Info On Tour Of California; Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa

05.17.10 | Stage 2 Finish

 http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Route/stages.html

Known as one of the top cycling destinations in the world, Santa Rosa is home to three-time Amgen Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer, and host to training camps for many elite pro-cycling teams. Santa Rosa is a vibrant melting pot that provides a panoramic sampling of Californiaís varied terrain: wine country, redwood forests, rivers, lakes, and the Pacific Ocean. In the center of it all is a thriving downtown, dynamic with intriguing shops and restaurants that delight both epicureans and casual diners. Whether you're into safaris or spas, golf or gardens, or virtually anything else for the young, old, and everyone in between, it can be had in abundance just an hour drive north of San Francisco, in beautiful Santa Rosa.


"Over the course of the past four years, the Amgen Tour of California has come to represent the best that California has to offer, from the beauty of our landscape, to the strength of our communities and the spirit of our citizens. Since the Tour's inaugural running in 2006, Santa Rosa has woven the race into the fabric of our culture. Each year as the cyclists roll through our historic downtown, our citizens, business owners and visitors line the streets to cheer the favorites and underdogs alike and we are reminded of the common bonds of strength, courage and passion that unite us all.

As the 2010 Amgen Tour of California nears, Santa Rosa is once again proud to have the opportunity for the fifth consecutive year to share the richness of our community and hospitality of our citizens with tour fans across the state, the nation and the globe."

— Mayor Susan Gorin

"I've ridden my bike in some of the most beautiful locations across the globe but thereís no place I would rather ride my bike than the amazing landscape and terrain of Sonoma County. The roads are pure cycling heaven."

— Levi Leipheimer

Wetsuit Rental

Hi folks,

For those of you looking to rent wetsuits, or if you decide you don't want to pack something, there is a store called Sports Basement that is close to Aquatic Park. http://www.sportsbasement.com/

I [HEART] this store!

Sports Basement is sort of the "Triathlon Mecca" for those of us in or north of SF. They sell every possible thing you could ever want for swimming, biking, running...and for Triathlon! Clothing, shoes, bikes, gel, electrolytes, recovery, gear, gear, gear, gear.

Where REI tends to go upscale brand and image, SB looks like your parents basement....but don't let looks deceive you. SB will give you good (cutting edge) gear, at great prices, with uber-friendly people and lots of support. I love their $10 triathlon bargain bins (yup, where else can you get a pair of Segoi or Zoot Tri Shorts for $10??). There is a location in the historic Presidio (and from there you can easily ride up and over the Golden Gate Bridge). That location is also about 3 miles from Aquatic Park. I do all my open water swims in AP and we usually do our transition runs from the park, past SB, out to the bridge and back.

SB will rent you a triathlon swimmers' wetsuit for a week (their shortest duration) for $25. They have a big variety, and it's a great opportunity to try a new wetsuit type for the week. Normally they won't take reservations, but since we're working with a large contingent of "out of town folks", I spoke to Jeff in the Tri Dept and he's willing to work something out.

If you're interested, go to their website to see who they rep (although there isn't rental info on the website, the ones they sell are the same ones they rent). Then call 415-437-0100, press 6 to get to the Presidio store, then ask to be transferred to the Triathlon Department. Once you're there, ask to talk with Jeff.

Let me know if you need any other info on SB or where to get gear in SF or Marin.

-Jules

HOTEL INFO FOR TRIERS WEEKEND!!!

Hyat Regency

5 Embarcadero Center

San Francisco, California 94111

Tel: +1 415 788 1234 Fax: +1 415 398 2567

***Update: I was able to cancel my place holder reservation so that Eve could take those rooms under her card.  Now we have 12 Double Occupancy Rooms***

Eve has kindly guaranteed 12 double occupancy rooms for our group at the Hyatt which is really the BEST hotel for our purposes and that price is SMOKIN!    The rooms will be first come first serve and are all priced at $189.  Please post a comment to secure a room and to organize room mates.  I will keep a running Tally on this board of how many are left:


Double - 11/12 Available
 - Sandy

Looking for Roomates:

Eve - 1 Room Mate

Already set:

Agua/Sandy/Sandy's mom

***Please post comments on this post so we could organize room mates and what not***

Hotel Overview

Luxury and location converge in perfect balance at Hyatt Regency San Francisco. The only Four-Diamond downtown San Francisco hotel situated right on the Embarcadero waterfront, our guests will enjoy immediate access to both the Financial District and the city's most famous attractions. You'll find the historic Ferry Building on one side of our expansive San Francisco California hotel, the ferry to Alcatraz and the Bay on the other, and stunning views all around. With so many options, you may choose to wander through Chinatown to Fisherman's Wharf, shop in Union Square or board the cable cars for a riding tour of the city.

Equally impressive are our extensive in-house amenities, with venues created to host any number of group events, tempting dining choices and, of course, the impeccable service that is the hallmark of our hotel in downtown San Francisco.

Rooms & Amenities

• 802 spacious, modern guestrooms with city or Bay views / 32 inch flatscreen LCD TVs
• Hyatt Grand Bed™ / iHome stereo with iPod dock
  
• Generous work desk / deluxe bath with Portico products
• Exclusive new Regency Club now open

Guest Services

• Hyatt Fast Board™ / PDA & Express Check-in
  
• Car rental / babysitting referrals
• Knowledgeable Concierge staff / E-Concierge / iConcierge available 24 hours on-site
• Major transportation hub for BART, cable cars and ferries

Dining & Entertainment

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  Eclipse Restaurant
  
  
  
  
  
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  Eclipse Lounge
  
  
  
  
  
• In-Room Dining

Activities

• 24-hour Stay Fit gym
• Fitness Concierge / Yoga Away™
  
• Preferred access to Club One Fitness
• Jogging / walking paths on waterfront / Bike and Roll Bike Rentals and Tours / Holiday Ice Skating at Embarcadero Center

Local Attractions

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  Alcatraz / Exclusive Room Packages
  
  
  
  
  
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  King Tut-De Young Museum / Offering Exclusive Packages for a Limited Time
  
  
  
  
  
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  Golden Gate Bridge / Fisherman's Wharf / Ferry Building / Union Square
  
  
  
  
  
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  Lombard Street  / Chinatown / North Beach - Coit Tower / Wine Country
  
  
  
  
  

Meetings & Events

• 67,000 square feet of flexible event venues
• Exhibit hall / boardrooms / ballrooms
• Creative catering featuring Personal Preference Dining
• Experience event, meeting and wedding planners on staff