Two Weeks, Two Marathons

July 2, 2023 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

Our travels through the upper Midwest continue and Steve keeps racking up the races. During the past two weeks he’s finished two more marathons in his 29th and 30th states, and they couldn’t have been different experiences.

First we rolled into Duluth, Minnesota to participate in the highly-acclaimed Grandma’s Marathon. This race is arguably one of the city’s biggest events with over 9,000 runners in the marathon, and we were in the middle of it all. We snagged a camping spot in the parking lot of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Arriving early allowed us park with electrical hookups right on the race course and within walking distance of all of the festivities. The parking lot was quite a party on race weekend!

We were also within a short walk of packet pickup and the expo and just across the street from live music at the lake on Friday night and all day Saturday. Steve took a train from our doorstep right to the start line and finished the 26.2 mile race less than 1/2 mile from our camper’s door. And he finished with a smile on his face in just over four hours! All in all a great weekend.

While hanging out in Duluth we also made the drive up Minnesota’s North Shore. Along the shores of beautiful Lake Superior the drive goes all the way to the Canadian border in about 150 miles.

We just went about 50 miles north and were still able to enjoy some of the highlights including the freighter docks in Two Harbors, Split Rock Lighthouse, and Gooseberry Falls. Steve had seen these attractions when he was a boy and enjoyed comparing this experience to his boyhood memories.

Duluth is a nice city with a beautiful waterfront that includes a lighthouse and the famed lift bridge. We spent several evenings out there watching the large ore freighters pass through the bridge and head out to other Great Lakes Ports. Even Bob and Mia enjoyed Duluth!

Race day was super fun. Lots of energy and Steve enjoyed the run along the coast of Lake Superior. There were a lot of people cheering and tons of energy along the way. Grandma’s Marathon lived up to its reputation.

We hit the road when the race was over and traveled almost 300 miles into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We made a cool stop in between races, which will be highlighted in its own blog post, but our primary target was Gladstone, Michigan for the MISH marathon.

Yes, Steve did two 26.2 races seven days apart! There wasn’t much to Gladstone except the nice city campground and a lovely concert in the park on Thursday evening. Our main focus was the race. He and about 96 other runners took off to a gorgeous sunrise over Lake Michigan and ran along some coastline before turning inland for 13.1 miles. He made it back to the start/finish line in just over four and a half hours. I also completed the 10K race and got third place in my age group! It was a small event without much of a crowd or bells and whistles, but it was still fun to meet other runners and enjoy the beautiful weather.

We’re both ready for a little R&R, which we are already doing. No more races this summer, but certainly more adventures ahead!

First Stop: Green Bay

May 31, 2023 / marniesteve / 1 Comment

Our inaugural trip with our new truck and fifth wheel is well underway and we’ve already covered a lot of ground. From our visit with Sam in Colorado we made a beeline to Lincoln, Nebraska. In addition to being one of Steve’s favorite places, we caught a concert with one of our favorite artists, Kenny Chesney. We enjoyed a pre-show drink with our niece Elise and her boyfriend Jarrot and his family, drinks served by our other niece Hannah at the bar where she works. No photos to prove it! Kenny always puts on a great show and we enjoyed seeing him perform with Kelsea Ballerini.

The next day we headed up to Elkhorn to spend a little time with Steve’s brother and his family. We spent Mother’s Day celebrating the Moms in the family by eating some great BBQ, playing in the gym and golf simulator, and hanging out with the kids.

We wish we could do this more often! And, we even stopped off at Steve’s favorite store, Husker Hounds.

But we had to move along…to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Steve ran a marathon in his 28th state and I did the 5K.

The highlight of this race is a run through the home of the Green Bay Packer’s, Lambeau Field. The stadium is a sight to be seen, from inside and out, and we felt lucky to have the opportunity to see if from all angles.

On the following day we took the Legendary Tour of Lambeau, which gave us access to the luxury suites, the visitor’s locker room, the press box, once again, the field. Along the way we learned about the Packer’s history and how they have survived as one of the oldest NFL teams without an owner.

They are owned by shareholders and the City of Green Bay, and because of this unique situation, the small town revolves around the beloved Packers.

We took the bikes out one morning and explored the trails along the Fox River. Interpretive signs along the way taught us about the city’s history.

We also hit up the famous Kroll’s restaurant which stands in the shadow of Lambeau Field. We were introduced to fried cheese curds and butter burgers and will now never taste anything as good (or as greasy). And, you can’t go to Green Bay without a stop at Titletown, the entertainment district adjacent to the stadium.

We left Green Bay as fans of the Packers, fans of cheese curds, and fans of Wisconsin. And our explorations here are just beginning.

Going to the Dogs in Anchorage

June 24, 2022June 24, 2022 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

We just spent a week in and around the Anchorage area as part of our Alaska summer fun. There’s a lot to do here! Besides haircuts for all of us, several trips to Costco, and some down time, we had some big fun.

We spent one weekend camping at the Alaska Raceway Park in Palmer. The racetrack is part of the Harvest Host program which allowed us to camp right in the pits so we could enjoy a full weekend of racing.

With our trackside campsite we were able to watch the cars line up to enter the oval, freely walk through the pits, and make friends along the way. On Sunday we watched the drag races from all angles. This was a unique experience — another great Harvest Host stay in a beautiful setting.

Nearby is a MuskOx Farm, a non-profit that is dedicated to the domestication of these arctic creatures and the production of qiviut, the extra warm, luxury wool that comes from the muskox. We enjoyed our tour where we met the muskox and learned about their lives. They’re cute, huh?

In Anchorage we biked the coastal trail, took in the scenery, and picked up our dear friend Sam up at the airport. Sam will be with us for the next six weeks as we explore Alaska’s coastal and mountain areas.

The big excursion this week, however, was our glacier dog-sledding adventure outside of Girdwood. We boarded a four-seat helicopter and took a short but scenic flight to the Punchbowl Glacier.

Once we landed, we were introduced to Mitch Seavey’s kennel of champion sled dogs. The Seavey name is synonymous with the Iditarod, having won the legendary race numerous times.

We learned about the race and the grueling conditions dogs and drivers endure to reach the finish line. In fact, one of the guides at Dog Camp raced this year but broke his ankle with just three days to go. He had some great stories about life on the trail!

Once our team of eight dogs were hooked up to the sled, we were off! The dogs were smaller than we expected at about 40-50 pounds each. It was incredible how much power these small but mighty animals could generate. We traveled at about eight miles per hour, which is about how fast the racers go as well.

Sledding around on a massive glacier, well removed from civilization, with only dogs and their handlers to guide us, was a surreal experience. Occasionally we’d stop along the way and take in the views. We had a beautifully warm day with crystal clear skies, which just made the day even more special.

We finished our time at Dog Camp with the puppies! Three future sled dogs enthusiastically greeted us and were ready to play (and chew on whatever they could find!) We wondered if a puppy was included in our fare, but unfortunately they had to stay atop the glacier.

Before we knew it the helicopter returned, and it was time to fly back down the glacier to the Girdwood airport. Again, the scenic beauty was overwhelming. Needless to say we’d highly recommend this unique adventure.

Steve continues to snap shots of the beautiful flowers that have sprouted up everywhere in the past few weeks. Summer is certainly here, as evidenced by the very long daylight hours. With over 19 hours of light, and unseasonable warm days, everything is growing like crazy.

Another reason we were in Anchorage at this time was for Steve to rack up another marathon in another state. He completed the Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon in just over four hours and placed second in his age group. This race in Alaska is his 26th state in his quest to hit all 50.

We finished our time in Anchorage with a wonderful dinner at the home of our friends TJ and Jon. It had been a few years since I’d seen them, and it was great to catch up! Thanks TJ and Jon (and Jon’s Mom Peggy) for an incredible evening!

As always, we are grateful for the opportunity to travel to these special places with special people and we love sharing it with you! Your comments are much appreciated.

Marnie and Steve Travel

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marathon

Two Weeks, Two Marathons

First Stop: Green Bay

Going to the Dogs in Anchorage