Mainly Marathons – Heartland Series July 2019
Mainly Marathons medals I received in July 2019. Representing 4 states in 4 days
I spent four days in July doing the Mainly Marathons Heartland series. This company’s motto is “We Run This Country!” and they do that with 80 races in all 50 states. My goal is to run a half marathon in each state and this is an excellent way to do it.
Summer 2018 was my first venture with Mainly when I did four races in New England. I was not sure I could do back-to-back days, so I had a day of rest in between races.
But last year showed me I could do it, so this year I decided to do four states in four days. This would net me three new states since I did Iowa in 2017, but if I did four I could level up to Earth in Half Fanatics (just another goal that means nothing if you don’t do this stuff!)
Niles, Michigan
I landed in Chicago and within 1 hour I had made it to my hotel, called an Uber, and met my stepsisters on the shores of Lake Michigan for a sunset boat ride. What a way to view Chicago!
The next morning I traveled to Niles, Michigan.
I found Riverfront Park, the site of the race starting at 5 am the next morning.
Lovely path, lots of shade, lots of camaraderie with other racers. The weather was perfect!
After the race, I drove to Notre Dame University, barely 13 miles distant in South Bend, Indiana.
First I saw the Golden Dome with a statue of Mary atop. It is genuine gold leaf that covers the dome; only a fist full was used when it was last regilded in 2005.
The famous Golden Dome at Notre Dame University 
Cedar Grove cemetery on Notre Dame campus
The Cedar Grove Cemetery is directly to the left as you enter the university grounds. It is lovely and well cared for; it looks like eligibility requires service to Notre Dame.
But I had to find cold water to soothe my body, then make my way to Portage, Indiana to find the next morning’s race. Indiana State Dunes Park provided what I needed.
Factory stacks at Gary, Indiana. I loved the water! 
The beach along Lake Michigan
Portage, Indiana
Three in the morning comes early, but the race start was 4 am so there I was. The course was along a river and a shaded trail.
The next race was a three hour drive across Illinois.
Waving corn was in abundance all through the state.
Fulton, Illinois
Right on the Mississippi! It was a beautiful day but very hot. Not a lot of shade on this side of the river.
I had planned on swimming in the Mississippi after the race, but was advised not to because of bacteria. I went to the local pool, but was so hot that it was nothing but crowded, mostly kids screaming. But I needed relief so I drove to Bettendorf, Iowa, 35 miles through corn and more corn, to get a foot massage. Got me through one more day!
Clinton, Iowa
Clinton, Iowa was directly across the Mississippi River. The start line was 3 miles from Fulton, Illinois, same start time of 4 am.
This was my last day and, because I already had Iowa, considered not doing if I was too tired.
But something happens when you do these races. the camaraderie with other suffering souls is there, of course, but it is the stories that are amazing. One young woman set a Guinness Record for being the heaviest woman to do a marathon. It took her 11+ hours, but she did it. There was another woman who did her 500th marathon. That was not a typo.
And there was my very own Chippendale, 62 year old Joe Weaver, who entertained me each day with his … smile. He used to be heavy, drank, and smoked, but then he decided to change his life. Made my efforts each morning a little brighter.
As soon as I finished the race it was back to Chicago to catch the five hour flight to Seattle. Very long day.
I have not elaborated on all the self-management it took to make sure I would get through walking a half marathon four days in a row without injury or exhaustion. I was consistent, finishing three of them within two minutes of each other. But that is all part of this journey!
Next up is the Reykjavik Half Marathon Iceland. Staying in an airbnb within a short walking distance to the race start, and have a couple of days on either side of the race to sightsee. Another adventure coming up!
Wilma Ruth Christian from Grants Pass, Oregon, died on April 16, 2019, at the age of 94.
To the end, she was cantankerous, witty, and made it clear she was not to be “counted out” – until she was.
Wilma had an interesting life as only a woman-with-ambition born and raised in the small Michigan town of Caro during the Depression and World War ll was allowed to have. A major defining moment was weathering, at 18, the drowning death of her younger sister Shirley. “I don’t think you ever get over that,” she said. But she made sure her children took swimming lessons.
She went to college when no one in her family had ever done so, graduating from Adrian College.
After graduation she trekked off to Africa under the auspices of the Methodist Church to teach in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). “I thought it would be different,” she recalled, “The minister’s wife set it up for me, and the only choice I had to make was if I wanted to go to India or Africa, and Africa sounded more exotic.”
Her next defining moment was meeting Jim Christian, another lonely American soul who worked for the Methodist bishop in the Belgian Congo (now Zaire). His parents were living in the same compound as Wilma and introduced their son when he came to visit.
They were married in the half-built church his father was constructing, and when Jim decided to go back to Boston to obtain his PhD, Wilma and his parents followed. When asked why she didn’t pursue her dreams to teach, she responded with, “Well, that is what we did then. What he wanted.”
Wilma had children instead, contributing seven to the Baby Boom generation. It was a hard life, raising them essentially alone, since Jim divorced her. She was 37 years old with seven children under the age of ten. They all became contributing adults.
She married again and Tom Walker moved her to Grants Pass.
Grants Pass is where she was finally able to make her own mark teaching. Tom was gone and she had her house and her communities.
Wilma was a prime example of how important community is, especially as we age.
She was a vital member of the Center of Spiritual Living and wore her Practitioner badge with pride. She was a teacher, organizer, member, and taskmaster for a myriad of church groups over a span of thirty-plus years. She was always willing to help those in need.
She was also a Master Gardener who took great enjoyment in teaching the new classes. She prided herself on creating and maintaining the vast garden archive, and was the 2014 Josephine County Master Gardener of the Year. Her iris were legendary, and her yard was a living entity she always kept changing. On each visit, each child put in their time weeding until each one realized it would never end!
Wilma also had her projects. Eighteen binders of world-class stamps from a lifetime of collecting filled one closet. Racks of bird nests, boxes of rocks, and glass-fronted cabinets of butterflies filled her garage amid the boxes of books representing every genre. Louis L’amour was well represented on the living room bookshelves as well as an eclectic collection of vinyl albums, from Deanna Durbin (her favorite) to Broadway musicals and Perry Mason videos.
Add the wealth of gardening information, from thick gardening books to 40-year-old Sunset Magazines that she was sure would be valuable to someone, and reams of family genealogy she just had to finish. Another byproduct of being a Depression baby? Every book in her home will have to be opened to make sure that money has not been secreted inside!
She died exactly as she wanted – at home with her beloved garden outside. She still had unfinished projects sitting on the kitchen table.
Wilma is survived by her two sisters, seven children, ten grandchildren and a lot of great-grandchildren. Here is the obituary from the funeral home.
A celebration of her life will be at 10 am on May 11, 2019, at the Center for Spiritual Living, Grants Pass, Oregon.
Stunned. You cannot traverse this imposing ancient rampart and not be stunned by its majesty, as the wall winds its way across the spine of the mountains as far as you can see.
The sheer scale of what man built is truly unfathomable until you plant your feet on top and gaze at the horizon.
But first, the farmotel (farm+motel)
After the first day of hiking eight miles from Jiankou to Mutianyu, an unrestored section, all I wanted were my newly discovered passion, dumplings, and a bed. I was really tired.
We drove an hour or so to Gubei Village where we stayed at the Great Wall Inn farmotel.
It was lovely outside the motel, with terraced gardens and hanging gourds.
At the war memorial in Guibekou.
Wandering around the town we came upon what a local said is a war memorial, although it was unclear to what war or wars.
But the best part? Dumplings!! Those were all for me. Well, most of them! I had mentioned to Oliver how much I was liking dumplings so he had arranged with the innkeeper to make sure I had enough at dinner.
Dumplings for dinner at the Great Wall Inn
The second best part was the clean beds just waiting for us!
Wonderful beds awaited us at the Great Wall Inn
Day 2 – Hiking Jinshanling, a restored section of the Great Wall of China
The beds were perfect, but I was so tired they could have been concrete and it wouldn’t have mattered.
After breakfast, we drove to the Jinshanling section, where there was not only a paved path but singing to help you get to the top of the wall.
And once I got to the top, this was where I was going.
Another shot of where I went.
Jinshanling Section of the Great Wall of China
Three watchtowers on Jinshanling section on Great Wall of China
Watchtowers were restored with gorgeous views. You can see for miles and miles and miles, which was the whole purpose of the Great Wall, anyway.
Two watchtowers on Jinshanling section of Great Wall of China
Watchtower signage on Jinshanling section of Great Wall of China
Entrepreneurship on the Great Wall of China.
Water and snacks for sale on the Great Wall of China
Through an arch
Looking from a watchtower on the Jinshanling Section of the Great Wall of China
Yes, I did!
Taking a break on the wall
And then I saw the cable cars going down to the car park!
Oliver, my guide, said we actually had another mile of hiking to get to the place where the driver was waiting for us, but there wasn’t anything special about that last mile; a couple of watchtowers and more steps. I decided I had hiked enough of the wall in two days (over 13 miles) and the cable car looked so inviting. Oliver called the driver (yes, cell service was quite adequate!) who met us at the tourist park.
The restored Great Wall section is on the lower part of the map
As we drove out of the tourist park I saw the most unique mural painted on the side of a hill. It looks like the vegetation was scraped away and the dirt was painted with a depiction of the Great Wall. Imagine the maintenance this requires!
I am so glad I made the choice to do the wall on two days on two distinctly separate sections because I had two different experiences.
The unrestored section (Jiankou to Mutianyu) was wilder and broken and required more effort to watch where I was going. The Jinshanling restored section was just that – restored. But both had the views and the vistas and the steep climbs and descents.
And most of all the history!
And it was purely delightful to watch all the young children show me this was just a walk on the stairs to them. Ahh, youth!
You have to go.
Next: Riding the bullet train to Xi’an, China to see the Terracotta Warriors. Truly another amazing experience in China.
There are a ton of pictures and blogs and reviews of hiking on the Great Wall of China. You can hike in many different places, spending a day or a month.
Seeing this 5,500-mile long massive feat of ancient engineering and history was one of the first things I wanted to do when I retired. Although it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s estimated thirty percent has already been destroyed.
There is an astounding amount of history along this trail. Who built it? I found this illustration on the China Highlights site.
Finding the right hike
I spent a lot of time trying to find the right way for me to enjoy a least a small part of the Great Wall – which turned out to be a total of thirteen miles!
I first thought I would do the Great Wall of China half marathon (that is 13.1 miles), but watching YouTube videos of the course persuaded me that race was way too hard. Since I have now been on the Great Wall, not doing the race was a great decision!
I found the perfect hike: One day on the unrestored section of the wall, and, after an overnight stay, the next day would be on the restored section.
Two-day Overnight Camping & Hiking Tour to Great Wall from the famous battlefield Gubeikou to Jinshanling, and from Jiankou to Mutianyu.
I pondered staying overnight in a watchtower along the wall so I could see the sun rising over the Great Wall of China (they made it sound so exciting). But I decided that sleeping on cold stone just to see a sunrise was not something that I wanted to do no matter where it is!
The first day the hike was from Gubeikou (goo-bay-koh) to Jinshanling.
The second day was from Jiankou to Mutianyu. On the map above, it states how many hours (day 1 – 5 hours, day 2 – 4 hours) it would take to do those two hikes. But it turns out those estimate had nothing to do with me!
Day 1 – 8 miles hiking the Great Wall
I asked for a guide all my own. Oliver and the driver from the Great Wall Adventure Company picked us up at our hotel in Beijing.
First, Oliver stopped at a typical convenience store in case we wanted snacks.
We drove 2.5 hours to the start point outside of Gubeikou Town. The climb up is quite a hike in itself. A half mile mostly dirt trail winds its way up to the Gubeikou section. It is deceptive because it is a lovely path in the beginning but then becomes quite steep.
It got a lot steeper as we ascended to the unrestored section of the wall. We were doing 8 miles to Jinshanling.
First look at an unrestored section of the Great Wall
Gubeikou’s Great Wall has retained its original design and it was easy to wonder just how old the stones were and how many people had trod on them. How many arrows and later guns were fired from the watchtowers. 
This was a key pass between ancient China and Mongol territory. It protected China from Mongol/Manchu invasion from the north and, over the centuries, more than 130 battles were fought along here.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the Gubeikou Great Wall was extended and enhanced with more beacon towers and pass gates. The last construction took place in 1567. No rebuilding or renovation has been done since then, but I never felt unsafe, just cautious . But the view was worth the uneven steps, the irregular steepness, the stones that were missing.
When you finally see it
And there it was. The breathtaking magnificence of the Great Wall of China. Truly spectacular barely describes the fortification as it goes on and on and on as we trekked and took pictures and climbed up and down and up and down some more.
Stunning view of the wall as it was built along the spine of the mountains
Unrestored section of Great Wall. You needed to watch where you stepped.
It was the perfect day for hiking the Great Wall. Look at that blue sky.
It was beautiful. You could easily see why this is the greatest military installation ever built. Astonishing, actually, considering that the manual labor was done by soldiers, peasants, and prisoners during centuries and dynasties.
And the engineering was apparent.
Drainage on the Great Wall
Kids were everywhere!
I approached this hike like it was going to be difficult, wearing my hiking boots and my hiking pants and the proper hat … and this was not an unusual picture of children and parents and grandparents having a casual day out on the Wall.
Family taking a break on the Great Wall
I felt like an overprepared American tourist, which I was. But I really needed my hiking boots and my hat!
One of many arches
There were children everywhere.
Descending steps
Lots of children
Little girl coming down the steps
Let’s take our drone to the Great Wall!
As we neared Jinshanling the wall became more restored. It wasn’t any easier to hike, though.
Jinshanling Tourist Consult
We saw the cable car in the distance, but there was no way I was going to ride it. Better to walk the last mile down to the car park where the driver was waiting to take us to the ‘farmotel’ for the night.
Eight miles on the wall that first day, plus the hike up and down. Took us about eight hours. All I wanted were dumplings and a bed.
Next: The night at a lovely motel in a village at the base of Jinshanling. Then day 2 on the Great Wall starts with Chinese music!
Summary: Well established (23 years) event. Straight but boring course. Good support (toilets, water stations). Nice crowd support at the finish.
It has been ten years since I have done the Tucson Half Marathon and it will be at least another ten before I do it again. If I can remember how boring it is then I will never do it again.
The bus driver had no clue how to get to the start line and my Washington state friend Diana Hull nicely explained to her all she had to do was get on the main road and just drive the 21.2 miles to the start line. When we finally turned onto Biosphere Road, my friend also made sure the bus stopped at the toilets first, because the trip had taken an exceedingly long time. We all piled out!
But we got there. I did Revel Rockies the year only one half marathon bus made it to the start line, and I just happened to be on that one bus. So I am happy each time a bus gets me to the start line!
Now the staging area was a 1/4 mile from the toilets, and the start line was a 1/4 mile beyond that. And the gear bus was parked in the middle. Once we figured that out we just waited by the bus until time to walk to the start line.
Cathy Christian and Diana Hull waiting for the start of the 2018 Tucson Half marathon
When I did this race ten years ago there were tall portable heaters at the staging area, and everyone was huddling around them. No such amenities this time, and it was cold!
On Biosphere Road waiting for the race to start
The race was fine. Police stopped traffic, water stations were every two miles (including one that had a drum corps pounding away), and the cones were out on the highway.
This is the race course pictured below. Eleven miles on the highway and then two miles of a neighborhood, including one long 1/2 mile climb (long because of where it is on the course: do you really want to climb at mile 12?) If you did the marathon it was 24 miles of this and then two miles in the neighborhood, etc.
Oracle Hwy, aka AZ-77, the course for most of the Tucson Marathon
I wore sunscreen, had my visor, and my friend patiently waited for me (she just came off an Ironman and I think she was using this race to keep up her training for her next Ironman!) We had to wait another 20 minutes for the bus to take us back to the parking area. It was hot.
2018 Tucson Half Marathon Finisher’s Medal
Since living in Arizona I have discovered many races to do, and just don’t need to do this one again.
Next: One I have done before: Sporty Divas Green Lake Half, Seattle, Washington on Dec 30.
Since Tucson was race #78 on my 100 Half Marathon quest, I need to do some serious planning for the next 22 races!
This was the first championship tournament held at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which is a renowned tennis club. The tournament was a week long, but I was there on the weekend.
The mountains surrounding Indian Wells Tennis Club, the venue for the 2018 Margaritaville Pickleball Championships.
Father watching daughter warming up. Notice those mountains and resurfaced courts.
Map of Indian Wells Pickleball Venue
Many vendors were at the week-long tournament.
Lovely old ladies playing ping pong and the Margaritaville Welcome Committee on stilts.
Kaitlyn giving her all. Her opponent is Corrine Carr, back on the left with the white hat. Corrine does the ‘around the post’ video above.
Sitting in Margaritaville.
Next: Short Review of Revel Mt. Lemmon half marathon and a long piece on China.
“Because it is there” would be way too easy, but there is some truth in that response. China will give me experiences I have never had, from sleeping on the Great Wall of China to riding the famed bullet train, from seeing 2000-year-old clay warriors to cruising on the Bund in Shanghai. I love history and that is what China has in abundance.
I will be in Beijing for six days, two of which will include hiking two distinct portions of the Great Wall – one unrestored, the other restored. I considered staying in a watchtower for the night to be sure to catch the sunrise (imagine seeing the sun arise over the Great Wall of China!) My research led me to accept the fact that my sleeping encased in a thin sleeping bag on concrete-like stones with no toilet around probably would not endear me to the hike the next day.
After Beijing, I take the 4.5 hour trip on the bullet train to Xi’an. I engaged a service to buy the train tickets and they sent me a great video on getting to the Beijing West train station. Got me so excited! I admit I bought business class seats on the bullet trains to make my experience easier, though.
I spend a couple of days in Xi’an seeing the Terracotta Warriors and the Hanyangling Museum, another lesser known terracotta army of warriors from the Han Dynasty.
I take another bullet train to Chengdu. So glad they have both squat and sit down toilets on the trains. This looks like a great way to spend six hours of my life!!!
Chengdu is where the pandas and the Giant Leshan Buddha are, but I planned this trip without taking into consideration the National Holiday Week of Oct 1-7, the biggest tourism week in China.
You know how we in America don’t go anywhere during Labor Day weekend, or Memorial day weekend, or Christmas week without enduring overwhelming crowds and traffic and queues and waiting? Well, that is National Holiday Week in China. Everything I read said DON’T GO during that week! But of course, I read everything after I booked the flights.
So instead of seeing the pandas or the Buddha, I am taking a 12km hike on Baitu Lake and Wugeshan Mountain. These pictures sold me.
I have a guide and am looking forward to it. I really wanted to see the Buddha, but the logistics that week make it impossible. Guess I will have to go back!
After two days in Chengdu, Air China takes me for three days in Shanghai. My hotel in Shanghai looks right at the Oriental Pearl Tower.
And then I start home via two days in Hong Kong.
There have been so many parts to planning this trip that I have been overwhelmed at times and wondered why I just didn’t just buy a tour and be done with it.
Because the Chinese government has severe censorship on using the Internet, (no Google, no Facebook), I had to learn about and install a Virtual Private Network on my phone and tablet (Express VPN won).
Packing light has been a challenge, but I am down to three pairs of pants, one skirt and no more. I have been educating myself on bartering – an absolute necessity and expectation in China. One more opportunity for me to get outside my box!
Taking the right credit cards, finding out how to get RMB, the Chinese currency, without paying exorbitant fees, knowing to take toilet paper and coffee (thank goodness for Via) – what an experience this trip has already been! And I am pleased I am traveling independently (that is what it is called when you don’t do a tour!)
I bought this to help me navigate with people!
But now I am almost done and leaving in one week. I have left myself a lot of open time on the trip to experience where I am. I am sure I will see the Summer Palace, and Tiananmen Square, in Beijing and the Jade Buddha in Shanghai, and am looking forward to the unexpected that always turn up on my adventures.
And if I forgot something, there will be plenty of opportunities to buy it in China!
I will be in touch.
Summary: Beautiful course if you aren’t expecting a typical Revel downhill race; lovely large medal; exit bus queue 50 minutes too long; easy packet pickup; free pictures always a nice perk
Rising at 2:30 am to make the 3:30 bus to the staging area for the 5:30 race start caused me to wonder: Why do I do this?
I added up all the money I would lose if I didn’t do the four future races I have already paid for, and decided the loss was acceptable. I could sell my Half Fanatics shirts to the crazy people who do this crack-of-dawn thing – oh, wait, 2:30 is BEFORE the crack of dawn!
The staging area was typical for Revel – plenty of toilets, big cups of Powerade, the cheery guy on the too-loud microphone exhorting us to have fun. I do not know why anyone is cheery before dawn.
As we gather at the start line for the 5:30 am start, I am still wondering how not to do the next 13.1 miles. Then I see this:
Mt. Hood, Portland, OR 5:30 am July 28, 2018
Seeing Mt. Hood gave me a deep breath and appreciation for what I was about to do – and how grateful I am that I can do this.
The half marathon course
I love doing Revel races. They are all downhill and give me just enough push that I can go a bit faster than normal. This was my Revel race #7. (Mt. Charleston, Rockies, Big Cottonwood, Mt. Lemmon)
It didn’t take long to realize this was not a downhill race. When I saw the first hill I was so surprised that I actually stopped to make sure I was on the right path, that I had not made a wrong turn. But no, it was a long slow uphill. Then another one. And one more. And I revisited why am I doing this!!!!
There was one short section with no shoulder and cars were shooting right past me. One guy honked his horn when I didn’t move fast enough for him. Unsafe at any speed!
Miles 10-12 were all uphill. But by then I was so close I didn’t care; I was just going to get it done.
Mile 12 of the Mt. Hood half marathon course
At the finish
So I finished and lovely friends were waiting for me and I was sore and tired. Let’s not talk about how miserable it was waiting 50 minutes to board the bus to take us back to our parked cars. I am sure Revel will fix this next year because there will be a lot of complaints. But look at this beautiful medal:
Inaugural Mt. Hood Half Marathon Medal
Posing with my medal after Inaugural Mt. Hood Half Marathon July 28, 2018. Photo courtesy of Marge Bethel
Bottom Line:
Revel does great races and this was no exception. If I hadn’t been expecting all downhill and no uphills, I would have enjoyed the course more. It was scenic, volunteers were plentiful, and there was community support, too.
Revel Races Elevations
Next: Sporty Diva’s Bad Azz, Lacey, WA. Yes, I live in Arizona now but this small race is put on by my favorite race director, Rose Coates, AKA Sporty Diva!
Oh, and my next Revel Race is Mt. Lemmon in November – for the second time!
Summary: Extremely well organized, nice expo, incredible community support, lovely venue along the Clark Fork River. Missoula was a very welcoming town.
The Missoula, Montana Half Marathon was so much fun I just may do it again, if for no other reason than to enjoy the tuxedo-clad pianist playing his baby grand in his front yard.
Piano player on the Missoula course with Marge Bethel
Bagpipes along the Missoula course. Isn’t the course beautiful!
What amazed me was the incredible organization. Run Wild Missoula not only had lots of volunteers but they knew exactly how to set up navigation at the packet pick up; the location for parking and bus pickup was so very easy, and the course was well marked. They also had PLENTY of portable toilets.
Portable toilets and the sunrise at the Missoula Marathon
The sun was coming up as this awesome woman sang the Star Spangled Banner. I was too enthralled to get a picture; just put my hand over my heart and enjoyed the moment. They even had fireworks!
Fireworks at the start of the Missoula Marathon
Drop bags – I never drop a bag because it takes too long to get it after and seems like pickup (and drop off!) is always disorganized. Even Revel Races are chaotic. I wish I had dropped for this race, because there were several UPS trucks with big bib number signs taking the bags. They were put in the truck in numerical bib order. When my friend picked up her bag they knew right where her bag was.
I loved that walkers were so welcomed. The runners started and the walkers then merged into them. Worked pretty well, I thought. (More and more race directors are understanding that a walker-friendly race is a better attended race.)
Start line for walkers at Missoula Montana Marathon
The community was out in full support, no matter where you were on the course. I ran through many sprinklers, was tempted to drink beer at a front yard table, and the artists playing included not only the piano guy and the bagpipers, but several guitar players who had great voices. I lost a few minutes because I stopped to listen.
Dueling bagpipes on the Missoula Marathon course
The race pictures were free. I love that more and more races are going this way.
Finish Line, Missoula Half Marathon
Finish Line, Missoula Half Marathon
With Marge Bethel on the Missoula Half Marathon courseAnd the medals
Missoula 5k and Half Marathon medals, as well as Half Fanatics medal
I did the 5k the day before the half. The small one is the Half Fanatics special medal. I totally love the tennis shoes hanging off the moose antlers!
Then I found my way to the Clark Fork River.
Easing inflammation in the Clark Fork River after the Missoula Half Marathon
Recommendation: GO DO THIS RACE!
John F. Kennedy wrote those words in 1956. His Presidential Library was evocative of the leader he strove to be.
The site of the library is on the water of Boston Harbor.
The layout of the library follows his life. Look closely and you will see the different elements that defined the 1960 election and then his presidency: Kennedy-Nixon debate, Vietnam, civil rights, Cuba and Khrushchev, space.
1960 election
I did not know Nixon (red) carried so much of the West. 
The Inaugural address was 16 minutes of hope. (this links to the complete speech.)
From the Civil Rights exhibit:
Kennedy and the press
The television medium was still in its infancy and its impact on society and politics was evolving. It had already had an impact on the election after the Kennedy-Nixon debate. John F. Kennedy was the first president to conduct live televised press conferences.
Creating the Space Program
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.” – President John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961
JFK words that I find needed today
Cuban Missile Crisis
Kennedy and Khrushchev met to try to ease the cold war tensions. JFK told a reporter that the meeting was “the roughest thing in my life,” and that Khrushchev “just beat the hell out of me.”
The First Lady – Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
Jacqueline Bouvier’s wedding portrait
Gold purse presented to the First Lady by King Hassan of Morocco
November 22, 1963
The assassination was a defining moment in the lives of most baby boomers. I appreciated that the only nod given to it were five small screens in a short, dark hallway that played the same loop.
Posthumous portrait by Jaime Wyeth
Inside the library atrium
