I've always heard good things about Charlottesville VA, so when Margaret signed up for a half marathon scheduled there I looked forward to getting a chance to check out the town.
We decided to camp out before hand and so made reservations at a KOA in the area. It turned out to be a perfect location since it was a very convenient route to parking for the run, and even though we got heavy rain and lightning the night before we enjoyed camping as always. Puppy Dog especially enjoyed sleeping all snuggled up in the sleeping bags.
Saturday morning we went to the town early and parked near the mall area in downtown. It's an area where they closed off the streets, bricked them and opened up a lot of shops and cafes. Very cute and something that Margaret and I have always said would be a good move for Burlington's downtown. There were soon a lot of runners milling around and Puppy Dog and I left Margaret to go and find a good spot to see the start of the race. Walking around the historic district of downtown I could easily see the appeal that the town has for so many. Interesting hilly streets with quaint old houses. Cute shops and pretty green parks with plenty of flowers, Red Buds, and Dogwoods in bloom all around. It was a very nice walk for Puppy Dog and myself.
I must say though that the rest of Charlottesville wasn't so appealing to me. Driving was a mess and the streets weren't able to handle the campus traffic. Out of town the roads were narrow and winding and seemed a bit dangerous. I suppose if you could live in the historic district and never see anything else it would be a nice existence, but as that is not realistic I think I will happily pass on returning to Charlottesville anytime soon.
Margaret by the way was fantastic in her run. As is always the case when I've seen her in a race she was smiling and waving and just seemed to be having a great time. This was the case even at mile 12 of a very hilly and very tough course.
