Whether you are a true nature lover or simply enjoy the thrill of an educational field trip, you will find both the wonders of nature and a deep sense of history while visiting Angel Island. In fact, I would suggest making Angel Island a must see destination while visiting San Francisco.
In the great city of San Francisco, which has so much to offer visitors, it's almost impossible to find that one thing that will be truly special and unique about your trip. Angel Island is just that thing. Wherever your interests lie, there is something that will attract the attention of people of all ages, economic situations, and other walks of life. If you can't find something that will interest you here, you really should rethink your interests.
For the nature lovers there is plenty of interest in way of plant life, bird life, and other animal life that should be of interests. There are even specialized tours available that will highlight and focus on the wide variety of life on this great island. Not only are there a great variety of land animals but a good representation of sea animals can be observed here as well. If you love nature, this is a great place to get a good dose of it while in the big city of San Francisco. Not only can you enjoy the sea animals on the ferry ride over (if you choose a ferry for your transportation) but you get to enjoy the plant and animal life on the island as well. Don't forget the air animals either though. There are many varieties of birds that are well represented here as well.
For those that prefer more active pursuits, there is plenty on Angel Island to keep you entertained and happy. First of all, there is plenty to offer by way of hikes. There are even guided hiking tours that offer the safety of numbers (very good for beginning hikers) and information about the island and its rich history. If hiking isn't really your thing, there are also bike rentals available on the island as well. With several trails to choose from with varying degrees of difficulty, even the beginner can enjoy a nice ride around the island.
My personal favorite physical activity here would be the kayak tours. For the right price you can book a guided kayak tour around the island. The tour includes equipment rental, your guide for the day, and a picnic lunch this would be for the all day tour, which will take you around the entire island. There is a 2 and a half hour tour if you aren't too sure about the whole kayaking thing or want to have time to enjoy other aspects of the island on your trip as well. The beauty of a trip to Angel Island is that there really is no right or wrong way to go about enjoying your day.
For sun lovers, there are several beaches where you can bring a blanket and lie down with a good book in order to catch some rays. I do not recommend swimming from Angel Island as the water isn't the cleanest nor is it the calmest. The tides are dangerous and can turn amazingly quickly. But if you love books and find that you could use a ray or two, let the kids and the rest of the family go biking, hiking, touring, and all that other good stuff while you catch up on the latest best seller at the beach.
All of this and I haven't even really hinted at the rich history of Angel Island. There are many activities planned throughout the year that introduce visitors to the rich history of this island. From Civil War Days to the Potomac Tours to the Victorian Christmas there are brief snapshots into the history of this great island. Beyond these events there are tram tours that are offered almost daily during the regular season on the island that provide brief overviews into the islands history. This would be a great way to spend a day while visiting San Francisco.
The Amsterdam Marathon
The Amsterdam
Marathon is by far the most testing running event in the history of
Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is an extremely well-organized event and
is classified in the Golden League category by the International
Association of Athletics Federations, the highest level for road
racing competitions.
The History
The first ING
Amsterdam Marathon as we know it today happened on May 3, 1975.
Since that time, the start and finish lines were at the Olympic
Stadium. According to certain records, the first person who won the
first Amsterdam Marathon was Joergen Jensen from Denmark who ran the
distance in 2.16.51. A year later, a European champion and second at
the Munich Olympic Games named Karel Lismont came to Amsterdam. She
is still regarded in Belgium as the best marathon runner even born on
its soil, won in a tremendously hot weather condition. Another
legendary winner of the Amsterdam Marathon came to the city a year
later. He actually won the Boston marathon in 1975, being able to
finish first in an unbeatable 2.09.55.
With the
reconstructed arena, the Amsterdam Marathon finally was brought back
to its former venue – the Olympic Stadium. In that venue, another
memorable event took place and it was the 1996 Amsterdam Marathon
when the city saw a rise in the number of its runners, both in men
and women categories. The success of the marathon continues even
until now and many Amsterdammers have immortalized their names
through this event.
The Route
The route of the
Amsterdam Marathon is usually fast, free of traffic, and as flat.
During the event, digital clocks and refreshments stand line the
route, which typically passed through the Vondelpark, below the
Rijksmuseum and finishes back inside the Olympic Stadium.
Time Limit
Just like any
other sports events, the Amsterdam Marathon has its own time limit.
It has been maintained that the full marathon is subject to a
six-hour time limit. The participants who fail to run the scheduled
distances within the time limits set for the 25 km, 30 km, 35 km, or
40 km markers, as well as those who will exceed the overall time
limit will be asked by a member of the event jury to terminate their
race and to board the sag wagon for safety and health purposes.
However, if despite being approached by a jury and the participants
continue to run, they will be asked to do so at their own risk, as
the route will be released for road traffic once the sag wagon has
passed. And, it is a rule in the Amsterdam Marathon that if the
participants terminate their race prior to finishing, they will not
qualify for a medal.
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