Tag: United States

Here are seven U.S. players primed to be future Solheim Cup captains

When it comes to future U.S. Solheim Cup captains, Team USA has a deep pool of candidates.

When it comes to future U.S. Solheim Cup captains, Team USA has a deep pool of candidates. So deep, in fact, that it might be some time before we see some big names take the helm.

Stacy Lewis recently named a record four assistant captains for the 2024 Solheim Cup, adding Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome into the fold. Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford return as assistants after working with Lewis last year in Spain.

What does the Solheim Cup committee look for in choosing a captain? Past Solheim Cup experience is a must. While winning a major isn’t a requirement (i.e. Rosie Jones), it’s definitely preferred.

And given how much the Solheim Cup has grown over the years, experience as an assistant captain will surely be seen as a vital component.

The list of players who should be given the honor is so long, in fact, that it’s hard to see how someone like Dottie Pepper gets back into the fold, though it’s certainly possible.

Here’s a list of decorated players who are likely to get the nod in the coming years:

St. Augustine’s Raptor Run starts and ends at an alligator farm

Run for the raptors!

St. Augustine’s annual 3K Raptor Run is short, flat, family-friendly, and oh-so-Floridian. Each year, entry fees raise money for conservation organizations. This year’s recipient is the nearby Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, which works to save Florida’s raptors. The race starts and finishes at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. This year, the race falls on March 10 and begins at 8 a.m. Runners and walkers are both welcome. The route winds through the flat and attractive residential neighborhood surrounding the alligator farm.

All race participants will receive post-race refreshments, a T-shirt, and a medal. The Raptor Run’s unique medal depicts a fierce alligator/raptor hybrid with big teeth and long talons. What’s better than that? Plus, every adult who stays and buys a ticket for the alligator farm gets a free child’s admission.

Runners and a racer in a raptor costume milling around a race finish line.
Photo courtesy of St. Augustine Alligator Farm

The first Raptor Run in 2020 partnered with the Avian Research Conservation Institute to celebrate swallow-tailed kites. These graceful raptors have white bodies and deeply forked black tails. Other years, race funds have supported conservation of the large, nonvenomous Eastern indigo snake. Native to the southeastern U.S., these thick snakes look glossy black, until sunlight reveals their iridescent purple highlights.

Stacks of medals with black ribbons.
Photo courtesy of St. Augustine Alligator Farm

Stay for the Alligator Farm

After the Raptor Run, stay to visit the alligator farm. While the focus is firmly on crocodilians, you’ll also see African birds like Cape Griffon vultures, hooded vultures, and Marabou storks. Don’t miss the Madagascar lemurs, sloths, and Maximo, a saltwater crocodile that measures more than 15 feet long.

An alligator in water at an alligator farm in Augustine, Florida.
Maximo, up-close! / Photo by Teresa Bergen

Usually, I’m leery of zoos and feel bad about seeing confined animals. But I felt better after talking to Scott Brown, the Crocodile Crossing zip line and ropes course manager. Yes, you can zipline over crocodilians. This also overrode my zoo qualms. Because how often in life do you get that opportunity?

An albino alligator.
Photo by Teresa Bergen

It was super fun to fly over gator lagoons and be up in the treetops with roseate spoonbills. Of course, building such a course was even more exciting.

Brown described the process of constructing a zip course inside crocodilian enclosures. “You’ve got to be able to go up with a ladder. And you have to build platforms on the trees off the ladders. Then you’re free hanging from the trees with straps and climbing gear.”

Yikes! All under the watchful eyes of dozens of crocs. “It was more curiosity than anything,” Brown said of being watched by all those reptiles.

An alligator at a Florida alligator farm.
Photo by Teresa Bergen

Other active things to do in Saint Augustine

If you visit St. Augustine for the Raptor Race, you’ll also find lots of other fun, active outdoor things to do. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Vilano Beach, which is three blocks from a long, pretty beach — perfect for catching the sunrise or going for a run. Tourists love the views from the distinctive black and white striped St. Augustine Lighthouse. Some locals buy annual passes and use the lighthouse’s 219 steps as a running gym.

Black spiral stairs inside the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Try running up these spiral stairs! / Photo by Teresa Bergen

If you want to rest your legs, join a kayaking tour. St. Augustine Eco Tours offers many on-water adventures, including kayaking by the city’s over 400-year-old downtown. Earth Kinship takes you out in the swampy Florida wilderness, where you’ll kayak amongst gators and snakes.

Kayakers on a lake near Castillo de San Marcos, a Spanish fort in downtown St. Augustine, Florida.
Kayakers paddle by Castillo de San Marcos, a Spanish fort in downtown St. Augustine. / Photo by Teresa Bergen

Come for the Raptor Run and stay for a glimpse of some Florida wildlife.

Runners at the starting line of St. Augustine, Florida's Raptor Run staring at a person dressed in a raptor costume.
Photo courtesy of St. Augustine Alligator Farm

Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit Saint Augustine during a press trip with Florida’s Historic Coast. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Have a sensational and scenic run in these 9 national parks

Explore the wilderness.

National parks are special places set aside to protect natural and historical resources. They’re also some of the U.S.’s most beautiful areas. Since President Ulysses S. Grant designated Yellowstone as the first national park in 1872, the number of national parks has risen to 63. But the National Park Service oversees a total of 428 national park units. This number includes categories like national historic sites, national seashores, national monuments, and national scenic trails. Many of these are ideal places for runners to enjoy diverse landscapes in places with little or no auto traffic. Here are a few of the best national parks for runners.