Today I was chosen to be the featured blog on TravelBlogSites.com – check it out!
They feature a different blogger everyday, so if you’d like yours to be featured, email a couple paragraphs about your blog and a picture to louiseb@travelpod.com or find her on Twitter @travelpod.
Thanks Louise!
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Earlier last week I realized that I actually *might* (just a teeny bit) like running marathons. Maybe it’s the challenge. Maybe it’s working hard to reach a goal.
Or maybe it’s to travel.
Why? Running is one of the most intimate ways to get to know a city, and within 3-5 hours (for most people) you get a pretty good tour of the major attractions, without worrying about traffic. Besides the major attractions, you can usually see some of the lesser known parts of the city or the suburbs, too.
A marathon is a half to full day event, so you might as well make it a weekend trip (or longer). Marathoners burn thousands of calories, so it’s also a great reason to splurge at a new restaurant.
Checking my watch sometime towards the end of the L.A. Marathon
When I run the Marine Corps marathon in October 2010, it will be my 4th marathon. San Diego Rock ‘N Roll was my first marathon in June 2007, followed by the Los Angeles marathon in Spring 2008 (both with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program), and the Athens Marathon in Greece in November 2008.
After finishing the Athens marathon, at the top of the Olympic Stadium with the Parthenon & the Acropolis in the background. Oh and an olive branch in my visor 
I haven’t been to Washington D.C. since high school, and don’t remember very much of it. When I run there in October, I’ll get an up close and personal view, and am actually training and running with a couple friends from high school. D.C. is also close to Delaware, where I grew up, so it will be the first time my mom will be at any of my races! Training starts in February
Photo Credits: LA Marathon photographer, and Eric Lang
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My travel plans for the year:
January – San Francisco for the Yoga Journal Annual Conference
February – tentative trip back to the east coast with Eric to see the fam
May- La Paz, Mexico as Carina’s guest with the Outdoor Writers Association of California
Spring/Summer – Girls’ camping trip with some other travel writers
June – NYC for TBEX ‘10!
August – possibly relocating to Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
October – Washington, D.C. for the Marine Corps marathon
Other possibilities somewhere along the line – Hueco for some rock climbing, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite
Where are you going this year?
Photo Credits: Abbie Mood
Now that I have you on the edge of your seat to find out what travel secrets I could possibly divulge, I need to explain the background for this post first.
I was tagged by JoAnna of Kaleidoscopic Wandering in a “best travel secrets” Tripbase Blog Tag started by Katie over at TripBase. That’s it, the whole background. Now the moment you’ve been waiting for…
1. Lub*d – The best hostel in Southeast Asia, if not the world.
Granted I haven’t stayed in any other hostel, Lub*d came highly recommended and there’s even a Matador article about it. When I went, there was a buy 1 night get 1 free offer, so I was able to get a two person room for the cost of one. At the time, I didn’t have my netbook, so the computers in the lobby with free internet came in handy.
2. Order a special meal on international flights.
Vegetarian, kosher, low-calorie, any special meal that strikes your fancy, go for it. Here’s why – you get your meal first. The flight attendants will bring you your special meal and you can practically finish before your neighbor even catches a whiff of his meal.
3. Try not to look like a tourist.
Take a map, but never look at it in public. This will automatically mark you as a tourist, therefore leaving you open to harassment by vendors, drivers, and anyone else.
Don’t EVER wear the typical American tourist outfit – hat, polo shirt (tucked in), khakis/jeans, sneakers, and a fanny pack of some sort. Or any kind of shirt with one of the other places you’ve visited on it, much less the location you are currently visiting. Again, it will automatically mark you as a tourist.
Exhibit A: This tourist thought sunglasses vs. a hat would make him “less American”, but the tucked-in Harley shirt, khakis, and map sticking out of said khakis is a dead give away. Thanks, robby-T.
I now tag 5 other bloggers to share their travel secrets:
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Every year for Thanksgiving, my boyfriend Eric takes the extra day or two off as an opportunity to go on a climbing trip. I wanted to go, but only for a couple days, so the dogs and I packed up the car and headed to Utah to meet up with Eric and our friends…
The road to Vegas and beyond!
Sadie wondering why I’m taking a picture of her instead of watching the road.
Daisy!
More desert and mountains… as in 4 hours of desert and mountains on the way to Vegas…
Zzyzx Road – One day I’ll take that exit to see what’s down there!
The world’s tallest thermometer in Baker.
Sadie second-guessing her idea to put her head out the window at 75 mph.
Why I love going downhill in a Prius… note the current mpg.
Best speed limit ever.
Cows in fields, cows on hills!
Snow in Utah.
Getting close to Orangeville!
Our exit! Finally!
On the way home…
Snowstorm!
Need Starbucks on a drive like this!
They slept *almost* the entire 10 hour drive home!
All photos taken by me from the car!
