Big Sur Marathon Weekend - Part 1

Hey everybody!  As I think I mentioned a few blog posts ago, April 29th was the 33rd running of the Big Sur International Marathon, and this year, I got picked for a spot in the pack!  To avoid taking too much time off work, Chris and I decided to head out of Long Beach early on Saturday morning, so we could hopefully make it to our hotel in Monterey by mid-afternoon and hit the race expo before it closed on Saturday evening at 6.

We did a quick run before we left, and once we were cleaned up and the truck was packed, we started out of town, stopping first at Tierra Mia Coffee, a local chain in the area that was new to us; good place with great coffee and a respectable chai.  Hooray!  They actually have a branch in Long Beach, so we might have to check it out soon...

They had pretty good muffins, too.

We pushed north along the 5, heading for the Paso Robles area, where we'd stop for lunch.  We initially hoped to see our buddies Megan and Kristen, but since they were rather busy giving birth to their first kiddo at almost the exact same time, we waved in their general direction from the freeway instead.  We made good time, so we ended up in Paso a little bit before our lunch destination, Thomas Hill Organics, was open; thus, we hit up Adelaida Winery to take advantage of our free member tasting.

Just holding the giant wine glass - 

no tasting for me, due to the race tomorrow.

A shot from Adelaida's terrace

After a quick tasting, it was back into downtown Paso for lunch.  We eat at Thomas Hill Organics every time we're in town, and it's a fantastic place.  The food is fresh and delicious, and we've never had a bad option there.  This time was no exception!

I had the Cubano, and Chris had

his normal - the pork belly sandwich.

We also had a strawberry rhubarb crumble,

which was outstanding.

With lunch done, it was back to the truck for the rest of our drive north to Monterey.  Thankfully, we again made good time, and we ended up at our lodgings for the next few days, the Monterey Hotel, right around 3pm.  We checked in, dropped our bags, and then headed to the race expo to claim my bib and bus ticket for the next morning; thankfully, the expo was just two blocks away, so we made it there super quickly.  One of the Big Sur traditions is finding your name on the expo's participants banner, and I was happy to wade into the fray.

That's me!  If you click on the photo,

and then zoom in, you might be able to see my name.

Ooh, fancy bib!

After getting my bus ticket and goodie bag (with t-shirt) and purchasing some extra race swag (new coffee mug - woohoo!), it was back to the hotel to unpack a bit more thoroughly and get things set up for the next morning.  The race would start at 6:45am, and with the bus ride and all that, I'd be up around 3am; I wanted to be sure to have everything ready to go before I went to sleep on Saturday.

Saw this sign in a shoe store window.

What in the actual hell?

We had dinner reservations at 6:30 at a local Italian/seafood restaurant right around the corner, so once my organizing was done, we headed back out to wander the area a bit further before dinner time rolled around.  On the way, we stopped to grab some shots of our hotel, which was built in 1904 - we were in the historic wing, which wasn't exactly quiet, but it was quite lovely.

Views from our window

Historic ceiling coffers

Making good use of the fainting couch.

Also, unintentional selfie!

The front of the Monterey Hotel from Alvarado Street.

We strolled down to Fisherman's Wharf, just a short walk, to see the tourist area in full swing.

Monterey selfie!

I loved all the seagulls lined up here.

The restaurant at the end of the pier had a rooftop terrace, so we headed up there to get a good look around the bay.  Chris grabbed some panos...

...while I took some artsy shots of colorful boats tied to the dock below:

We still had time before dinner, so it was off to Fieldworks Brewing for a quick beer break for Chris (I had a few sips, too).

We both had water - his just had other additions as well.

When it was time, we headed to dinner at Frutti De Mar, and although the kitchen seemed to be firmly in the weeds, overall, our meal was good.  Chris had a seafood pasta, which needed a bit more zip, and I had mushroom lasagna, which was the highlight of the night.  After that, it was back to the hotel for some last minute adjustments to my gear piles, and after running yet another checklist of items past Chris, it was time for bed!  It's almost race time!

Later!

Amy