Stay one night free with the Amgen Tour Package
Posted by Mary on Apr 26, 2010
Stay in Sacramento to cheer for Lance Armstrong and other world-class cyclists as they finish Stage One of the Amgen Tour of California on May 16 — and get a free night in our historic Sacramento Hostel.
When you stay in a shared dorm room May 15 and 16, pay for just one night — that’s a mere $28 ($34 for non-HI members) for a weekend in the state capital. You’ll also get a complimentary Sacramento Gold Card, which gets you dozens of discounts at attractions, museums, restaurants, and retail stores around town.
But you’re really here for the race, and it should be an exciting one — Stage One finishes with three fast circuits around the State Capitol building, just four blocks from the hostel.
The race — a Tour de France-style competition — is the largest bicycling event in the nation. It includes eight stages and visits 16 California cities, including Sacramento and San Francisco, from May 16 - 23.
Fortunately for fans and hostellers, it’s free to watch the race from anywhere except the VIP suites (which cost $250 per person at each of the eight finish lines). And each finish city hosts a free Lifestyle Festival with family-friendly activities, demonstrations, and cycling displays.
To get your discounted stay in Sacramento, you must book directly through the hostel by calling (916) 443-1691 and requesting the Amgen Tour Package.
See the race from 10 hostels
Starting in Nevada City, the tour passes near ten Hostelling International hostels, including HI-Sacramento, HI-San Francisco’s three locations, HI-Point Montara Lighthouse, HI-Pigeon Point Lighthouse, HI-Santa Cruz, HI-Los Angeles Fullerton, HI-Los Angeles Santa Monica, and HI-Los Angeles South Bay. Some of the Northern California hostels are already close to being full during the week of the race, so book soon to reserve your room!
In Sacramento on May 16, watch the finish of Stage One — the 104-mile day ends in three circuits around the Capitol building.
Between San Francisco and Santa Cruz on May 18, catch Stage Three from anywhere along the coast-hugging Highway 1 — the day begins at Ocean Beach in San Francisco and heads 120 miles south to the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
The Point Montara Lighthouse and Pigeon Point Lighthouse hostels are both located along Highway 1, so the action passes right by their driveways.
In Los Angeles, watch the 21-mile individual time trials, which run through downtown L.A. and around a handful of iconic landmarks.
Details on the other five stages of the tour are available on the race website. If you can’t make it to the course, or want to follow a specific cyclist or part of the race, stage details and video are also available online.
For reservations at all our hostels in California (and nationwide), visit hiusa.org.