Do you wish your family and friends
would get as excited about traveling to inline skating marathons as you do?
Here's one way you can make that happen: When you travel to
a skating marathon, allocate a few extra days
for a special holiday with your usual travel companions.
If you do this whenever you travel to a skating event, soon you will see
eyes lighting up around you whenever you announce a new
marathon you would like to skate.
If you make your post-marathon trips enough fun, you might
even find your wife and kids scouting out new skating events,
hoping to inspire you to take them on another great trip!
Make Each Trip Special
A trip to a skating event can be fun for skaters and non-skaters alike
if you plan some special activities after the skating event is over.
If you're traveling with your "significant other", look for a
romantic bed and breakfast inn
where you can sleep late in the morning and skate or cycle every afternoon
to an idyllic location for a sunset picnic dinner.
If you're traveling with kids, look for a national or regional park
where you can go camping, hiking, swimming, or kayaking.
Almost everyone will enjoy a beach
resort, mountain hideaway, or local theme park,
and practically every town has its
own unique museums and historic sights.
Plan Your Trip
Do some research in advance, so you won't miss the best
attractions in the area you are visiting. Official tourist
offices for every country in the world are listed at
my newest Web site, CountriesAndCities.com
(http://www.countriesandcities.com).
Skate First, Play Later
Schedule your holiday for AFTER a skating event
so you can relax and enjoy the trip, and not spend every spare minute training
and worrying about how well you will skate.
If You Can't Be With the One You Love...
LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH! Remember that song
when you travel to a destination that is not
a well-known tourist destination.
Every part of the world is special in its own way, and each has its
own unique opportunities for relaxation, exploration, and fun.
Find out what the locals do for entertainment and recreation.
The very best adventure of all, and what makes traveling
the most fun, is exploring each area, meeting the people,
and discovering the hidden treasures each place has to offer.
Selecting a Destination
Planning an inline skating marathon holiday
can be approached in two different ways:
(1) select a country you have always wanted
to visit, and find out if that country will
have an inline skating marathon in 2004, or
(2) select a marathon you have always wanted
skate, and plan a trip around that event.
Listed below are countries where inline marathons
are scheduled to take place in 2004.
All of these countries
are wonderful travel destinations in their own right,
For more information about each individual marathons, see the
Lauri Dowling's "Index to Inline Marathons"
on page ?. For more information about traveling
and skating in each of those areas, see ?
Africa
Egypt
Luxor is the most important destination for any visitor to
Egypt and the Egyptian Inline Marathon takes place in that
city every February. Plan to spend at least two days
exploring the Luxor area, and it is advisable to hire a guide
from a reputable agency. Consider also taking
a 5 to 14 day Nile cruise, because this is one
of the easiest way to visit the major sights of Egypt.
Accommodations on these cruises range from basic
to luxurious. Keep in mind that the "Upper Nile is the south end
of the river and the "Lower Nile" is the north end.
Skating Guide for Egypt:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/eg/
Travel Guide for Egypt:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/eg/
Asia
South Korea
Seoul Korea is famous for ancient palaces,
beautiful parks, and the Han River that runs through
the middle of the city. During the month of April, skaters
visiting Seoul can also participate in the Munhwa Inline Marathon.
While you are in Seoul, plan to spend some time skating on
the bicycle trail that runs along the banks of the Han River. Because
of the huge number of inline skaters in Seoul, there are laws
against skating in the streets of at least some parts of the
city. Skaters vising Korea should take time to visit
Jeju island off the South Coast of Korea. Jeju
is very similar to Hawaii, and it has its own skating club, a new
skating track, and even its own skate tour company
called Active Jeju Tours. While you are in Korea, consider
also visting the historic city of Gyeongju and the beaches
and temples of the Hallyeo Waterway National Park on the southeast
coast.
Skating Guide for South Korea:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/kr/
Travel Guide for South Korea:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/kr/
Europe
Austria
Austria is one of the most
important cultural centers of Europe,
famous for music, art museums, historic palaces, skiing,
and the Danube River.
Since 1999 there has been an inline marathon every year
in the streets of Vienna and in 2004 the "Skate the Lake"
marathon at Klopeiner See Turnersee
will be a stop on the World Inline Cup tour. Visitors
to Austria should
not miss Salzburg, Vienna, Graz, Hallstatt,
Innsbruck, Tirol, and the spectacular highway
through the Tauern Mountain Range.
Skating Guide for Austria:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/at/
Travel Guide for Austria:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/at/
Denmark
The
charming Danish city of Odense is famous as the birthplace
of Hans Christian Andersen, and there is a running and skating
marathon in that city named after the famous fairy tale author.
The Hans Christian Anderson Marathon takes place every
October in that city and it includes running, skating, and
wheelchair events. The cities of Copenhagen and Aarhus
have large communities of skaters, as does beautiful
Bornholm Island. Every year in August there is a 100 kilometer
race around the Island of Bornholm. That event was cancelled
in 2003, but it is expected to be held again in 2004,
with new organizers and race directors. In addition to
visiting Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, and Bornholm, visitors to
Denmark should also try to take a ferry to tiny Christianso Island,
and see the Limfjord coastline, the chalk cliff formation on the
Island of Mon, and the port town of Skagen in the North
of Denmark.
Skating Guide for Denmark:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/dk/
Travel Guide for Denmark:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/dk/
France
France is the perfect
destination for a skating holiday.
because it is the home of the world famous Paris Friday
Night Skate, the largest group night skate in the world,
which every skater should experience
at least once in their life. France also has an inline racing
series called the French Inline Cup
with marathon events in many parts of the country including Dijon, Nice,
Rennes, Les Herbiers, Lille, Plouha, Pontarlier, and
Annecy. The most popular visitor attractions and destinations
in France are:
the Loire Valley,
the French Riviera,
the city of Paris,
the town of Biarritz,
the Palace at Versailles
the Catholic pilgrim destination of Lourdes,
the Pyrenees National Park,
Mont St. Michel Island,
the beaches of Normandy,
and the French Alps.
Skating Guide for France:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/fr/
Travel Guide for France:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/fr/
Germany
Germany is another
great destination for skaters because
almost every German city has a night skate, and those skates
are among the largest in the world. Germany is also the home
of the #1 largest inline skating marathon in the world.
It's the
Berlin Inline Marathon,
with 8000 skaters in 2002. In 2003 the Berlin
skating marathon will be held on Saturday and the running marathon
will be held on Sunday, in order to allow an incredible 12000 skaters to
participate.
There are many skate marathons in Germany,
in Rhein-Ruhr, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, and other areas.
The most popular tourist attractions in Germany
are Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Octoberfest in Munich,
the 220 mile Romantic Road, the remains of the Dachau
concentration camp, the Cologne Cathedral, the Black Forest,
the Frisian Islands, Heidelberg, Lake Constance, and
the city of Berlin.
Skating Guide for Germany:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/de/
Travel Guide for Germany:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/de/
Italy
Travelers visit Rome to see
ancient ruins, renaissance palaces, medieval churches,
and the Vatican, and to spend time relaxing in the city's beautiful
outdoor squares, filled with fountains and outdoor cafes.
Italy is not a country where you will always be permitted to
skate in the street, but many large cities have car-free Sundays
when it is possible to skate, and some cities
even have regularly scheduled night skates (Verona for example). Italy
also has several
inline skate marathons, the most famous of which is the
Rome Roller Marathon, famous for it's beautiful route
through the city, a great deal of which is on cobblestones..
There are also skating marathons in Maranello and Ferrara and several
other towns in Italy. Popular tourist attractions in
Italy include the Canals of Venice, the ruins of Pompeii,
the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Byzantine treasures of
Ravenna, the Palio in Siena, the Island of Capri,
the white marble buildings of Assisi, the
Gran Paradiso National Park in Northwest Italy,
the Island of Sicily, and of course the city of Rome.
Skating Guide for Italy:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/it/
Travel Guide for Italy:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/it/
Netherlands
The Netherlands is one
of the best countries in
the world for a skating holiday because the country is
very flat, and because nearly every road
has a bicycle trail next to it.
Many Dutch cities have night skates, including Amsterdam,
Rotterdam, Groningen, Haarlem, and others.
The Dutch Federation organizes an inline racing series
each year called
Univé Top Competitie
with marathons and other races in
Alern, Hallurn, Zanstad, Steenwijk, Bantega, and many
other locations.
The most visited sites in the Netherlands
are the Keukenhof Flower Gardens in the Spring,
Hoge Veluwe National Park, the
the Kröller-Müller Museum,
Anne Frank's House in Amsterdam, the Burgers' Zoo,
the miniature city of Madurodam,
Castle De Haar in Haarzuilens,
the Rijksmuseum, Marken Island near Amsterdam,
and the windmills of Kinderdijk.
Skating Guide for the Netherlands:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/nl/
Travel Guide for the Netherlands:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/nl/
Spain
Pamplona Spain
is famous for the "running of the bulls",
an event where local residents and visitors try to outrun a
stampede
of angry bulls without getting trampled under their hooves.
That city also has a skate marathon called the
Pamplona Inline Marathon
a Grand Prix event on the World Roller Cup Tour. Skaters
visiting Spain should also participate in the
Barcelona Friday Night Skate and visit the coastal city of Sitges.
Other popular attractions in Sp[ain include
the Prado Museum in Madrid,
Gaudí’s unfinished Cathedral in Barcelona,
The Alhambra in Grenada,
the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao,
the Tomato Festival in Valencia,
Cordoba and the Mezquita,
The Feria de Abril in Seville,
the Picos de Europa Mountains,
the Balearic Islands, and the World Heritage City of Toledo.
Skating Guide for Spain:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/es/
Travel Guide for Spain:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/es/
Sweden
Skating Guide for Sweden:
?
Top attractions in Sweden include Lapland,
Skokloster Slott Castle,
the Viking Town of Birka,
the medieval town of Visby on Gotland Island,
Gripsholm Castle on Lake Maaleren,
Sareks National Park,
the tiny Island of Öland,
prehistoric Old Uppsala,
the Kingdom of Crystal,
and the Beautiful City of Stockholm.
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/se/
Travel Guide for Sweden:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/se/
Switzerland
When most people think of Switzerland they think of
Alps, clocks, chocolate, yodelers, and banks, but
when I think of that country I think of skating!
The Swiss have a very well organized
Swiss Inline Cup series and in 2003 the SIC organizers
took over managing the World Inline Cup.
The Swiss racing season runs from May to October, and
events are staged in the most scenic parts of Switzerland
including including Basel, Bern, Zurich, Engadin, Lausanne,
Zug and many other places.
Some of the top visitor attractions in Switzerland are
the Jungfrau Region,
Chateau de Chillon in Montreux,
the Fasnacht Spring Carnival in Basel,
The Swiss National Park at Zernez,
the City of Geneva,
The Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps,
St. Moritz, Mount Pilatus high above
the lakeside city of Lucern,
and the cities of St. Gallen and Bern.
Skating Guide for Switzerland:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/ch/
Travel Guide for Switzerland:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/ch/
United Kingdom
Skating Guide for the United Kingdom:
Popular attractions in England include
the Lake District,
Buckingham Palace,
the Tower of London,
prehistoric
Stonehenge,
Alton Towers Theme Park,
the Roman Baths and Pump Room at Bath,
the medieval city of York,
Stratford-Upon-Avon,
Windsor Castle, and the
city of London.
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/uk/
Travel Guide for the United Kingdom:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/uk/
Pacific Oceania
Australia
Skating Guide for Australia:
Canberra,
Adelaide,
Brisbane,
Cairns,
Darwin,
the Great Barrier Reef
the Great Ocean Road,
Hobart,
Melbourne,
Perth,
Sydney,
and Uluru (Ayres Rock).
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/au/
Travel Guide for Australia:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/au/
French Polynesia
The Island of Tahiti
is stunningly beautiful, and the
nearby island of Moorea was the model for the
legendary "Bali Hai" in the musical South Pacific.
For a skating trip you will never forget, visit Tahiti in
November and skate with local Tahitians and visiting
skaters from around the world in the
Tahiti Nui Roller Marathon.
Skating Guide for French Polynesia:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/pf/
Travel Guide for French Polynesia:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/pf/
South America
Colombia
Skating Guide for Colombia:
The seaport of Barranquilla,
the Andean city of Bogota,
the cobblestone streets of Old Cartagena,
La Guajira Desert, Rio Negro,
Parque de Los Nevados,
the volcanic region around the city of Pasto,
the colonial town of popayan,
Purace National Park,
the Village of San Agustin,
the islands in the
archipelago of San Andres and Providencia,
the town of Santa Fe de Antioquia,
and the coastal town of Santa Marta,
and Villa del Leyva, a national monument
and a perfect example of a colonial town.
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/co/
Travel Guide for Colombia:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/co/
Venezuela
Skating Guide for Venezuela:
Angel Falls,
the city of Caracas,
the historic port town of Ciudad Bolivar,
the high savanna of Southern Venezuela,
and the beaches of Los Roques National Park,
Margarita Island. and Parque Nacional Morrowcoy.
and the 10 day Festival of San Sebastian
held every January.
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/pf/
Travel Guide for Venezuela:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/pf/
North America
Ottawa Canada
Ottawa is the capital of the Province of
Ontario and it is located on the banks
of the Ottawa River in Eastern Ontario.
The city of Montreal in the neighboring
province of Quebec is well worth a side
trip if you are skating the Capital Marathon
in Ontario.
Skating Guide for Canada:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/ca/
Travel Guide for Canada:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/ca/
Arizona USA
The Grand Canyon,
Petrified Forest National Park,
Sedona,
and the Indian ruins in the red cliffs
of Canyon de Chelly National Park.
and the cities of Phoenix, Tucson,
Yuma, and Oro Valley.
Skating Guide for Arizona:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/us/az/
Travel Guide for Arizona:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/us/az/
California USA
Popular attractions in
Northern California include
San Francisco, gold country,
the coastal town of Mendocino,
and the wine region of Napa and
Sonoma counties.
Southern California's most visited
attractions are Disneyland,
Venice Beach, Hollywood film industry,
and and miles and miles of sunny beaches.
Skating Guide for California:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/us/ca/
Travel Guide for California
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/us/ca/
Florida USA
The number one tourist attraction in
Florida is Disney World in Orlando,
and that is also the site of an inline
marathon that runs thorugh all the different
theme lands within the park. Florida also
has a wonderful and extensive network of paved multi-use
trails, the Florida Keys,
and the popular beaches of
Miami, Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale,
and Tampa Bay.
Skating Guide for Florida:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/us/fl/
Travel Guide for Florida:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/us/fl/
Minnesota USA
Minnesota is another USA strate
with miles and miles of multi-use
trails.
Skating Guide for Minnesota:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/us/mn/
Travel Guide for Minnesota:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/us/mn/
Nebraska USA
Cornhusker classic.
Rollerskating Museum,
skating waiters,
the U.S. skating federation
site of many u.s. nationals
for speed and artistic.
Skating Guide for Nebraska:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/ne/
Travel Guide for Nebraska:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/ne/
New York USA
Central Park,
Statue of Liberty,
New York City,
Lake Placid,
Niagara Falls,
Lake Ontario,
Lake Erie,
and the Finger Lakes region.
The Appalachian,
Adirondack, and
Catskill Mountains,
Skating Guide for New York:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/us/ny/
Travel Guide for New York:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/us/ny/
Texas USA
Alamo,
The plains of the panhandle,
hill country,
the gulf coast,
the piney woods,,
prairies and lakes,
Big bend country.
Guadalupe Mountains
National Park
Big Bend National Park,
Ghost towns,
San Antonio
Dallas
Skating Guide for Texas:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/us/tx/
Travel Guide for Texas:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/us/tx/
Wisconsin USA
?
Skating Guide for Wisconsin:
http://www.skatelog.com/countries/us/wi/
Travel Guide for Wisconsin:
http://www.countriesandcities.com/countries/us/wi/
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Kathie Fry of SkateLog.com
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