Napa was fabulous

A couple of weeks ago, the Home Warrior (aka my husband) and I went to Napa for a short vacation. Since my sister lived in San Francisco for a while, I have been to Napa and Sonoma several times. However Home Warrior had never been out there, so when he had a few extra vacation days that’s where we decided to go.

We flew into Sacramento because we have some friends that moved out there last year. We stayed with them that night, and went to eat at Hot Italian.  At Hot Italian you can buy pizza, gelato, good wine, and outfits to wear while driving your Maserati: a true Italian experience.  There were a lot of different pizzas on the menu, and some you could get as either a pizza or a calzone, or a pizza or a salad. Home Warrior got a fabulous pizza with gorgonzola, prosciutto, figs, and arugula. I got a pizza that could also be a salad with spinach, craisins, gorgonzola, and pears. I was expecting my pizza to be a little more like Home Warrior’s, which was a traditional pizza with the aforementioned items as traditional toppings. Instead what I got was a pizza crust with a salad on top of it. Although it was not exactly what I was expecting, it was delicious, as was the gelato we had for dessert. A special thanks to Eric, Tara, Taric, Jasmine, and Venus for letting us crash at their place and for entertaining us Saturday night. It was great fun to hang out with friends.

Sunday we got up and drove to Napa Valley, where we stayed until Wednesday. We went to several wineries, ate some amazing meals, and stayed at the very comfortable and affordable Eurospa and Inn. Some highlights:

Domain Carneros—my favorite place to go for sparkling wine. The wine is made in the traditional méthode Champenoise, is complete organic, and the tasting is a great deal at three three-ounce tastes for $15. The soft cheese plate is a great accompaniment, and the views cannot be beat.

Gustavo Thrace—great wine, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and Gustavo was featured in the movie Bottleshock. I actually got to meet him when I was there last March which was really cool.

Duckhorn—it’s worth it to go here for the building alone, which is beautiful but cozy at the same time. The wine is delicious, the pours are quite generous, and the staff is very friendly.

Culinary Institute of America Greystone Restaurant—Best. Meal. Ever. Enough said.

Eurospa and Inn—boutique hotel in Calistoga. Very cute, clean, with Jacuzzi-tubs and fireplaces in all the rooms. The owners are really nice and spot on with recommendations to eat in town.  They also give a great breakfast in the morning and set out cookies and cheese in the afternoon.

It was cloudy the whole time we were there, and rained torrentially the last full day, but it was a great vacation and we can’t wait to go back.

How Fliers Avoid Friendly Skies

As I was looking at the USA Today in my Salt Lake City hotel room this morning, I came across an interesting little survey. The question was: how do business travelers avoid talking to people on planes? Here are the results:

Start reading                           50%

Listen to music                        38%

Don’t try; enjoy talking          24%

Hate to be rude; will talk        20%

I will admit, I could have answered all of these at one time or another. Mostly I listen to music and read. Once I had to tell someone who didn’t get the music/reading hint (truthfully) that I was losing my voice and had to stop talking.  Sometimes I cave and talk to people anyway. And a few times I have really, truly enjoyed it.

How do you avoid talking to people you don’t want to while traveling?

Sleeping when traveling

What an amazing two weeks! Music festivals, travel (always travel), spending time with friends….busy but wonderful. There was so much going on there was barely time to sleep! And we all know that sleep is critical to being able to function at our fullest capacity. This is even more true when traveling, but when you’re not in your own bed sleep can be hard to come by. Whether it’s the ridiculously loud heating unit in your room, or the constant chime of the elevator, that last cup of coffee rolling through your system, or even tomorrow’s presentation running endlessly through your mind—there are tons of obstacles to sleep on the road. Here are a few tips from the experts at webmd.com (with a little input from me).

Some background:

• Losing as little as 90 minutes of sleep in one night can reduce your alertness the next day by one-third
• In a study done by Alertness Solutions, business travelers rated themselves as performing at a much higher level than they actually did (20%!!)
• Study participants had lost a cumulative total of eight hours of sleep by the end of their trip, the equivalent of one full night’s sleep

Tips for a better night’s sleep on the road

•  Get a good night’s sleep the night before you leave. In the Alertness Solutions study, participants got less than five hours of sleep the night before travel. They are starting out their trip almost half a night’s sleep in the hole! I have been guilty of this, and will do better.
• Try to stay in a hotel that has excellent mattresses and bedding.  My favorites are Hampton Inn, Marriott, and some Embassy Suites.
• Cut out caffeine four to six hours before bed
• Drink alcohol in moderation. You might think that a glass of wine before bed will help you relax into sleep, but after it clears your system you may experience headaches, sweats, or nightmares that could wake you and disturb your sleep.
• Relax before bedtime. Develop a routine that works for you that will de-stress you before bed. Some light stretching, restorative yoga, a hot bath, reading, a cup of hot (decaf!) tea….I have downloaded the “Meditation Now 2” app for my iPhone and do a 10 minute meditation before bed when traveling. It soothes me, and before I know it I am drifting off.
• Exercise at the right time for you. People who exercise when traveling sleep better. I know it’s hard to fit in between meetings and dinners, but even twenty minutes will make a difference. I try to do an abbreviated yoga routine that takes about thirty minutes every day when I’m traveling (http://ys.austinwebsiteservice.com/sequences/happiness.html).
• Don’t eat heavily right before bed, but don’t go to bed hungry. This is the hardest one for me. Because I am at meetings and trainings all day, I have to go to the hotel after work to check my email. I often don’t get to dinner until after 8, then by the time I get back to the hotel it’s almost 10. I am trying to do better! Going to bed with a very full stomach is very uncomfortable.
• If it is noise keeping you up, try downloading a white noise track to your computer or iPod. I have a great one that has helped me many times over the years.
• Some people have suggested taking a Tylenol PM or some other night-time medicine. If this works for you, have at it. I have to be really careful about this because I often have crazy dreams that make me feel like I haven’t slept, and then I wake up feeling really draggy when I take Tylenol PM. So for me it is the absolute last resort.

The most important thing to remember is that sleep affects your performance, your mood, your attitude, and your happiness! It can be the difference between having a great, productive trip that you feel good about, or a mediocre trip that you kind of feel was a waste of time. So take these tips to heart, make sleep a priority, and sweet dreams!

Make-up Rave

Last week was crazy. I was literally in 7 different towns in 6 days. And I was in DFW airport 4 times in three days.  I was exhausted when I was done.  But there was a bright spot throughout all the madness: I fully realized how awesome my eye makeup is. 

This stuff is so, so great.  I put it on at 8 am in Nashville, did trainings and meetings for 10 hours, then flew home (through DFW of course), getting home at 1am. I passed out without washing my face (so bad I know!).  When I got up the next morning my makeup literally looked like I had just put it on.  Staying power doesn’t get much better than this, folks.  I use Urban Decay Cream Eyeshadow in Sphynx as a base coat, and top it with Tarte Lock & Roll powder in Amethyst. I highly, highly recommend them! Not only do they stay on forever, they are so pretty. They are both available from Sephora.com.

I am currently field testing a new tinted moisturizer, Korres Watermelon Lightweight Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30. I will let you all know how it turns out.

How to Travel Like an Expert

Hello traveling friends

I apologize for not writing in a while! I have been, well….traveling. But don’t worry! My recent trips have provided me with some excellent blog material.

You may have noticed that over the last year airports have started trying to steer people to certain lines at security checkpoints: Families, Casual Travelers, and Expert Travelers. According to USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-05-tsa_N.htm?csp=34), the TSA found that segregating passengers speeds up security lines and eases traveler stress. I think this is a great idea, as long as people go to the line they are supposed to. However, everyone seems to think they are an expert traveler. I can’t figure out why today in Nashville two parents with their kids went through the Expert Line, even though they were clearly a family. I also don’t understand why people would think they are an expert traveler but then hold up the line for six minutes because he didn’t take his laptop out of the bag. OMG if you travel enough to think you’re an expert you should know that you have to take your laptop out of the friggin bag!! Deep breath, okay I’m calming down….

So, for those of you who may not be experts but want to get in that line anyway, here are a few tips so you fit in with the real experts.

• If you haven’t traveled in a while, even just a few months, go online to the TSA website to catch up with the latest guidelines.

• Get rid of all bottles of water or any other large amounts of liquid in your bag.

 • Have all of the things you’ll have to take out of your bag near the top, ready to go.

• Get your ID and ticket ready before you get in line

• Once you get to the X-ray line get your stuff out, even if you don’t have bins yet. The usual things that need to go through the X-ray machine are: 

•  Plastic bag of toiletries (one quart size Ziploc bag, nothing over three ounces)
• Shoes
• Laptop and anything else that is a large electronic item, such as DVD player or gaming console

• Keep your boarding pass with you; DON’T put it away in your bag and send it through the machine. Some airports don’t need to see those anymore, but some do. And if you have put away your boarding pass and zipped up your bag and the TSA people need to see it—the people behind you in line will know for sure you are not an expert!!

 • Once you and your belongings get through the machine, PLEASE don’t stand there putting your shoes on and your stuff back in your bag. That is holding up the line. Scoop up your stuff, grab your bag, and make your way over to the convenient bench that is just a few feet away. Then you will have plenty of time to put your stuff up just how you want it without people glaring at you.

So that’s it! That’s all you need to know! And if you don’t feel comfortable in the Expert Line,  don’t worry, the Casual Traveler line will be happy to have you.

Paul McCartney is freaking awesome

I don’t know if this counts as being travel related or not, but I have to say it: Paul McCartney rocks. My husband and I went to his show in Dallas last week (we drove—that means travel right?) He is in his mid to late sixties, and put on a show for two and a half hours! He sang, he told stories, he made us laugh, he made us cry, and most of all he made me grateful for his amazing skill at songwriting. Singing “Hey, Jude” with Sir Paul and forty thousand other people was incredible. Hearing him sing “Something” while showing pictures of George Harrison in the background made me cry. And fireworks during “Live and Let Die” made me stand up and cheer (for the umpteenth time).

He came out for two (two!) encores. He played the guitar, the bass, the mandolin, the ukulele, and the piano. He sang songs from the Beatles, Wings, and his solo career. He sang songs to all the people he has lost in his life. He is amazingly talented, and amazing as a person!

I was raised on the Beatles, and consider myself to be a huge fan. And I can honestly say that this concert was a highlight of my life. Hands down. Thank you Paul—your music has made my life better.

Travel tips for the temporarily handicapped

Earlier this year I had the misfortune of breaking my foot.  Luckily, I had no trips scheduled for immediately after my fall.  However when the time came for me to have to travel, I was flummoxed. I was on crutches—how could I carry a suitcase, get from my car to the gate, and then to the hotel?  I could drive, so that wasn’t a problem, but the rest of it worried me for two weeks. I searched the web for advice on how to travel while on crutches, but (again) couldn’t find anything really helpful. So, I muddled through on my own. Here are my tips for any who may find themselves in my situation.

1)      If you can, pack everything in a backpack.

I know it is not the ideal situation, but if you are used to carrying on and you don’t want to check your bag, a backpack is the only way to be self-sufficient. I pared down to only the necessities and was able to fit it all in my amazing expanding backpack (similar to this one http://www.buy.com/prod/wenger-synergy-laptop-backpack-by-swissgear-r-maker-of-the-genuine/q/loc/16234/10393071.html ).

2)      Get a purse that fits cross body

This way your purse is not in the way of your crutches.  With my backpack and my cross-body purse I was able to crutch around without aid a lot of the time. Much nicer than having to have someone follow you around carrying your roller bag.

3)      Have a lot of $1 bills for tipping the nice wheelchair people

Carry around $30-40 in $1 bills, depending on how many flights you have.  Assume that you will have one person wheel you from the ticket counter to your gate, another wheel you down the ramp to your plane, another wheel you from the plane to the gate, yet another wheel you from one gate to the next, and so on. You don’t have to tip all of them the same amount, but I assume around $2 per person (unless they wheel you for a long time, like they did for me in the Chicago airport).   While they wheel you your backpack and purse can go on your lap, and you can balance your crutches on the footrest of the wheelchair.

4)      Call the airlines ahead of time to request wheelchairs and assistance

Most airlines are really good about assisting people who need it. I called my company travel agent and the airlines to make sure I was in the system as someone who needed wheelchair assistance and seats that were easy to get to.

I hope this helps you! Of course, really I hope that you don’t get into this situation in the first place….and I hope it never happens to me again!

Sending good balance to all of my traveling sisters!

-RoadWarriorette

Some quick statistics about women business travelers

• In the 1970’s women were less than 1% of business travelers; now we make up almost 50%
• Several hotels offer “Women Only” floors or packages specifically for women
• Some hotels have yoga packages for women that include 24 hour yoga channels and mats (I want to stay at that place!!)
• I recently passed a Brooks Brothers in an airport that had men’s AND WOMEN’S clothes for sale—first time!! 
• We spend $175 billion on 14 million trips annually
• 70% of all travel decisions are made by women

We are making progress sisters! The travel industry has continued to recognize that we make up a significant part of the market and are changing the way they do business to reflect that.

Travel Safety Tips

When traveling alone anytime, including for business, it is so important to keep safety in mind! For those of you who travel often I hope you know most of these, but here is a quick rundown of the most important safety tips.

· Make sure the desk person does not say your room number out loud. If they do say your room number aloud, ask for a different room.
· Make sure you have a deadbolt in your room
· Use valet parking if it’s available. It may cost more but it’s much safer then wandering around a parking garage
· When you’re in your room keep your deadbolt locked at all times.
· Never put the “Please Clean My Room” sign on the door. It’s an open invitation to thieves! Call housekeeping instead.
· If you order room service make sure the person at your door is hotel staff.
· Don’t use the door sign provided for ordering breakfast. This is alerting anyone who walks by your room and looks at it that you are ordering for one.
· Make sure you have directions to your hotel. Also have their phone number and address handy. (I know this sounds obvious, but the last time I went to Salt Lake City I went to the wrong location of my hotel, and then couldn’t find the correct location and drove around lost for thirty minutes. I finally found the phone number on my iPhone and the very nice man stayed on the phone with me until I got there. I should know better than this!!)
· When you leave your hotel for the evening put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door. This makes it look like someone is there.
· Don’t put your home address on your luggage tags. Put your business address.
· Choose national hotel chains with indoor room entrances.
· Don’t stay in a room on the first floor whenever possible.
· Make sure there is no door connecting to another room.

For a very detailed list of safety tips check out:
http://kevincoffee.com/women_safety/travel_safety_tips_for_women.htm

What to pack for a business trip

There are many schools of thought about how to pack for a business trip. Some people like to have options. I think options are great! Except for that whole carrying everything you take thing.

My first business trip (four days) I took four separate outfits, a couple of “option” shirts, a large toiletry kit, four pairs of shoes…….and I could not lift my suitcase. By the time I got to San Jose I was so ready to go to my hotel and get some food. But instead I waited for my bag at baggage claim. And waited. And waited. Literally twenty minutes after the first bag came onto the carousel (and fifty minutes after I got off the plane) my bag came. I then had to drag it to the rental car bus. And those of you who have been to San Jose know that the rental cars are not close or convenient to the terminals. (This was also the first time I rented a car, but that is a whole other story.) I finally got to my hotel an hour and a half after my flight landed. To add insult to injury: I wore less than half of the clothes I brought.

Three years later, I have learned my lesson!! Don’t pack “outfits”. If you really feel like you need options, pack tops that go with all of your bottoms. That way, for example, you have a possible eight outfits with two bottoms and four tops.

My current packing list for a four day trip:
1 pair of black pants (wear on plane)
1 pair of Capri pants or a skirt
1 pair of jeans or casual pants
4 cute tops (that match with all bottoms)
Yoga pants and tank top for sleeping
Enough undergarments for every day plus one extra
Carry-on toiletries
Makeup
Curling iron
Comfy travel shoes (wear on plane)
Comfy nice shoes for work
Pashmina
Book
Knitting
Laptop

All easily carried in one small carry-on suitcase and one large purse. Lesson learned!!