Subject: RE: Ironman Arizona, where to stay? Parking on race morning is not a problem. You get to use a large parking garage that's a block away.
Parking before the race is not a real problem either. I did get a parking ticket for staying in the Tempe Mission Palm's parking lot for 4 hours when there was a 2 hour limit - it's the closest lot, and I took my chances and lost. But there is plenty of parking within easy walking distance of the race venue.
As for driving hassles, I suggest you stay with 15 miles or so of Tempe Beach Park. If people don't know where that is, then Sun Devil Stadium is a few blocks up the road and people know where that is.
Last year I stayed in a rental house way out in the sticks in what they said was Mesa but it was past the GM Proving Grounds (use Live Maps or Google Maps to find it ) and it was a huge hassle with 40 minutes to and from the park, three freeways, miles and miles of desert road.
The person we rented from basically flat-out lied about things like distance from the airport - she said "20 minutes" and it was 45 minutes out. Everybody says they're 20 minutes from the airport! Don't buy it - people tell you what you want to hear. Live Maps and probably Google Maps both have "hotels nearby" features - just find Tempe Beach Park and start from there.
In 2006 I stayed at the Buttes Resort and it was easy. For next April's race, we're just about to sign the rental agreement on a house in Chandler that's 10 miles away down Rural Road. Should be about 15-20 minutes and that's acceptable to me. I was hoping to get within 5 miles, but this house looks great so I'm taking it before someone else does. |