The San Francisco Marathon

Excitement, exuberance and enthusiasm filled the air on the 26th of July, 2009. People from different parts of the city gathered at Embarcadero in San Francisco to exhibit their running prowess and express their contribution for charity. Extreme energy and zest marked this great event at SF – The San Francisco Marathon.

A wide variety of events were offered by the SF Marathon. The events included races in different categories that covered different courses of varying distances. Events are listed below:

Full Marathon:
Full Marathon covered 26.2 miles of the beautiful and iconic sites of San Francisco. Participants ran across the majestic Golden Gate Bridge witnessing the exquisite scenery offered by the city.

1st Half Marathon & 2nd Half Marathon:
The 1st Half Marathon & 2nd Half Marathon covered a 13.1 mile course. This flat and fast paced course covered the Golden Gate Bridge, the Golden Gate Park and the beautiful neighborhoods of San Francisco.

5K & Progressive Marathon:
The 5K marathon covered a 3.1 mile, flat and fun filled course. Cool breeze swept across as the participants ran on the Embarcadero covering the Pier, ATT Park and the Ferry Building. Progressive Marathon runners covered a total distance of 23.1 miles – miles accumulated prior to the race day.

Enjoy being part of the San Francisco Marathon by participating in any one of the races.
Enroll yourself in advance to be a part of the free training programs offered. Experience the energy, zeal and zest at your own - San Francisco Marathon.

Napa Valley

Napa Valley is considered as one of the premier tourist destinations in the world. Also touted to be among the top American Viticultural Areas in California, Napa Valley marks itself as a paradise for wine connoisseurs. Situated North of San Francisco, this County offers scintillating and breathtaking views of the rolling hills with vineyards and wide spread carpets of wineries of every stature. Wine tasting, fine dining at renowned restaurants like the French Laundry, rejuvenating and relaxing at the spas at Calistoga or just enjoying the bright sunny day walking around the wineries has made Napa an activity oriented yet fun filled weekend spot.

Enjoy the exquisiteness and elegance of Napa with some of the most delicious wine offered at the wineries here.

Castello di Amorosa:
Experience the romance of Italy and the taste of Napa at Castello di Amorosa. This magnificent Italian castle offers seventeen beautifully crafted Italian style wine including Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Super Tuscan Blends, and wonderful Dessert Wines. Enjoy the castle style wine tasting and food pairing at this up scale winery at Napa.

Spring Mountain:
Spring Mountain vinery is situated in a beautiful historic house with romantic mountain setting. They offer a good variety of Library Wines and Reserve Wines. Reserve tours, estate tours and wine tasting are some of the tours offered by them. Enjoy the aesthetically stimulating setting of Spring Mountains with their appetizing variety of wines.

Robert Mondavi:
Welcomed by the huge open arch, Robert Mondavi winery is among the popular wineries for people who love wine, food and art. This classy winery offers a variety of wines from different price ranges. Enjoy wine and cheese or chocolates and wine in the classy, fresh and open setting of the Mondavi wineries.

Sterling:
Sterling Vineyards wines are famous for their aromas, flavors and high quality wines at a range of price points. They offer fine wines, attractive tasting rooms, and innovative, self-paced tour. Sterling is one of its kind in Napa that provides a tram ride to the visitors offering picturesque views of the winery.

Refresh, relax and rejuvenate yourself with the fun filled activities at Napa County.

Muir Woods National Monument

Endowed with tall indeterminate redwood trees, sky high mountains, lush flora and fauna, Muir Woods National Monument personifies the definition of immaculate beauty. The wilderness of the forest combined with the mystifying trails makes this weekend destination a perfect spot for hikers and tree-lovers. Pristine paradise of Muir Woods is located in California Marin County, just few miles across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

Enjoy the mind boggling wilderness of the redwood forest with some of the popular activities here:

Dipsea Trail:
Sandwiched between Mill Valley and Stinson beach, Dipsea trail stands out as the most historic and scenic trail at Muir Woods. This 7 miles trail (Mill Valley to Stinson beach) encompasses some the enchanting views offered by nature. Situated at 2,200 feet, the peak of this trail overlooks the azure sky, redwood forests and the deep blue oceans. The trail offers a combination of steep vertical ascents and descents. Energize yourself with lot of water and enjoy hiking on this trail on a warm summer morning. Total time to hike up to the peak is about 3 hours.

Ben Johnson Trail:
Ben Johnson depicts itself as a great backcountry adventurous hiking trail. This 3.8 mile hiking trail forms a loop to the Dipsea trail. Situated at a height of 1,350 feet, this trail ascends into the verdant elevations of the forest and then descends down into the dense redwood canyon. The trail area is fairly at the same elevation all through from the start to the end which makes the round trip of this trail achievable in 3.5 hours.

Stinson Beach:
Touted as the most popular beach in Marin County, Stinson beach is indeed the most awaited resort for hikers and tourists. For day trip visitors the beach is about 30 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge on California’s Highway 1. This beach is very well networked with some of the popular trails in Muir Woods & Mt. Tamalpais. Panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean can be captured en route to the beach.

Backpacking, venturing into the wild forest or sun basking at the beach, Muir Woods National Monument has the best you would want to do on a weekend. Enjoy the 'Unity in Diversity' offered at the Marin County.

Open Space Preserves

Situated amidst the hustle bustle of Silicon Valley, Rancho San Antonio County Park offers its visitors a very relaxing and promising experience. The vast expanse of this land has been exploited for hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Recreation areas are present at different spots of this park for people to refresh, relax and enjoy. Be it a quick weekend getaway or nature’s own gym, Rancho San Antonio marks itself as a perfect spot for a stress free weekend.

Reboot your senses and unwind yourself with some of the activities here:

Wildcat Loop Trail:
Suggestive to its name, this 3-mile trail, loops itself around the mountains to the much awaited vista point. Enjoy the spectacular views of Mt. Tamalpais to the North and Mt. Hamilton to the East from this vista point. Early hours of the day would be the best time to hike on this trail to enjoy the cool breeze and the warmth of the sun. Total time required to complete this trail – 3.5 hours.

Black Mountain Trail:
Black Mountain is one of the popular hiking trails of Rancho San Antonio County Park. This 4-mile trail offers myriads of views from its mountain top including some of the best views into Stevens Creek Canyon and open lands along the Skyline ridge combined with the picturesque views of Santa Clara Valley. This trail is definitely worth the hike and offers the best workout session :)

South Meadow Flying Area:
Adjoining the parking lots at South Meadow, this park exhibits a staging area that provides opportunities for enthusiasts to fly non-gas powered model planes. Exhibit your zest & zeal with the take-offs and landings of your model aircraft with the other zealots.

The farraginous mix of activities has made this county park very popular for joggers & hikers. Break free on a weekday or hike your way over the weekend amidst the exuberance of Silicon Valley.

Weekend Getaway - Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful & rejuvenating weekend getaway places. Just 4 hours away from San Francisco, the drive to the destination elevates the definition of beauty with its clear blue skies, placid waters and heavenly snow capped mountains. The ideal time to visit Tahoe would be around mid May when you can witness the combination of bright sun and the white snow.

Lake Tahoe offers a variety of things to do. Some of the interesting things to do for a 2 day weekend at Tahoe:

Gondola Ride at Heavenly Resort:
Gondola is a cable car ride that takes tourist to the vista point at a height of 9000ft. One can get a panoramic view of the entire North & South side of the lake. The duration of the ride is about 18 minutes one way. A must do for tourist to witness the magnificence of nature.

Vikingsholm Trail & Castle:
Vikingsholm trail is a 1 mile trail that descends down to the Vikingsholm castle and the most beautiful beach at South Lake Tahoe – the Emerald Bay beach. The caste is situated at the end of the trail. Half an hour tour of the castle throws light on the aesthetics & history of the castle.

Emerald Bay Beach:
Emerald bay beach is the most exquisite and stunning beach located at the tip of the Vikingsholm trail. The vastness of the beach and the presence of Fanette island at the center of the beach makes this beach the most refreshing treat for the eyes.

Zephyr Cove Beach:
Be it sauntering on the beach or playing games like volleyball, Zephyr cove beach offers a myriad of fun activities to be done at the beach. One of the most popular party beaches at South Lake Tahoe.

Water Sports:
There are several places that offer a variety of water related activities ranging from boat paddling to jet skiing. Refreshing & relaxing water activities can be enjoyed amidst the brown mountains and deep blue waters.

Ca$ino:
And finally its time to have some fun and make some money honey... South Lake Tahoe offers a variety of places to go casino hopping. Mont Bleu & Harrah’s are among the favorites that have an animated ambiance. Party people get ready to have some fun…

Lake Tahoe indeed is one of the most beautiful weekend get away places. If you enjoy the beauty of nature and want to relax amidst it then pack your bags and get ready :)

Placid waters, azure sky;
Lush green trees, brown mountains high.

Nature’s blessing, heavens resort;
Dream weekend, always thought of…