Traveler's Tips for the Business Traveler Going to Maryland

a few travel trips if you happen to go to themiddleofnowhere, maryland. i was in either adelphi and hyattsville-take your pick. be able to speak spanish, in case you need directions-LOTS of latin bakeries, if that's your thing.  if you go to franklin's DO have the roasted mediterranean flatbread-DON'T have the bread pudding (great flavors, but a huge portion and the bread was not substantial enough). DO stop at a tangled skein-love that they had claudia's hand painted sock yarn and some pretty stitch markers. i do like to help the LYS when i can.  however, it made me really appreciate cast on cottage's selection and ambiance. this was a nice store with very nice people ( a lively bunch for the weekly knit night), but it was also very small and not well lite. if you rent a car DO utilize the map they give you and check your google directions against the map, or rent a GPS to prevent your from going to a different state to get to the airport. i'm glad i had plenty of time to get lost, more than once.DO remember maryland does not tolerate aggressive drivers or speeders-road signs clearly indicate this. DO plan to make multiple u-turns as you get no notice of upcoming junctions, and the right hand lane will cease to exist without warning.  renting a car on this trip reaffirmed why i like to go to a big city with a transit system, or is very pedestrian friendly. if you want an adult beverage to enjoy in your room, but don't want to go to the bar-find a liquor store as the grocery stores do not sell beer or wine OR you can enjoy a peach cosmo in the hotel bar-a very frothy treat! DO find a place that does crabcakes the right way, i had the MD crabcake sliders at the garden restaurant that was attached to our hotel-delish and the perfect size-all crabmeat! also, the homemade ships were awesome-DO refrain from eating the entire bowl of onion dip too! DO get out for a walk to see the area-the campus really was lovely, and DO look in the closet for the coffee pot-i know i thought the same thing (it was supposed to be in the cabinet under the tv that was clearly marked-ice bucket and coffee maker). all in all a great trip, good food to be had, i completed the leg of a sock, loved the citrus water they had in the lobby-will be stealing this idea myself- worked on my gilligan sweater, and enjoyed some quiet time.
clarification for some photos- the gold & white spires "thing" is the Latter Day Saints Temple in DC, spotted this on I-495, oh and the license plate says "taxation without representation" which i find hilarious.

Paris and the French.

finally a review of our trip to France.  needless to say it was amazing, there are 500 + pictures here, that i'm still reviewing and adding descriptions. so i'll give you a cliff notes version of our trip. the group shot above is myself and PJ, along with Alaine, Maryline and Emmanuel Podaire.  Emmanuel was our exchange student from last summer and his parents hosted us for a few days in Toulouse.  a truly wonderful and charming family whom we hope to be able to continue the friendship through correspondence, and who knows another trip in the not too distant future. now the review-

~the weather was awesome. jeans, t-shirt, and a jacket (in the morning) was all that was required, and the french were easy to identify since they still had on their jackets and scarfs even when it hit 77 in Paris.
~the food-AMAZING-bread, macarons, cheese, etc. i tried duck breast and duck terrine for the first time (i'm shamefully addicted), i had foi gras at a restaurant which i've had before, but am glad that i tried it in france to have an authentic point of reference.  i also had country terrine when PJ and I had our meat and cheese dinner which was made from pork, that's all i'll say about that except that it was good-you don't need more details.
~new love-crepes! both savory and sweet-i so want a crepe pan now
~all the french wear wristwatches-men and women-i've gotten so used to using my phone as a watch i found this strangely amusing.
~scarfs-men and women both wear these with flourish
~french women wear very fashionable shoes-although they look painfully uncomfortable, but i learned in france as far as fashion, anything goes, as long as it fits. that seems to be the really fashion miss among many americans.
~french men are gorgeous and know how to dress
~the french were very friendly-always willing to help out, and there were only a couple snotty folks.
~flowers-while it was a bit early for the gardens to be in full bloom there were a few colorful parcs.  the french love their flowers, and i was surprised to see how many plants in france are also in the us such as-hydrangeas, azaleas, pansies, and coneflowers.
~the city sites-there is so much to see in Paris, and since the weather was so good, we did a LOT of walking. we visited- the louvre, musee d'orsay, musee caranvalet, the eiffel tower (day and night), the arch d'triumph, pere lachaise, sacre coure, champs elysee, used the batobus to get around on the seine, notre dame cathedral, st. germain des pres, and MANY other churches. paris is truly a beautiful city
~the architecture is so awesome to look at, i couldn't get over the iron work and the buildings.
my only question is when do i get to go back?

san antonio-a review

san antonio is definitely a place i'd like to visit again. the photo shows what i really LOVED about my trip. i can't wait to get another pair (soon I hope), i wore these home cause they wouldn't fit in my suitecase, and they really were comfortable, so they might be going with me to Paris.  the rest of the photos are on flickr. i also took some video at the rodeo, but am not sure if they're going to upload, so we'll see.  anyway here's my thoughts on SA,T:
~the city is VERY clean
~you can walk wherever you want to go, or take a very short cab ride (or use the bus)
~the food-that was a mixed bag- casa rio-was good, cafe ole'-just okay, "Q"-was awesome, i had for lunch beef brisket tacos, and a mixed green salad with citrus vinegarette and skirt steak. i went back for dinner, and had the chicken quesadilla and banana pudding w/brittle. the dessert was just okay, a too big portion and not well presented, but the rest was awesome. also we had lunch at schilo's which is a german delicatessean that dates back to 1917. 
~a learning experience-i learned that there has been a large number of germans who have been in the area for several decades (late 1880s)- hence the deli, and of course the alamo is nearby,and i'm glad i paid a visit, it was interesting and well preserved, then there is la villita was once san antonios first neighborhoods-and is now an cluster of shops that have art work by local artist, a lot of it quite good-too bad i was flying home!
~a cultural experience for sure-the rodeo was the most fun i've had in awhile. it was cool seeing the animals, and watching the rodeo events, i really got a feel for the heart of the american west. raising livestock and playing the rodeo circuit is something these folks take serious-still.
another "cultural" experience as the Hotel Havana-i had to change hotels for a night, i still don't know what to make of this place, it seemed cheesey, quaint, full of character, and unique all rolled into one. it's the first hotel i've been too that had a front porch where i spent a few hours knitting and enjoying the bottle of wine i had bought on tuesday. it was a very clean hotel, just kinda quirky, i'd go back to it if i had a chance.
i didn't include any links, but if any clarification is needed, i'm sure my "readers" will not hestitate to ask. the only other thing i could say is that if you have a chance to go-then go!
i'm glad i had a chance to combine work with a mini-vacation.