I'm getting ready to fly out tomorrow to take part in an epic trip ... a 3000 mile race across America! I'll be in the media van documenting the brave souls that are taking on America's roads by bike.
Be sure to subscribe to The Travel Bite (click here) and stay up-to-date on my where abouts in the United States.
Still wondering, "What is Race Across America?" Check out the video below to find out ...
This summer has a lot of exciting new journeys in store for me. For one, I'm starting a new blog. After spending years visiting inns and collecting quite a menagerie of breakfast recipes, it's time to expand. This summer I'm launching a new site, The Travel Bite, that will be my personal travel blog and the place I share my love of travel and food. But don't fret, for everything inn, b&b and breakast related ... you'll still find it here on Inn The Kitchen.
This weekend I'll be flying out to LA to participate on the media team for Race Across America (RAAM). Be sure to subscribe and follow on Twitter to stay up-to-date on my 3000 mile road trip across America following inspiring cyclists from all over the world as they peddle fast from coast to coast. We'll be doing the live video updates on http://www.raceacrossamerica.org
As I'm gearing up to spend a couple of weeks doing a 3000 mile road trip from LA to Maryland to follow RAAM, I'm taking a closer look at road food. The small "mom and pop" type of diners that you discover while driving back roads state-to-state across America. Even in Europe I took a couple of short road trips and found some great eats along the way. My friends there thought it was strange that I'd rather take a car then a train. But fan and follower, Sam Turner, shares my sentiment for finding tasty and casual treats such as pizza and steak frites. Here are his favorite finds ...
Traveling for Food: Three Great European Dishes
by Sam Turner
Europe offers many delights for travelers interested in culture, art, gorgeous scenery and, most importantly, food. 
Foodies will love the chance to sample amazing dishes in different European nations: indeed, this relatively small geographical area has so much variety for your palette and you will be able to find something delicious whether you are on a trip to Paris or a Gran Canaria holiday. Here are three dishes that you absolutely have to try.
Steak Frites - Paris
Steak frites is practically an institution in France and nothing really sums up the Parisian experience like sitting down to one of these feasts. Everywhere you go you will find this dish executed brilliantly with delicious fries and steak covered in creamy pepper sauce that will linger in your memories for years. If you’re looking for somewhere specific try Au Boeuf Couronné, a restaurant that has been in business for over a hundred years, yet you’re likely to get something fantastic wherever you look.
Pizza – Naples
Pizza is undoubtedly one of the most popular foods in the world and you can find it in bars, fancy restaurants and cluttered dorm rooms. A trip to Europe should include a pilgrimage to the home of this legendary dish: Naples. The pies here are incredibly simple and are made up of only sauce, cheese, olive oil and basil leaves – after some time in a word burning oven they will change your whole conception of this delicious dish. The best place to indulge is Da Michele, a 19th century pizzeria, though there are a few other famous spots that are worth trying too.
Fresh Fish – The Canary Islands
European cuisine is not just cheese, beef and potatoes (though thankfully much of it is) and you can find some delicious, fresh dishes that are bit lighter. The Canary Islands, an archipelago very popular with tourists, has some amazing fresh fish that will delight those looking for something healthy. It is prepared very simply on the grill to ensure that you can appreciate the natural taste. Of course, the delights of fresh seafood are not limited to the Canary Islands and you can find great fish in Greek, Turkey, the UK and anywhere else next to the sea.
Sam Turner is a Canadian writer based in Toronto, though he spends most of his time jetting across the Atlantic on European trips. He loves writing about food, outdoor adventures and live music.
I love learning more about the people I regularly tweet with. Every week, I always get a friendly tweet from @PequotMuseum. Since May is International Museum Month, I decided to feature them as a guest post on Inn The Kitchen. I discovered the face and name of the friendly voice behind the tweets, Chris Fry. Chris is a federally recognized Narragansett Indian and he currently works as a Sr. Graphic Designer for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Follow him on Twitter, say hello, and if you find yourself traveling in Connecticut, stop by the Pequot Museum.
The Pequot Museum
The Mashantucket Museum & Research Center offers engaging experiences for all ages, from life-size walk-through dioramas that transport visitors into the past, to changing exhibits, and live performances of contemporary arts and cultures. Extensive interactive exhibits depict 18,000 years of Native and natural history, while two libraries, including one for children, offer a diverse selection of materials on the histories and cultures of all Native peoples of the United States and Canada.
The journey begins 18,000 years ago as you enter the glacial crevasse exhibit. Travel deep into a glacier, see dripping water, feel chilly air, and hear the recorded sounds of an actual glacier. Learn about the impact the ice age had on southeastern Connecticut.
Look into the eyes of life-size replicas of dire wolves, a mastodon, and a giant beaver—animals that inhabited this part of the 
continent more than 11,000 years ago. View life-like hunters pursuing caribou among streams and rock outcroppings.
Observe daily life in a 16th-century Pequot village: pre- and post-European contact. Walk among the trees, wigwams, and people who are cooking, talking, weaving, and working. Natural sounds are heard accompanied by the aromas of the woodlands and campfires. All figures are cast from Native American models; the traditional clothing, ornamentations, and wigwams are made by Native craftspeople. Individual audio tours are provided for all visitors.
Leave time to understand the period leading up to the Pequot War of 1637; watch the 30-minute, wide-screen movie about the war, and see how the tribe survived through the years, eventually gaining federal recognition in 1983.
The Museum recently announced the opening of a new permanent exhibit, “Pequot Lives: Almost Vanished,” the first permanent exhibit since the museum’s opening in 1998. The exhibit uses images, documents, photographs, interactive technology, and artifacts to illustrate the Pequot struggles during the early 20th century, taking visitors through a historical journey about the lives and experiences of Pequot families.
Before leaving, visit the restaurant, gift shop, and the top of the 18-story observation tower to see the wooded countryside. The award-winning museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is handicapped accessible and offers plenty of onsite parking. Group tours, programs, and rates are available. For information, call (800) 411-9671 or visit www.pequotmuseum.org.
Here's a guest post from Twitter friend, @SanteFeTraveler. I'm looking forward to driving through Santa Fe this summer and hope to have the time to stop by one of these recommended museums ...
Santa Fe is a hub of art, history and culture and the city’s ten museums highlight that. For a small city (2010 census figures put the population at a little over 75,000) that’s a lot of museums. They all have a distinct character and are worth a visit. If time is short, here are my five top picks:
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture: The mission of this museum located across from the Folk Art Museum on Museum Hill’s Millman Plaza, is “to inspire appreciation for and knowledge of the diverse native arts, histories, languages, and cultures of the Greater Southwest.” There are two long-term exhibits, Here, Now, and Always and The Buchsbaum Gallery of Southwestern Pottery. And while you’re there, visit the Colleen Cloney Duncan Museum Shop. It’s a great place to pick up contemporary Native American handcrafted items. They offer pottery, textiles, jewelry, sculptures, kachinas, baskets and more. They also have a collection of books about native culture.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum: If you are an O’Keeffe fan this is a must see. The small museum only has a fraction of its collection on view at any time. Thanks to a generous bequest by the now disbanded O’Keeffe Foundation, they own the largest collection of the artist’s work in the world. They also own the O’Keeffe Home and Studio in Abiquiu, NM open for tours between March and November. Exhibits at the museum change about three times a year; when there’s a changeover, the museum closes for about two weeks. If the O’Keeffe is a must-see for you, plan your visit accordingly.
Museum of International Folk Art: One of two State-run museums on Santa Fe’s Museum Hill (Camino Lejo),
the museum, opened in 1953, has the largest collection of folk art in the world. There are four wings, each charged with a different mission:
Bartlett Wing: When the museum first opened in 1953, this was the entire extent of the museum. It’s expanded over the years. Named for museum founder, Florence Dibell Bartlett it now houses changing textile exhibits. The wing’s cutting-edge Gallery of Conscience exhibits work from folk artists around the globe. It also examines the issues these artists face in the contemporary world.
Gerard Wing: This newly renovated gallery is home to the long-running exhibit, Multiple Visions: A Common Bond, the folk art collection donated by architect and designer Alexander Girard. Displays include colorful artifacts from over 100 countries on six continents. Kids love it here and if you have a sense of whimsy, you will too. It’s easy to leave with a smile on your face.
Hispanic Heritage Wing: This section of the museum displays folk art from New Mexico and Hispanic areas around the world.
Neutrogena Wing: The two galleries here have different missions: the Cotsen Gallery houses the museum’s extensive collection of textiles. Lloyd’s Treasure Chest allows visitors to discover a little of what goes on behind the scenes at the museum.
NM History Museum: the newest addition to the Museum of New Mexico (opened in May 2009. The permanent exhibit, Telling New Mexico, Stories From Then and Now, tells the history of New Mexico from the Pueblo people, here before the arrival of the Spanish through the present. This is supplemented by short-term exhibits. If you’re interested in history, this is a great place to check out. The gift shop here has a wonderful selection of Native American and Hispanic art. The museum complex includes the Palace of the Governors, the oldest government building in the United States and the Fra Angelico Research Library.
New Mexico Museum of Art: The wonderful pueblo-style building, home to The New Mexico Museum of Art, was built in 1917. It’s located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe; on Palace Avenue just west of the Plaza. It‘s fitting that the core of the permanent collection consists of works by southwest artists. The concentration is on New Mexico artists dating back to around 1880. Some of the better known artists in the collection are: Georgia O'Keeffe, Elliot Porter, Gustave Baumann, Fritz Scholder and Maria Martinez. The museum also has short-term exhibits; some are created in-house and some are traveling exhibits mounted by other museums. A must-see: the frescos on the courtyard walls painted by renowned Santa Fe Artist Will Shuster as a WPA project in the 1930s. The museum houses the Saint Francis Auditorium, an intimate concert venue. It’s one of the concert spaces used by the prestigious New Mexico Chamber Music Festival held each summer.
The other five museums in town are also worth a visit. Narrowing down the field was a difficult task. In case you want to check out the others, here are their websites:
Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
Museum of Spanish Colonial Arts
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
Billie Frank has over twenty-five years experience in sales, marketing and customer service. In 2004 she began a career in the hospitality industry at a small inn outside of Santa Fe, NM. After leaving that position, she worked as a concierge at two Four-Diamond hotels in Santa Fe for over four years. Billie is co-owner of The Santa Fe Traveler, a travel concierge and trip-planning service. She writes a travel blog, Santa Fe Travelers. You can also follow her on Twitter
Photo Credit: Steve Collins
Of all museums throughout the world, the Louvre is on the top of my list of museums worth traveling to see. Besides that fact that it's in Paris, it was also once a fortress and residence of kings, and there are over 650,000 square feet of exquisite exhibits to get lost in. Not only is the Louvre home to the famous Mona Lisa, there's also halls upon halls of sculpture, history, architecture, furniture and fashion. Even Napoleon's apartment is here, still in tact and furnished. If only those walls could talk!
During my trip to Paris, I set aside a whole day for the Louvre and still found it to not be enough time. There is so much to see, it was quite 
overwhelming. Starting with the gardens leading to the entrance and grand pyramid, to the main highlights, it seems you could spend a week here and still not experience everything.
I imagine it's always had a breathtaking effect on its visitors. At time before social media, computers, television and 3-D movies, art WAS entertainment. The bright colored large frescoes and detailed paintings of the Renaissance period were then the eye-candy entertainment equivalent of seeing a James Cameron movie today.
Once inside the museum, I immediately experienced sensory overload and became overwhelmed at deciding what direction to go in. I made the Mona Lisa my focus. As one of the most recognizable pieces of art, it felt like I was hunting down a celebrity sighting. I rounded the corner of the hall to where she resided and found a group of 30 to 40 people going paparazzi with their flash cameras. I was astonished. Could people really be allowed to take photographs of the Mona Lisa? 
At first, I was offended that people could potentially harm such an ancient work. Realizing that no one was getting into any trouble, I took my camera out of my bag. Being so short, I could only catch a glimpse of her encryptic brow through the crowd, so I raised my camera above my head over the throngs of people and snapped a few shots. I got a picture of the Mona Lisa.
Eventually, I squirmed my way to the front of the mob to see her up close and in person. I was quite surprised at how small she was. Just the size of a standard portrait. I didn't dare take a photo this close for the fear of damaging her and cracking her smile.
Satisfied that I had found the Mona Lisa, I felt more calm walking the crowded halls of the Louvre. Though, it made me envious of the Davinci Code film crew who were afforded the opportunity to be alone in the Louvre at night. Undisturbed by tourists and crowds, I'm sure in their solitude they were really able to experience the magnitude and grandeur of this building and it's inhabitants. But even during the day, standing elbow-to-elbow with other travelers, it was spectacular. Here are some more photos. Have you been to the Louvre? If so, what was your favorite site or exhibit?
My Top 5 Tips For Visting The Louvre
1. Wear comfortable shoes. You're going to be walking ... a lot.
2. Go early and get ahead of the crowd. Even the weekdays are busy.
3. Have a plan and list of your top 10 sites you want to see. This museum is huge. I'm not exaggerating.
4. Add the gardens to your list, they're beautiful.
5. Pack an energy bar or trail mix.
(Yes, Paris has wonderful cafes full of tasty food. Unfortunately, the museum only offers cafeteria style eats. Save yourself the time and money and just bring a snack. Then indulge in a lovely dinner later.)
Since International Museum Day is May 18th, I'm taking time this month to feature stories about some of my favorite places to gaze upon works of art.
The first destination I'd like to highlight is located in my hometown of Orlando, The Morse Museum, featuring the glass works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. The most inspiring of these is the chapel which was originally created to showcase in the Tiffany & Co. pavilion at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
Influenced by medieval Roman architecture, this is my favorite spot to walk too after sipping an espresso on Park Avenue and then imagining instead that I'm lost in the streets of Rome.
Take a peek inside the chapel during this short video I created about them below ...
Do any of your bucket list travel plans include a life-long childhood dream? Is it visiting a location from a story you remember as a kid or attending an event that you used to watch on TV? One of mine is watching Dancing With The Stars live in person. I grew up addicted to the movie Dirty Dancing and was in love with ballroom dancing ever since.
For one blogger, the game of tennis was her passion and watching a game Wimbledon live in person was something she had to cross off her bucket list. Enjoy her story below.
Bucket List Travel: Watching Wimbledon In Person
by Katie Aune
It wasn’t yet 7:30 a.m. when an entrance seemed to appear out of nowhere. The sign simply read: ‘The Queue.’
I could barely hide my smile as I walked underneath it, heading down a path to join one of the most famous lines (or as the British would say, queues) in the world – the line for coveted Wimbledon tickets. Soon, I entered a grassy area the size of several football fields. A smartly dressed man handed me a “queue card” informing me that I was number 2872 in line, together with a pamphlet explaining the rules and policies of the Queue. Yes, they take this queuing business very seriously at Wimbledon.
I spent the next 3 hours sitting on a patch of grass, reading a book, snacking on trail mix, re-applying sunscreen and, finally, slowly trudging forward along a winding path that eventually took me through security and to the Wimbledon ticket booth. I handed over 20 pounds cash and excitedly walked through the gates I had been waiting to enter for nearly 20 years. I had wanted to go to Wimbledon for as long as I could remember – long before I ever heard the term “bucket list.” As a kid, I woke up early to watch the men’s and women’s finals during “Breakfast at Wimbledon.” I cried when Jana Novotna broke down after blowing a huge lead and losing the 1993 final to Steffi Graf. I cheered when Goran Ivanisevic finally won the title as a wild card in 2001. I even wrote a poem in junior high about wanting to see Andre Agassi play on the grass of Centre Court.
But even beyond Wimbledon, I love tennis and I love to travel. So when I created a bucket list ten years ago (or as I called it then, my “wish list”), near the top was attending all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, as well as watching a match on Centre Court at Wimbledon.
I visited the French Open in 2004 and the Australian and U.S. Opens in 2005, saving Wimbledon – the best – for last. For a long time I believed that getting tickets was too difficult and too expensive. Tickets primarily are sold by lottery, by waiting in line for hours (possibly overnight) or through very expensive tour companies. I couldn’t afford the tour company markups and I didn’t want to fly all the way to London just to wait in line for hours and not get tickets, so I took a chance and entered the public ballot a couple years ago with no success. I tried again the next year and again, unsuccessful. Finally, I learned about the British Tennis Association (BTA) members’ ballot. By joining the BTA, I would be automatically entered into a special members’ lottery. I signed up in August 2009 and quickly forgot about it.
Then came the email eight months later. The email I almost deleted because I saw the subject line on my Blackberry and thought it was just a newsletter or promotional email from the British Tennis Association. The email that I luckily opened to see the magical words “you have been selected…” I practically skipped into work and into my boss’ office to inform him that he had to give me time off in June to go to Wimbledon. Then reality started to set in and I started running through the logistics in my head. I was in the middle of saving for a much bigger, more significant trip and a quickie jaunt to London was not in the budget. But, I reasoned, I had dreamed of going to Wimbledon longer than I had dreamed of the other trip, so Wimbledon had to take priority. So I logged onto the BTA website and was pleasantly surprised to see that the tickets I was allocated on Centre Court were only around $80 for the pair. Then, I managed to find a flight to London for only $720 roundtrip and lined up a place to stay with a friend who lives just a 30 minute walk from Wimbledon. Just like that, it all fell into place.
Which brings me back to my arrival at the hallowed grounds of the All England Lawn & Tennis Club. With my Centre Court tickets for the next day already secured, queuing for a grounds pass provided an opportunity to explore the grounds and watch a few matches on the more intimate outside courts. After sampling some strawberries and cream, snapping a few pictures of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Justine Henin, and scoring up-and-coming American John Isner’s autograph, I got in line yet again to get onto Court 18 for the conclusion of Isner’s match against Nicolas Mahut that was suspended for darkness the day before at two sets all.
As I settled into a courtside seat on Court 18, little did I know I would spend the next seven hours watching what would become by far the longest match in tennis history. Let me repeat – the longest match EVER. And barely twelve hours after the match was suspended for darkness a second time, I was back at the All England Club, lining up to see Queen Elizabeth promenade through the grounds, and then making my way to my nosebleed seats on Centre Court. And then back to Court 18 for the conclusion of the historic Isner-Mahut match. And then back to Centre Court…
So when I flew out of Heathrow the next day, spending less than 72 hours in London, I checked two items off my bucket list – completing my “career Grand Slam” and finally watching a Centre Court match at Wimbledon. But more significantly, I witnessed history and had the experience of a lifetime, far better than I ever could have imagined.
More about Katie:
Katie Aune is a thirty-something former attorney who has lived in Chicago for 10 years. She has a passion for travel and sports, combining the two whenever possible. With a full-time job in nonprofit fundraising, she tries to travel internationally at least once each year and hopes to one day embark on a long-term trip through Russia and the former Soviet Union. You can follow Katie at www.katiegoingglobal.com, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Is conquering a fear of heights on your bucket list? There is no better way to conquer that fear than to fly over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter. Fellow traveler Terrisa, also known as @thmeeks on Twitter, shows no fear in the story she shares with us below. She's checked off an activity that's still undone on my bucket list ... the Grand Canyon. Based out of Las Vegas, I look forward to chatting with her about planning a road trip along the Grand Circle. Cross One Off the Bucket List: Helicopter Tour of Grand Canyon by Terrisa H. Meeks 
The first time I rode in a helicopter, I was hooked. I loved the floating sensation and the view. There was only one problem: I couldn't tell anyone about my first flight. That ride was in a police helicopter, and technically I wasn't supposed to be there. The last words I heard before I got in were, "You can't tell anyone about this." That short, secret flight made me lust for another helicopter ride, preferably one I could tell someone about. For almost 30 years, I honed the vision of my next ride. I wanted to see something spectacular from the seat of a whirlybird. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, home to the Strip and right on the doorstep of the American Southwest's Grand Circle--so there were a lot of possibilities for spectacular. I'd been a travel writer for about four years when the chance to get back in a helicopter presented itself. One day, I got an e-mail from James Hoke, the owner of TourGuy. He'd been reading some of my work. Would I be willing, he wanted to know, to take one of his tours and write about it? I read the list of his company's tours, and there it was, my big, fat bucket list item: a helicopter ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Two weeks later, I was at the Boulder City Airport with five other people, getting weighed and being briefed by the helicopter 
pilot. I vacillated between excitement and fear. Would I get sick? Would I freak out? Could I count on my camera to take good pictures? Would I get a seat in the front? Before I could contemplate too many questions, we were seated, strapped in, and hovering over the tarmac, then rising into the sky. High in the air, I stared at the Mojave Desert below us, a landscape I know intimately--on foot or in a vehicle. From a helicopter, the roads, trails, and dry washes looked like a topographic map come to life. We were flying to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Hualapai Tribal Nation owns this portion of the canyon. Most of the canyon is under the control of the National Park Service, which doesn't allow flights below the South or North Rim--a rule that doesn't apply on Hualapai land. Our helicopter's flight path took us over Lake Mead, the massive reservoir created by Hoover Dam. From the helicopter's perspective, the lake's green and blue waters reminded me of opals. I've always thought it was bizarre to see a massive lake in the middle of the desert, but from this perspective, it was beautiful in a way I'd never seen before. 
I was absorbed in gazing at Lake Mead, oblivious to our location or how long we'd been in flight, when our pilot announced that we were about to enter the canyon. The West Rim's 4,000 foot walls rose ahead of us, making our helicopter seem very tiny. The walls engulfed us as we descended gradually to our landing spot, setting down on a flat place above the Colorado River. Two picnic tables were set up for our group. I walked around the small, rocky patch of ground, marveling at the variety of desert plants that were blooming. Other helicopters buzzed overhead, but when the sky was empty, the silence was profound. This was once uncharted, unexplored territory until explorer John Wesley Powell led an expedition down the then-wild Colorado River in 1869, the same river now peacefully flowing past our picnic site. Sunset in the Grand Canyon is a visual feast of light and color. Thousands of feet above our picnic tables, the upper reaches of the canyon caught the sun's last rays. The colors in the rocks changed with the angle and intensity of the sunlight. The red and gold reflections on the Colorado weren't like the clear mirror images you'll see in a lake. These reflections made bright ripples that rolled along the top of the water. The bats were coming out to hunt for their dinners--or perhaps for bats, that's breakfast--when our pilot announced it was time to leave. I savored every second of my time on board the helicopter. The hovering, floating, weightless feeling was addictive. When the lights of Las Vegas came into view, I tried taking pictures, but my camera was unwilling to focus. Briefly, I messed with the settings, and then I decided that it was better to just enjoy the ride. More about Terrisa: Terrisa is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She's a Nile Guide Local Expert, travel lover, writing coach and relentless optimist. Twitter: @thmeeks Blog: Vegas Girl ###
"The marathon is a charismatic event. It has everything. It has drama. It has competition. It has camaraderie. It has heroism. Every jogger can't dream of being an Olympic champion, but he can dream of finishing a marathon." -Fred Lebow
Last year, one of my goals was to run a marathon. At the beginning of the year, admittedly, I thought running 26.2 miles was insane. So I signed up and trained for a half marathon because I thought 13 miles was much more reasonable. I ran the Key West Half Marathon (you literally run around the island - it's awesome!), then the Nashville Country Music Half Marathon. After finishing two halves, I guess I officially caught the running bug and felt inspired to try a full. Last November, I crossed the finish line on my first 26.2 mile race, NYC Marathon.
Disney Princess Half Marathon
There were times when I thought, "what in the heck was I thinking?!" Training lasted for 6 months during the hottest part of summer in Florida. It was not easy. It involved going to bed early on Friday nights to get up even earlier for long distance runs on Saturday morning. Running on lonely hotel treadmills when I traveled wasn't fun. A 4:00 am alarm became a routine several times a week. As painful as it was to drag myself out of the comfort of my bed, the reward was worth the effort. Starting the day seeing stars, watching the sunrise, and spending time with my running group always made my running days the best of the week. I was also fund raising to run with Fred's Team, and was touched by the kindness, generosity and support of friends and family who helped me generate over $3500 in donations for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Crossing the finish line last November, I learned something valuable about myself ... I could accomplish anything if I planned and worked for it. And that lesson is a bucket list worthy goal.
So, if you want to take the word "can't" out of your vocabulary, then I highly recommend adding a marathon to your bucket list this year. You don't have to be an athlete, anyone can finish as long as they train.
For motivation, here's 26 reasons for running 26 miles.
For inspiration, here's an article I wrote for CheapOair recommending 5 races worth traveling for.
And if you're wondering what the experience like, here's a video I did while running the NYC Marathon. It's with a flip cam, and I'm running, so it is bouncy. But the energy and excitement of the race is definitely captured.
" I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." ~Jesse Owens
