Traveling is my jam. Before we had kids, Beer Geek and I traveled to a fair number of foreign countries: Germany, Belgium (multiple times), Iceland, Scotland, Australia, the Netherlands, and the Azores (Portuguese Islands) in our first 6 years of marriage. Since kids, most of our vacations have been in the US (often in less traveled areas) although we did manage a family vacation to Ireland and we took Jones to Belgium once. So, the hardest part of creating this Friday Five for me was limiting it to five. Because really? I want to see all the things and travel to all the places. Check out Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia‘s blogs for more cool places to go.
Here are the top five places on my current list, including the race I want to do while there. I know.(And with all the places on earth to see, only one of them is someplace I’ve never been.)
- Iceland – Beer Geek and I went to Iceland for 3 days on our way to Scotland about 15 years ago. I already know that I want it to coincide with the Reykjavik (half) Marathon. (Spoiler: this is on our plan for 2017.) Photo source: race website.
- Australia/New Zealand – I love Sydney, Australia and would love to go back, but even more I really want to go see the Uluru Rock and run the Australian Outback (half) Marathon. Then I want to pop over to New Zealand and check that out while we are down there. Photo source: race website.
- Alaska – If I could choose a place to move to, Alaska would be high on the list, at least for a summer home. Beer Geek and I did a small boat cruise for our honeymoon and then spent a few days in Juneau. A few years ago, we took the boys to Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula. I did manage to run a 10 mile race while there, but I really want to get back to do the Skagway Half Marathon (I admit the tagline scares me just a little: 5% tough, 95% brutal.) Photo source: race website.
- The Grand Canyon – would you believe I’ve never been there? I grew up traveling all over the US (I had all 48 continental states before Beer Geek and I married.) But somehow I missed this awesome piece of the US. I’d love to do Rim to Rim to Rim, but that may never happen as I have no place to train for it. I’ll likely have to settle for the Grand Canyon Half Marathon. Photo source: race website.
- Hawaii – If you’ve been hanging around here long, you know I’m not exactly a beaches and warm weather kind of girl. However, the plan is for Hawaii to be my 50th half marathon state. I loved Kauai when we visited many years ago, so my race choice would be the Kauai (Half) Marathon. (I think I’m at 23 states, but I’ll be adding at least 7 in 2016, so only a few more years…) Photo source: race website.
Where do you want to visit? Will it include a race?
Wow, you’ve certainly run a lot of states! That’s so awesome. I’ve been hearing a lot of Iceland lately. When I was researching running vacations, I found one in Iceland. It looks amazing!
OMG I looooove your list! These are all on my bucket list for sure! I’ve also never been to the Grand Canyon and want to do Rim2Rim2Rim, so let me know if that’s ever in your plans because I might have to join you. I do live in Alaska though and I highly suggest you come up here for a race! I’m in Anchorage, but I ran the Klondike Road Relay which goes from Skagway to Whitehorse in the Yukon, and that hill out of Skagway is seriously no joke. It had some of the best views I’ve ever seen, but I was so glad I didn’t have to run that part of the relay because it was straight up a mountain the whole time!
I would love to live in Alaska. We loved the Kenai Peninsula the last time we were there. It’s just so beautiful. (And then I ran the most boring course ever – alongside a very straight highway with zero exciting views. It was a nice race, but not at all a scenic one LOL.
Awesome list! I feel like I want to take a month leave from work sometime to do New Zealand. Possibly when my kids are out of high school we could do a big trip there. I hope you get to visit all of these places!
Yeah, I think that one will need to wait until Beer Geek retires and then we won’t have to hurry back.
Wow, nice. I’ve been to 4 of the 5, not Australia. One of mine would be Africa. I’d like to see all he safari type animals. I would LOVE to include Comrades Marathon while there. But I would need to make sure I can run a bit faster, don’t want to have the stadium gate closed before I get there…
Yeah, Africa would be cool too. So many races, so many places.
When I was at the Grand Canyon, my first thought was, “This would be so awesome to run!” Sadly didn’t plan far enough ahead to actually do it.
One of my friends did rim to rim to rim and now I really want to do it, but he’s a much better trail runner than I am.
I’m excited to do Big Sur in 2016! That’s been a bucket list race for a long time. I’m also going to Florida for a half in March. So I’ve decided 2016 is the year of the destination race! We’ll see what other races I come up with…
And yes, I’d love to do the Grand Canyon half!
Sounds like you have a fun 2016 in front of you. We are cutting back a bit on travel, but hopefully I’ll get in a few next year.
Iceland is on my list. Australia/New Zealand for sure.
We’ve been to Kauia 3 times (and the other 3 major islands, not all as many times). So the tough part there is trying to decide which island to do my half on. My husband has already said he doesn’t want to wait for that to be my 50th state (because at the rate of 2-3 a year, it’ll be another 20 years and you’ve got to remember we’re already in our mid 50s!).
I have been to the Grand Canyon. Once! My very first visit to Las Vegas I insisted we go, because I figured we’d never come back to LV (joke was on me, it’s just about our most visited city).
So we took a bus tour. I’m dying to go back someday and explore more than a couple of hours.
I still can’t believe I’ve never been there. Someday soon!
Can I tag along for all of these?! I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon either – I’ve spent a lot of time at Yosemite and would chose to go there time and time again. Also, I’ve been wanting to go to Azores for some time now, along with every other place in the world. 🙂
The Azores were really neat. I’m sure it’s changed now, but 14 years ago there were not a lot of English speaking people so it was an interesting experience for us.
Awesome list! I have a goal to run a race in every state so I have been scouting out some good ones. Was hoping to go to Paris this coming summer and definitely run while there but not sure that trip is gonna happen now with all the happenings of late 🙁
Yep, I’m working my way through the states as well, but I tend to do small town races to stay out of the cities.
The Kauai Half Marathon is also on my bucket list. I hate that its over Labor Day weekend though, since it makes traveling there really difficult with that also correlating with the beginning of the school year.
Yeah, we won’t likely get to that any time soon with kids in school…
I love your bucket list!! I think I’d add some of those to my list also. I have always wanted to go to Ireland, and I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon either!
Ireland was awesome and I loved the race, but we were out in small towns, so I didn’t have many safe places to run (teeny roads with no shoulders)
I loved visiting Kauai. I’m not a beach person either, but I still love visiting islands. I just don’t sit on the beach and do nothing. I plan tons of stuff, so it’s not really a relaxing vacation.
Yeah, when we went to Hawaii, we were busy hiking and such every day. I’m not a hang out on the beach kind of girl.
The Grand Canyon Half is on my bucket list! It also coincides with my husband’s birthday, so I’m very tempted at making it a combined “Birthday Runcation”. One of these years. I also really want to visit Alaska, Seattle/Northwest, and the Napa area. Internationally – basically all of Europe and Australia are high on the list. I am like you – I want to see all the things and visit all the places!
I know it’s hard to make a list. I want them all. And we very seldom go back someplace because there are just so many other places to see.
Being from Florida, I have absolutely no interest in doing another warm climate race. But sign me up for the Reykjavik half marathon. I didn’t even know about that one.
Honestly, I’m jealous of your travels – the Grand Canyon would be an awesome experience. I’ve never been either. And the Yellowstone half in WYO would be cool too. Now you got me itching to travel more.
I love to travel. It’s hard right now though because of school schedules and sports and such. Someday we’ll get to it again…
I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon either! Huge blind spot on that one. Yes to Iceland! In a moment of total delerium, I entered to win a spot in the Antarctica Marathon.
ooh, that would be so cool to actually do. Maybe I’ll think about that in a few years – I need a bit of a marathon break right now…
um that last picture is a little scary w/the person just splayed on the ground! lol. love that you already have so many plans in the works!
Some of these won’t happen anytime soon, but someday… And yeah, crazy picture, but it was the only one I could find that actually showed some of the course.
Australia and NZ are definitely on my list. I wonder if there are any good races in Italy?
I’m sure you could find some cool races in Italy. When are you going?
So many people have Iceland (and Alaska) on their lists! I never really thought of visiting Iceland until lately. My best friend is going which makes me curious about it. I can definitely see most of my vacations being planned around races. I think running the Grand Canyon half would be super cool. I went once when I was really young, but would love to go again!
Iceland is really really cool. We only got to spend 3 days there, so I really want to go back and spend at least a week. It’s just an amazing place.
Ok. I’m coming with to all those races! Book me a ticket!
Ha! I’m not even sure when *I* get to do them.
The Grand Canyon is on my list too. My brother lives out West so I need to coordinate a trip !
Sometimes, given how much traveling I’ve done in my life (particularly driving around the US with my parents) I can’t believe I haven’t actually been there.
You’ve been to some really cool places. The only place on your list I have been was Alaska. I’m a warm weather gal so i’m not exactly jumping at the chance to go back..lol
We loved to travel and actually waited to have kids until we had been married a while. So glad that we did.
This are all great races. I would love to go to Australia and run. Shoot all of these places would be amazing. I have never been to the Grand Canyon either!
We walked ALL over Sydney. I’d love to go back and run around there. And we only did Brisbane and Sydney – so much more country to see.
That is an awesome racecation list! I would love love to race in Greece.
Oooh, Greece… Adding that to the list…
I laugh Id NOT NOT NOT RUN A RACE IN AUSTIN (hello walking!) but any of those? any DESTINATION???
ID SO SO SO RUN
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