New Destinations

Ecuador

Bahamas-

Costa Rica/Nicaragua

Philippines

Hong Kong

Tanzania/Kenya

Greece

Japan

Brazil

Chile/Argentina

South Africa

Germany/Poland

Scotland

Iceland

Israel

Australia/New Zealand

Ecuador- Stunning mountain views and lots of beautiful hikes.  Old town looks pretty cool too.  Just a few miles outside of town, you can stand on the Equator.  Surprisingly affordable airfare as well.  I saw one flight from Atlanta for under $500.  This could be do-able on a long weekend in January or the 4^th of July.  With high elevation and the equatorial latitude, temps are comfortable year-round.  The elevation at 9,300 feet would be too high for a serious race effort.

Bahamas- Not much in way of surf but there are some beautiful beaches here along with what has been called the best water park in the world in Atlantis.  There is also a place where you can see where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean and the water color changes on the spot.

Costa Rica/Nicaragua- This is probably my number 1 winter destination.  Temps will be close to 90 at lower elevations and it hardly ever rains during their dry season.  Absolutely beautiful beaches with excellent surf and some pretty amazing hikes.  Again, airfare to Costa Rica is affordable from Atlanta and only requires a short layover in Miami.  If you take a bus to Nicaragua, you can enjoy the more rustic and less touristy beach town of San Juan del Sur.  You can hike up volcanoes, enjoy the views and then take a sand board down.

Philippines- Probably the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia with some amazing hikes and waterfall scenery.  The only negative is the challenging logistics.  You have to fly into Manilla then take multiple flights from there to your destination.  This one will likely have to wait until after retirement but perhaps it could be combined with Hong Kong.

Kenya/Tanzania-Diani Beach, just outside of Mombasa, Kenya and Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania have perhaps the clearest waters and most beautiful beaches that I have ever seen on YouTube.  Though the resort areas are upscale and a good value for the money, there are poverty stricken areas nearby.  Mt. Kilimanjaro is just a few hours away but would require a flight because roads are in poor condition.  Yes, there is a growing marathon at the foothills of Kilimanjaro.  I could fly there, enjoy a quick safari prior to the race then take a short flight to Zanzibar and/or Kenya.  This trip will also likely have to wait until retirement.

Greece- I would definitely like to see the historical city of Athens and all of its ancient ruins.  The cliff side scenery with crystal blue water below is stunningly beautiful as well.  Of course, there is the original Athens marathon, which takes place in early November.

Japan- Entries to the Tokyo marathon are filled with a lottery system and the odds of getting in are very long.  Still, even if I don’t run, the vibrant city of Tokyo will be well worth a visit.  Mt. Fuji, with its snow-capped peaks is especially beautiful during cherry blossom season.

Hong Kong- I just saw that a flight from here to the Philippines is only 2 hours long so that could certainly be a combined trip.  Here, I would want to see Victoria Peak and Big Wave Bay as well as another extremely vibrant city.  The big race here is in January when it’s still relatively cool and dry.

Brazil- Rio De Janeiro is a beautiful city.  Must see attractions include Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer Statue, Copacabana and Ipanema.  I’d also enjoy the botanical gardens and some carne del sol at a popular restaurant in the central district.  The marathon course is mostly along the coast with palm trees as well as mountain and ocean views.  It’s in early June, which is a cooler and drier season in the Southern Hemisphere.

Chile/Argentina- Santiago looks to be a nice city between the beach and the mountains.  What I’d do here is fly into Santiago and maybe check out Valparaiso.  After the race, I’ll take a bus to Mendoza, Argentina during the day so I can ride through the stunning Andes Mountains.  Rather than a round trip bus ticket back to Santiago, I can take a night train to Buenos Aires, tour a bit then fly home from there.

South Africa- Cape Town is the destination here and there are 3 race options (February, April and September).  Must see attractions include Table Mountain, Cape Point, Chapman’s Peak, Long Street and the V&A Waterfront.  Other possibilities are Robbin Island (Nelson Mandela’s prison) and Muizenberg’s beach.  From Cape Town, I can get a cheap flight to Durban for warmer waters on the Indian Ocean side. 

Iceland- A race in June here affords me another opportunity to experience the midnight sun as this location is even further north than Anchorage, Alaska.  I could take a short boat ride to a neighboring island and cross the actual Arctic Circle.  I would see breathtaking landscapes such as black sand beaches, cliffs and waterfall in the Golden Circle.  I can swim in 95 degree geothermal pools at Blue Lagoon with snow-capped peaks in view.  

United Kingdom- This one is to get in touch with my roots as my paternal grandmother was born and raised near Glasgow, Scotland.  After the race, I can hop on the tube and ride down to London with a possible stop in Birmingham just for laughs.

Germany/Poland- This trip would cover 70% of my ancestry.  I would probably choose the April stand- alone half marathon then take a 2 hour train to Poznan, Poland.  Attractions include the Berlin Wall, GDR museum and a Holocaust memorial.

Israel- This ought to be on any Christian’s bucket list.  There is a marathon in both Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem.  I would choose the latter.  Word on the street is that you need at least a week to do it justice.

Australia/New Zealand- I could race in either Melbourne or Sydney and I would want to explore the coast as well as Great Ocean Road.  New Zealand is a very beautiful country as well.  It would be tough logistically though and would require a lot of time off.