General Thoughts!
We arrived in Sandusky on Wednesday after a long, long drive from New York. Pennsylvania? Hi, would you mind putting something, anything, along I-80 to make it even a little bit interesting? Thanks. We arrived on the late side and it was a bit creepy driving into a closed amusement park. Sorta "National Lampoon's Vacation" (Moose out front shoulda told ya) meets "Scooby Doo."
We stayed at the Hotel Breakers. They bill it as a "historical" hotel. It's 100+ years old, with the exception of a recent tower addition. We checked in as one of something like four guests on property on Wednesday. The wide hallway leading from the entrance to the lobby was very "Shining"-esque but had nice Edwardian details and old photos. I'd done some reading on Trip Advisor about Hotel Breakers. I was, I thought, mentally prepared for staying in the "old" part of this "historical" hotel. I was not.
TRAVEL/HOTEL TIPS:
Tips for Breakers:
- If staying in old building and are driving out, bring your own pillows
- Bring a cooler. Ice machine works. Stock up on drinks etc...
- Consider bringing your own towels
- We bought, at Target, both a coffee maker and a 2-slice toaster for a grand total of $14. They worked fine and will come with us when we travel by car going forward. Was a huge deal race morning.
- Mr. TheyTri had the genius idea of bringing along a Brita pitcher rather than paying to buy bottled water. We'll definitely do this next trip
- WiFi only available in the lobby.
- Perkins was fine for breakfasts. TGI Fridays did us right for post-race chow-down.
- There is NO elevator in the old portion of the hotel. If you are on 3rd floor this could be troublesome with bike boxes/gear and for getting up and down stairs after a long day of racing.
- There is both a pool and a hot tub and you are steps from the beach. Great as a break for the kids, especially when the park is not open.
- There is a game room for kids (big and small), too.
- Cedar Point will have, at least durring the weekend, Perkins and TGI Fridays and a few other restaurants open.
- There is a little convenience store in the lobby of Hotel Breakers if you need something quickly.
- Route 250, which takes you from I-80 directly to Cedar Point, is strip-mall heaven. Name a national chain restaurant or store and you can likely find it on 250. Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot etc...
- On 250, we ate at: Outback (overcooked my steak but our waitress was super sweet); Cracker Barrel (how can you not?), Buffalo Wild Wings (post race!), Appleby's and our favorite, Samurai Steak House, a hibachi-style Japanese restaurant that fed, well, 11 people the night before the race. It was a very good meal for a reasonable price. We didn't do the hibachi table show routine. Just ate at a regular table. They were cool with spliting checks and respected dietary issues.
- A little exploring off 250 took us to a Mexican restaurant, El Potrillo Taqueria, right on Rt. 6 near the main gate of Cedar Point. Good stuff. Good for a group.
- Friday night, we ventured into downtown Sandusky. It was late, past 9 p.m., and there was a car cruise going on so most of the restaurants had switched from "grill" to "bar" mode but we found a table for 9 at The Water Street Bar and Grill. Everyone had a great meal and we all said we would definitely go back there again. But, WSBG folks, please, please turn down the a/c. It was arctic in there.
- Absolutely, positively take advantage of the Friday night park opening for Rev3 participants. It is open exclusively to racers and volunteers and for $15 you have three hours of riding coasters and playing games. Go Karts and cotton candy. This is truly what makes this venue so special. Go ride until you just can't take it anymore. Not to be missed.
- Park is open on Saturday and Sunday as well. Racers will likely not take advantage of this, wanting to stay off their feet and the like, but guests should as more of the park is open. Racers get 2 free passes for Saturday and Sunday and discounted tickets are available if you're staying on property should you need more. Even if you only use the tickets as a break on race day to get some food and have a change of scenery, it's totally worth it.
Thursday, we putzed around, not doing much and waited for more of the CREW to arrive in the afternoon. We got Anna and Grant settled in and then met up with John and Christine and John's Dad for dinner at a local mexican joint (see above tips). Everyone was pretty tired so we hit the hay early.
We went to athlete and volunteer check in back at the park and then prepared for the weekend's main event. The race? No, the Friday night Rev3 only event in the park. Cedar Point opened up 7 or so rides exclusively for Rev3 racers, volunteers and their families. It was so fun. I'm a bit of a baby about rollercoasters with huge drops. But, I went on the Magnum with everyone and then watched, from the stands, as John, Christine, Grant, Anna and Bobby did the Top Thrill Dragster, which shoots you up 400 ft in like 3 seconds or some craziness. No freakin' way. We did a few other rides, some several times. We then hit a late dinner at Water Street Bar and Grill and then called it a night.
Saturday those racing did a short bike and a short run and we did bike check-in and all that pre-race stuff and generally took it as easy as we could. Phil wasn't feeling well so I made the final Target run to stock up on cold supplies. We all met for dinner at the Samurai Steakhouse and had the pre-race dinner and then all went home to go to bed!
Race morning!
Woke up insanely early as usual. We got the coffee maker going and got dressed. Grant and Anna smelled the coffee wafting across the hall so came in and had a cup. We rallied the troops and drove over to transition. Athletes checked in and got ready to start their long day. I dashed back to hotel to replace a contact that had spontaneously developed a hole and then met everyone at the swim start. The swim begins on the beach and then heads out in an M shape, two-box swim (for the full). Great for snapping pics of your racers going in and out of the water.
I did, though, decide to stay a little later than my shift becase Katie and I were put by run-out and they were a little understaffed there and, by the time our shift was over, getting out on to course to watch the racers on the bike would have been a challenge. That was a bit of a bummer. We saw Phil come in on the bike and then I took a brief trip back to hotel to shower and change. A bird crapped on my head while I was watching the swim. Parents, please explain to your children that running through a flock of 400 seagulls on a crowded beach is, perhaps, not a great idea.
Then it was a bit of a waiting game durring the marathon. I stayed in the park, not wanting to fight the traffic to get out on the run course or miss him because of the road closures. I don't love when I can't get out on to course to watch. I'll have to rethink my timing. My In-laws, Katie and I went into the park and took a break eating at Johnny Rockets. Did the needful. Then on to the finish to await our troops!
A fantastic day!
Race Day Tips
- Drive over to transition early. Spots near transition fill up quickly. Even if you are staying at Breakers Hotel, having your car handy with a cell-phone charger, extra clothes, water, food will be handy. The only way to get to the hotel before the park opens is via the beach and that can be a pain when race is on and athletes exiting swim.
- Bike watching: The bike course goes through the town of Milan twice (for the full, once for half). There is a delighful town square with benches, shops and public bathrooms that is easily accessible from route 250 via route 113 without having to cross the course at all. It's a good spot to park it to catch your athlete at mile 22(ish) and mile 60(ish). Bike course map.
- You can also catch them at mile 95ish. Stay on the WEST side of Mason Road or the WEST side of Huron Avery road and you won't have to cross the bike traffic and have easy trip back to 250 to speed back to Cedar Point to watch the run.
- The run course is also two loops (again, for the full) and goes out across the main causeway bridge. Leaving the park once the runners have gone out is tricky and perhaps not worth the struggle. The traffic pattern is rough...you still have people coming in off the bike through one entrance and runners going out the other. If you do go, be courteous of volunteers directing traffic and concientious of very tired runners.
- If you DO go out on to run course, there's a nice park the runners loop through several times at Meigs and Washington streets but we'd higly suggest parking SOUTH of Washington st and walking in to avoid having to navigate your vehicle around runners.
- If your racer will finish before 8 p.m., when the park closes, you will need a park ticket to access the finish line. The chute enters the park and finishes in the park. There may be access, without a ticket, via the beach entrance but I'm honestly unsure. Better to have one handy.
- Med tent is just past finish line.
- Unlike IM events, you ARE allowed to have your kids run down the chute with their finishing parent. AWESOME.
