Question: Is there a soft opening or guest preview for the new Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Answer: No, there is no soft opening or guest preview. This is a very common question by guests in the park […]
Last week I did a leg of the Ruck Across America (RAA), the grassroots fundraiser organized by alumni of the GoRuck Challenge. The pack started it’s journey on June 22 in Coronado, went north to Seattle, traveled across the country to Maine, then all the way down the east coast until it finally reached South Florida. By the time it reached me it was very stinky and filled with various knick knacks from around the country. There was a beanie baby reindeer and a bottle of Fireball. Despite the stink, it was a pleasure to carry.
What I liked about the RAA was the chance to spend a day hiking a section of the coast I had never visited. The most I’ve ever hiked in a single day is 20 miles, if you don’t count the GoRuck Challenge as a hike, which you shouldn’t. My crew opted to walk at a brisk pace, about 17′ miles. Leisurely compared to the GRC, but still aggressive enough that it was tiring. I thought the RAA backpack weighed about 20 pounds, but I wasn’t sure. It felt light but it burdens you just enough to wear you out, especially by the end.
Immediately after doing GoRuck Challenge in December, me and my crew plotted our next big event for 2011: Megatransect. Megatransect is a near marathon distance run/hike up, over, and through Bald Eagle Mountain and the Bald Eagle State Forest in Central Pennsylvania. The distance this year was a cool 25.5 miles. If you’re considering Mega after reading this post, know that the 850 slots filled up in 48 hours and organizers are expecting an even faster sell-out for 2012. Next year will be Mega’s 10th anniversary.
Before we get into the review, let me say this. You can bet your sweet ass I’ll be on my computer with credit card in hand on January 1 signing up again. Mega totally rocks.
I vacationed in Costa Rica and it totally kicked ass. Don’t read this post unless you want your head to explode from jealousy.
Here’s the logistical bullcrap. I found tickets that flew through Miami on American Airlines for just under $400. A bunch of my pals flew Jetblue, which does a direct out of MCO, for like $500+ each. This is not a bad way to go. It’s about a 3 hour flight from Miami to San Jose. Once in San Jose, we took a shuttle from the airport to Jaco (1 hour 15 minutes), which is a coolass beach town on the Pacific side. Jaco is fairly built up and tourist friendly; everyone speaks English and there’s plenty of restaurants, bars, and clubs. It’s very easy to navigate for gringos. In fact, there was a disconcerting number of gringos and especially folks from Texas and Florida. My comment was, “You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a gringo in this place.” So, if you’re looking for a remote location where you’re the only non-Tico, Jaco is NOT the ideal choice.
