Fall Trips

If I am to do 50 states, I figure that I must do Washington DC as well.  That works out well this year with the Navy and Air Force Half marathon on September 16 and my birthday on the 14^th.  I’ll take a flight home a few days earlier then I can go directly to Reagan National airport on the morning of Saturday the 15^th.  

From there, I don’t have to rent a car and would be well advised not to do so.  The Metro is actually connected to the airport and it’s just 4 stops to the National Mall/Capitol Hill.  Surprisingly, there are affordable hotels (less than $200) within a half mile.  I’ll spend most of Saturday on a walking tour of the Mall and its monuments.  I’ll race on Sunday morning then fly back to the Ham shortly thereafter.

The big Fall trip is a race that I’ve been wanting to do for 6 years but it either did not fit my schedule or I waited too long to sign up.  It’s the Detroit Free Press half marathon, which crosses the Ambassador Bridge into Windsor, Ontario, Canada en route.  Here’s a list of things I’d like to do in Detroit:

Henry Ford Museum

Belle Isle

Hitsville MoTown Museum

Windsor (Riverside Dr.)

Supposedly, the downtown core of Detroit is pretty safe but don’t venture too far into the outskirts until you get north of 8 Mile Road.  Drive or Fly?  This time, I’m leaning towards driving.  I’ve been NAILED the last 2 times by rental car costs.  It cost me $650 for a 5 day rental from Minneapolis.  There are all kinds of hidden costs in addition to the $30-35ish per day that you are quoted.  If I’m doing a lot of driving from a hub that is far away from home such as Boston or Minneapolis then yes, a car is needed.  In this case, I’ve got a manageable 2 day trip (11 hrs) with Louisville as the halfway point and once I’m in Detroit, I won’t be going outside of about a 20 mile radius.  Michigan will be state #37.  Better get motivated soon.