer can be discovered. That’s why on April 17, 2017 I will be running the 121st Boston Marathon for Team Dana-Farber.  

I believe in a world without cancer. Please help us get there. Thank you for your support.

One hundred percent of every dollar raised by the DFMC team supports the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Check out this short video to see how funds raised through DFMC are fueling some of today's most promising basic cancer research.

Donate today on her DFMC Page.

Sedona - Pink Jeep Tour

Most of the two hour drive from the Grand Canyon to Sedona was uneventful. The last 1/2 got a bit more interesting once we left the highway for Rt 89A. This road that goes through the Coconino National Forest is filled with hairpin turns, quick evelvation changes, views of mountain streams, and massive potholes. We hit two of them and were certain our tires would be shredded.

Downtown Sedona looked cute with all its shops, galleries, and restaurants. It helped having the red rocks in the background. Town was full of free parking areas, and luckily we got there before we had to hunt for spaces. For four of us our only activity in town would be the Pink Jeep 4x4 tour. We chose the Broken Arrow Tour which is described as "The Broken Arrow Tour takes you up and down for a thrilling off-road 4×4 adventure across Sedona’s outback. See Sedona’s famous red rock formations like Submarine Rock, Chicken Point, Mushroom Rock, Bell Rock, The 747, Chapel Butte and Rock of Gibraltar while you bounce and shake across a rugged trail. You want more adventure? How about a heart-pounding descent down The Road of No Return? This tour is high energy with high levels of fun." These folks have been in business since 1960 and they had the system in-place to process many tourists.

Scott was our driver and he was a lot of fun. Scott was within our age-range and shared many life stories, including the tale of evacuating his young family from the Mt. St. Helen's eruption. We shared our vehicle with a man from Milwaukee and his young son who tolerated our group of six well enough. As we traversed the trail Scott would stop along the way to talk about various plants and cacti and their uses in indigenous cultures. The big reward of the trip is the stop at Chicken's Point. The gorgeous red rock area was enhanced by the clear blue sky we had that day (a first for this trip). Our scheduled ten minute stop turned into twenty. The rest of the tour we stayed in the jeep as we traversed some rough terrain and took in some of our final views of the trip. We had a lot of fun.

 

Chillin' in The Grand Canyon

We were lucky enough to have the nasty rain stop for the first portion of our drive from Apache Junction to the Grand Canyon. The trip would be a little over four hours long. Our luck didn't last for too long. Halfway into the drive we encountered rain and then snow. We arrived just as the last bit of any light was still available. Seeing the Canyon would have to wait until the next day.

We stayed at El Tovar, a historic hotel built on the edge of the south rim of the canyon. The hotel had no elevator and rooms were really small, but it's understandable for a lodge built in 1905. The lodge's small lounge was the perfect place for us to decompress from a lot of driving and running a marathon for two of us.

The six of us met up at 6:30am the next morning for a sunrise view. The temperature was around 25-30 degrees. It didn't feel so bad at first but it sure hit us after ten minutes. Dave remembered that he had hand warmers in his jacket pocket as we came back into the building. There was a bit of an overcast this morning so the sunrise was not spectacular, but it was still enjoyable watching the light change the colors in the canyon.

After a fantastic breakfast at El Tovar's main restaurant we headed out for the day. Leaving Grand Canyon Village we made our way to the visitor center. After watching a movie and presentation we talked to the rangers to formulate a plan. We opted not to go on a hike into the canyon because the trail was very muddy from the rain and snow the day before. Instead, we drove to the various lookout points along the south rim as far as Desert View. This occupied our day until we lost our tourist steam around 4:00. Fortunately the sun came out for part of the day.

After some much-needed snacks and drinks we headed out for sunset. More clouds so not the best viewing but we found a nice place to watch away from other folks. After sunset we had a great meal at El Tovar's restaurant. The food at El Tovar is really very good. After a long day we turned in early because we had another sunrise in our future.

For today's sunrise we headed over to the point by the visitor's center, along with everyone else. The clouds were still around but we did get a few minutes of sun bursting pink through the clouds.

We create a quick video of our first sunrise and sunset:

Once the glory of the moment was over we got into our cars and drove to McDonald's for to-go breakfasts. Our next activity was in 3 hrs - a jeep tour of Sedona, which was two hours away.

 

Charity of the Month: water.org

Charity of the Month is a way Team Tizzel is helping to support some very worthy organizations. As part of this program, we will dedicate a post to a charity that we will sponsor through the month by donating Holly's training run money.

February: In February we supported COPD Foundation with a $125 donation in memory of Holly's first manager. You can learn more and donate through their website.

March Charity of the Month:

water.org Buy a Lady a Drink Program

A few days ago we were watching the Oscars broadcast and the preliminary red carpet events. A couple times an ad comes on with Matt Damon talking about the global need for clean water. He states that in many places around the world women travel miles to gather water for their families and communities. We've witnessed this first-hand in some of our travels and it does put in perspective that we take our faucets for granted. Matt offers a way for us to help: Purchase a limited edition Stella Artois chalice and In-Bev (brewer of Stella Artois) will donate 5 years of clean water. Here's the ad:

The Stella Artois website further reinforces the message with more videos and images of the chalices. They are packaged in beautiful boxes and come in 3 designs: Brazil, Cambodia, Uganda.

From their site: Stella Artois has helped provide more than 800,000 people in the developing world with access to five years of clean water through the sale of more than 225,000 Limited-Edition Chalices and by directly donating more than $3 million to water.org. But we’ve only just begun.

We really liked this promotion. The glasses are very nice and a small donation goes a long way in helping others. The absolute last thing we need are more beer glasses. We donated a bunch of Stella Artois chalices a few years ago. But we figured out another way to participate. We will give some of our readers (heck probably all our readers) a chalice. Here's how it works:

• Comment on this post directly, or on our Team Tizzel Facebook page under this Charity of the Month post with The words "water.org" and the country's glass you are interested in.
• We will purchase and ship the glass to you if in a few days. If we need your address we'll find a way to get it from you.
• Chalices ship via Amazon and with our Prime membership they will arrive quickly.

The rules:

• First ten people that place a comment get the glasses. We buying 10 total.
• One per household
• We will only ship in the U.S.
• If the country's chalice is not available at time of order we will pick one of the alternatives.
• If chalices are no longer available we will make an equivalent cash donation and send you a picture of Tizzel electronically in its place.
• If apathy or low readership don't generate ten purchases we will donate the equivalent of the remaining chalice balance directly to water.org.

We are hoping you will participate in this fundraiser and have us send you a glass? Maybe it will inspire you to complete the set on your own? This is a really creative promotion from water.org/Stella Artois and we enjoy the fact that we have the opportunity to give 50 years of clean water to people in need.