Directions to the Lexington Herald-Leader from Residence Inn

Here are the best and easiest directions to the Herald-Leader from the Residence Inn.

Exit the hotel parking lot. At the 4 way stop turn left. Make a right on Star Shoot Pkwy. At the light (Sir Barton Way) make a left. Follow Sir Barton to Winchester Rd. Turn left onto Winchester road. Follow Winchester Rd. There will be signs for Downtown. Winchester Rd is also highway 60. At the bend right after the Smuckers/Jiff plant Winchester Rd turns into Midland Ave. Continue following Midland Ave. You will pass a stone yard on the left. Continue on.. the Newspaper will be on the left....right after the newspaper turn into the parking lot. Park in the Visitor parking. If you've gotten to the big light on Main street you've gone too far! TURN AROUND!!

If you look them up on MapQuest or Google you will get routed back to route 1425 W then onto Richmond Ave then some other place etc etc. Who can guess what route 1425W is.....the road is NOT marked as 1425 W but IS marked Man of War Blvd....in case you're wondering....
Richmond Ave. is probably the more scenic route but the Winchester Rd directions are the quickest.

Directions from LEX airport to the Residence Inn

The easiest way but not necessarily the quickest way to the Residence Inn from Lexington airport is to turn right out of the airport onto Man of War Blvd. Follow Man of War Blvd for about 6-10 miles until you come to Pink Pigeon Pkwy. At Pink Pigeon Pkwy turn left and follow around the bend to the 4 way stop. Turn left at the 4 way then right into the Residence Inn parking lot.

The other way not necessarily the easiest way is to turn left on Man of War Blvd. Make a right on Versailles Rd. Merge right onto NEW CIRCLE RD / US-60 BYP N / KY-4 N toward I-75 / I-64. Take the Winchester Rd exit. Go right on Winchester Rd. Follow Winchester Rd to Sir Barton Way. Make a right on Sir Barton Way. Go down to Star Shoot Pkway make a right. Go to Pink Pigeon Pkwy make a left you'll past a big Church, go to the 4 way stop. Residence Inn will be on the right.

Eugene

DINING
Bombay Palace: If you like Indian food, this place is really good. It's located near the University of Oregon campus on a little street that had several intriguing places. Try the Chicken Tikka Masala. It was excellent. Your best bet is to go with a group and order a bunch of different dishes so you can sample them all.

Howling Coyote Barbecue: Howling Coyote is located about a block from the Courtyard Marriott where most trainers stay. They bill themselves as having "Authentic Texas Barbecue." As an authentic Texan, I'm not so sure about that claim. In fact, if anything, Howling Coyote seems to try to offer several styles of barbecue, including St. Louis ribs (dry rub seasoning), Texas-style (slathered in barbecue sauce) and Carolina-style pulled pork. I had a brisket sandwich, which was pretty good, even if it was unusually topped with cheese. I can assure you. No self-respecting Texan would put cheese on a barbecue sandwich. Howling Coyote also offers several different types of barbecue sauces, including one that has espresso in it. It was intriguing if a tad on the runny side. According to Patrick Kendall, you can find better barbecue at a place called Hole in the Wall.

Cafe Yum: If you ask Cortney Burton, this is the only place to eat in Eugene. It's a local "vegen" chain, although you can get turkey and chicken. They specialize in what they call Yum bowls, which are basically rice bowls. Not too bad, if you like that healthy crap.

BJ's Pizza and Grill: I don't know if this is a chain. It's a microbrewery, and the salad I had was OK. Pizza looked acceptable, but nothing special.

Roaring River Pizza: I didn't pay much attention when I walked into this place and placed my order. After I sat down, though, I realized it was sort of a Chuck E. Cheese knock-off. If I hadn't paid for my pizza already, I would have bolted. In the end, though, the pizza turned out pretty good. It had sun-dried tomatoes, Feta cheese and chicken. I found out later that the real attraction of the place is dining out back where you can look out over the river and watch the Osprey soar.

OTHER ACTIVITIES
If you have time, you HAVE to make the drive from Eugene to Florence on the coast. It's about 65 miles away, but the drive through the coastal range is spectacular. The road twists and turns through beautifully forested hills. I made the trip when all the leaves were changing, and I felt like I was filming a car commercial. Oregon is not like other mountainous forest areas I've been to. Because of all the rain they receive, everything is lush and green. It seems to be teeming with life. Wild ferns grow out of the sides of hills, and don't be surprised to see tree trunks completely covered in an algae-like moss.

Toward the end of the journey, the road meets up with and follows the Siuslaw River, a beautiful river, parts of which are like glass. The river goes all the way to the ocean where it meets up with the powerful Pacific. Florence has a little area called Bay Street that features some nice shops and restaurants right on the river. Other trainers have recommended checking out Sea Lion Caves and the lighthouse just north of there.

Food Finds in Lexington

Gina Dykeman, Julie Bird and I spent a week in Lexington together. We were kindly given a list of restaurants by one of the support team members, May May. May May grew up in Lexington, and it seems like she has her finger on the pulse of the good things going on there. If you’re in Lexington looking for food of entertainment suggestions, check with May May and tell her hello for me.

Before I get into the restaurants, one quick tip: If you don’t like tap water that has a distinct flavor, stick with bottled in Lexington. It is the strongest tasting tap water I’ve ever had, which locals attribute to a drought.

SUGGINS (Food: Good/Service: Not Good) — This bar/restaurant had really good salads with dressings made on site. Both Gina and I had the chicken finger salad. We had an interesting experience at Suggins with the waitress. After I tasted the tap water, I decided I wanted bottled water. When the waitress came back to take our orders, I didn’t say anything about the water tasting bad, I just asked if they had bottled water. The waitress took great offense at my request and didn’t speak to me for the rest of the meal. I had to communicate all requests through Gina. Very interesting.

Billy’s BBQ (Food: Good/Service: Good) — Good, solid pork BBQ. The large pulled pork sandwich with two sides was the special of the day. Sounded like a lot of food to me, so I just ordered the regular sandwich with a side of slaw. Gina got the special and one of the sides she ordered was onion rings. That side order was plenty for the whole table (six of us) to share a few. By this time, I had learned my water lesson, so I had a bottle of water in my purse and just asked for a glass of ice. Definitely a good move.

MOUSE TRAP (Food: Fantastic/Service: Good) — I was in the mood for a turkey sandwich, so Gina and I headed for the Mouse Trap. This is an upscale deli and gourmet gift shop under one roof. Their bread was wonderful and the selection of meats and cheeses for sandwiches was very nice. I also had the black bean, corn and cilantro salad, which I loved.

These are just a few of the places we went, but the others were chains, and probably not worth mentioning. There was a French bakery May May took us to. I can't remember the name, but it is across the street from Billy's BBQ. They had wonderful cookies, breads and cheeses. By the way, if you’re staying at the Residence Inn, Julie and I used the fitness room a couple of times to ward off the pounds after so much good food. They have two treadmills and an elliptical as well as some weights and it’s on the second floor just around the corner from the front desk.

Enjoy Lexington!

Watch out for that ...

When driving at night, many of us are in the habit of watching for deer to cross the road in front of us. Having grown up in the Midwest, it's amazing if I made it through life there without hitting a deer (although I've had a close call or two).

In Florida, apparently deer aren't the problem.

I'm driving back from the Gulf coast Saturday night (see my post attached to Dorsey's post about places to eat in Tallahassee) and get into Apalachicola National Forest. So I start watching for deer.

As I round a curve, something catches the corner of my eye on the passenger side of the car. A quick glance tells me it's a BEAR running in the ditch. Maybe it had been trying to cross the road and saw my car coming, so aborted his attempt. I didn't get a good look at him -- just at some bear patoooky running away from me -- but he was a pretty good size.

Can you imagine the fight you'd have with the rental car company if you hit a bear?

(In case you're wondering: "patoooky" is the approved Carol-Lyn spelling for that word.)

Tulsa Hilton Garden Inn, airport

Planes, trains and air conditioners: a trio of madness.

But first, let me tell you why I chose to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn at Tulsa airport. I had a very early morning flight that Friday. The hotel I'd been staying in all week, the Residence Inn, was about 20 minutes from the airport — on a good traffic day. I wanted to maximize the amount of sleep I would get. Plus, I did not want to have Lee, with whom I was DTUing, have to face the torture of waking up so early to take me to the airport. So, I booked myself into the airport hotel. I arrived early, about 6 p.m. and had a relaxing evening.

After about 9 p.m., things turned sour. On a night when I had 8 hours to allocate to sleep, I got about 3, thanks to the cacophony of swooshes, whistles and clicks provided by the culprits above. I expected the airport hotel to get a fair share of airplane noises. I did not, however, expect the drawn-out train whistles. When I turned on the A/C to mask the sounds from outside, I was treated instead to a constant click-click-clicking from the fan.

I called the front desk to ask if they sold ear plugs in the store. Nope. And I, who normally travel with these life-savers, for some reason decided not to pack any this time around. So I was stuck tossing and turning all night. I awoke about 6 a.m., dressed for breakfast and prepared my speech for the front desk clerk.

I got downtstairs and told the man behind the desk about my "horrible" night, and all he did was ask what room I was in and tell me he would write a note to maintenance. A little late for that, buddy. He did not offer any apology or even a breakfast voucher ($9.95 for breakfast at this hotel; fortunately, the check-in clerk gave me one when I asked if breakfast was included). Stunned and sleepy, I went and ate my breakfast and related the story to the friendly (and sympathetic) waitress, Pat. She was very cool and gave me a "catch me a my best" card, which she said she'd pass along to the manager. I filled it out and returned it to her, praising Pat and censuring the front-desk clerk.

I checked out and went on my not-so-merry way, knowing I would be calling the manager before long. I called Monday morning and spoke to Terri, the manager. She, like Pat, was sympathetic and kind. She told me that the kind of service I received was atypical, and that he (the front-desk clerk) "should know better than that." Terri asked what she could do to make it up to me. She offered some hotel points. I asked for a bit more. She agreed easily. Victory of sorts.

So I am happy with my points. But I am never going to stay at that hotel again.

And the irony is not lost on me. I thought I was doing myself a favor by checking in to a hotel that would save me some drive time. Guess not.

The legend of John Irwin

So Amanda, Lee and I were driving home from dinner last night. We had just eaten with some girls from the paper (Tulsa World). During dinner, one of them told us she had a 21-year-old son. I was surprised her son was this old, as this woman seemed to be around my age. So as the three of us DT ladies were in the car discussing this, Lee dropped a bombshell: She said calmly that *she* had a 32-year-old son. Amanda and I were stunned. I started peppering Lee with questions:

Where does he live? (San Diego, California)
What's his name? (John, after his great-grandfather)
What's his last name? (Irwin)
Does he see his father? (no)
Were you married? (no)
Are you a widow? (no)
What does his father do? (I don't know)

I dropped that line of questoning.

I next asked what John looked like, if he had Lee's blue eyes (since Amanda is single, after all). That's when Lee informed us how gullible we girls were. We just had few moments of cracking up after that one.

Good one, Lee!

Tulsa for the directionally challenged

For anyone traveling to Tulsa for the rest of the project there (display ad just going live and editorial phase just starting), a Tulsa Driving Tips document has been posted to Open Air.

It's under the Tulsa workspace, same area where you'd find agendas and audits, but in a folder titled "Miscellaneous Project Documents."

I wrote most of it, but Danielle and Lisa verified that (most of) it was correct.

[Danielle added this]
OR, find it right here:

Airport to Residence Inn

Coming up out of the rental car garage, turn left at top of ramp, get in second-from-left lane. Look for SR 11 East ... At the first traffic light you hit, and you'll turn right, pass under the freeway, then bear left (it's a weird one-lane curve with a tree growing right in front of the helpful sign) to get on highway.

After a short distance, you'll see directional signs for I-244. You'll want to select I-244 East toward Joplin, MO. Two lanes on the left veer toward Joplin. (The other choice is toward downtown, which is I-244 West, and exits to the right.)

You only stay on that freeway (I-244) a very short distance, and will exit right onto 169 south (you'll be heading toward Broken Arrow). ... This is a nice long drive, and you'll see the exits pointing to increasingly higher number street names: 31st St., 51st St., 61st St. Exit right at 71st St.

At the bottom of the ramp for 71st street exit, where there is a traffic light, two lanes turn left. If there's traffic, it's better if you're in the right lane of the two left-turning ones. If not, after the turn, get very quickly into the right-hand lane.

The second traffic light after the turn is 109th Avenue. The four corners of the intersection will sport (clockwise from the 9 o’clock position): a Fuddruckers, an Abuelos, a Chipotle Grill and an AT&T. Turn right.

You'll see Springhill Suites on your left: Behind it is the Residence Inn.


From hotel to paper

Two ways, but this is easier and shorter (although not always quicker, depending on traffic).

At high-traffic times, leave 30 minutes (by either route) to play it safe. That’s usually enough time to make the drive and get you to wherever you need to be in the building.

From hotel, turn left on 71st St., (if you start out on 109th, two lanes turn left) and get quickly in right-hand lane. A block up, you merge right onto 169 North. You'll stay on that about two miles.

Then, watch for SR51West. Don't confuse this state highway with 51st St., which is two exits before what you'll need. Exits you’ll see will be 51st St., then SR51 East, and then your exit: SR 51 West. (There will be a University of Phoenix building visible on your right, and you’ll see it almost in front of you as you curve from 169 to access SR51 West). Then settle down for the long part of the drive.

About 10 or so miles later, look for the Denver Avenue/Cheyenne Avenue exit (no exit numbers). (There will be a Blue Cross-Blue Shield building directly above you just before you exit. The highway sits below street level.)

Exit upward and curve right at the top (sharp curve, no stop sign).

At the end of the block, there will be a stop sign. You want to continue across the first intersection to the second stop sign. That will be Boulder Avenue, the street the paper is on. Turn left onto Boulder.

At the first light, Boulder becomes a one-way street/four lanes. Continue through four more traffic lights. You should see, up ahead on the right, the Tulsa World building and its old-style vertical sign.

In the block before the Tulsa World building, there is a parking garage. It's not where you'll park, but it does tie up the right lane of traffic (with cars turning into the garage), so stay in the second-to-right lane until you pass that garage. Then quickly get to the right. You'll see a Domino's sign above you on the right side.

Cross the intersection(Fourth and Boulder). Use extreme caution. The traffic light is out, and there is a four-way stop (signs are in the middle of the intersection, which people keep missing/ignoring.)

Immediately after crossing the intersection, turn right into the Tulsa World's small guest parking lot (not covered). It has security-controlled arms, but there is a box with a call button into the lobby. You just have to say you're with DTI, and they'll buzz you into the lot. Speak loudly and clearly (since there likely will be traffic and construction noise around you).

In the lobby, sign in, tell the pleasant security man that you'll be there all week. He'll probably give you a pass, so you don't have to sign in every morning.


From work back to the hotel

You can't really retrace your steps, since Boulder is one-way, plus SR51 back toward the hotel is always heavy with traffic (and a rough road, to boot). The following directions take you the long way, but it doesn't take any more time.

Turn right out of the Tulsa World parking lot (no choice, since it’s a one-way street). Go to the second intersection (the first will be a 4-way stop sign with construction: the second has a working traffic light).

Turn right again, and follow that straight until you come to a three-directional split involving four lanes of traffic. You’ll want to be in either of the middle lanes, which curve right, then left and merge onto I-244 East. (Yes, the same one you took from the airport.) You will stay on it until you hit the Highway 169 South exit (get over to the right early during rush hour, it's a fight for the one-lane exit).

Take 169 South to 71st St. (More detailed directions in the "airport to hotel" section above.)


Alternate: Hotel from work

Turn right out of the Tulsa World parking lot. Go to the end of the block and turn right again. When you get to Cincinnati Street, turn right again. Get in the second from left lane on Cincinnati. This street will feed you onto SR51 East. (This is the highway you likely took to work.)

Follow SR51 East until you reach highway 169 South. There is construction on the exit, and even when there wasn't, it was a fight for position into the exit lane. Plan on getting into the lane at least a mile early (watch for traffic backing up as a clue to the congestion ahead).

Or you can weasel your way into the lane at the last minute. (Good luck with that, because local drivers are possessive about the road real estate: Lisa can attest to the struggle through traffic and honking horns!)

Stay on 169 South to 71st St. … and you know the way from there.


Hotel to airport

Tulsa’s airport is pretty small, and on it’s website it suggests being there an hour early (as opposed to many airports that suggest two hours). Unless you’re traveling at peak traffic times, I’d say 90 minutes from hotel door to flight departure is adequate.

Of the several times of day and on different days I’ve flown out, the TSA line was only long on a Friday morning. American Airlines also had a small gathering on Friday morning, too, but I rarely check luggage, so don’t know if that’s common.

From hotel, turn left on 71st St., (if you start out on 109th, two lanes turn left) and get quickly in right-hand lane. About a block up, you get on 169 North.

Stay on 169 North for several miles, and watch for I-244. The 1-244 West and East roads exit together, but then you’ll veer toward the left, taking I-244 West toward Oklahoma City.

You only stay on I-244 a short distance: You get on the freeway, and take the very next exit (Exit 12B), which is highway 11: it’s clearly marked as heading toward the airport.

Stay on Highway 11 for another brief drive. When you exit, you’ll exit right, curve left, and then turn right at the traffic light toward the terminal. Signage outside the airport is good; inside, not that great.

If you’re turning in a rental car before business hours, you’ll have to drop the keys, etc. at the counter inside, not at the kiosks in the garage.

If you’re also checking luggage, here’s your path: take escalator out of garage up to terminal. It actually dumps you out near baggage claim.

You have to go through baggage claim, past the car rental counters (drop your keys), then down the escalator to ticketing to check bags. Then back up the same escalator (going other direction) to access TSA security (one screening area for all airlines).

Coming out of TSA, gates for American and Delta airlines are both on the concourse to the right (Southwest to the left). Good signage here, if you look high enough, above the arch to the concourses.


From newspaper to airport

Quick and easy. Even in 5 o’clock traffic, 90 minutes from leaving paper to flight departure time is adequate.

Turn right out of the Tulsa World parking. Go to the second street (the first will be a 4-way stop sign with construction: the second has a working traffic light).

Turn right again, and follow that straight until you come to a three-directional split involving four lanes of traffic. You’ll want to be in either of the middle lanes, which curve left, then right and merge onto I-244 East.

Stay on I-244, until you see signs for highway 11 East (Exit 13B: It’s a LEFT exit).

Drive a short way on Highway 11, and watch for airport exit. You exit right, then curve left, and then turn right at the traffic light to get to terminal and rental car parking garage.

Random information

There are lots of great restaurants scattered around town:
• Cherry Street (which is actually 15th Street between Utica and Peoria streets) has lots of quaint spots (JazMoZs [complete with gravelly voiced piano player], Camille’s, Doe’s Eat Place, the Palace, Kilkenny’s, Chimi’s, and many more, including a Jason’s Deli). Several feature outdoor dining options;
• Utica Square (just south of SR 51 on Utica Street) also has several options,
including the Wild Fork (see Danielle’s review in the blog mentioned below).
• There also is a neighborhood known as Brookside, which is along Peoria Street south of about 31st St. Elmer’s Barbeque is in this area, and there’s an old movie theater that’s been converted into an eatery (watch for the movie marquee, and vertical sign saying “Brook”.) Also many more options in that neighborhood.
• Downtown also offers an assortment of lunch choices.

Read more about Tulsa’s dining choices on http://trainerstravelingtips.blogspot.com

Near the hotel, there also are a lot of options (dining, shopping and some entertainment).
•There is a Target across 71st Street from the hotel, a movie theater across 109th, and a park/lake with walking/running track across 73rd Street (which runs along the right side of the hotel … well, right if you’re standing and looking at the hotel entrance). Go down 73rd a half block to Garnett and turn right: the park is about a half-block down, just past apartment complex. Further down 71st is a Bonefish Grill and a Pei Wei.
• The other direction on 71st (like you’re headed to the paper, but don’t get on Highway 169) is Woodland Hills Mall, and a few shopping plazas and multitude of restaurants (assorted independents, such as Zio’s Italian Kitchen – I think it’s a local chain – to all the standard chains, ranging from McDonald’s to Mimi’s to Cheesecake Factory).

Eat healthfully on the road

Here is a link to a CNN article on eating healthfully while traveling.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/09/05/healthy.eating/index.html

When will the hurting stop?

Was it Carol Burnett or Bill Cosby who described giving birth as pulling your lower lip over your head? In any case. I haven't given birth. But I am in labor of sorts. I am trying to pass a kidney stone. It'll be my third since 2001.

Want to read more? whereintheworldisdanielle.blogspot.com

Does anyone use a SlingBox while traveling?

With the fall TV season upon us now I am wondering if anyone uses a SlingBox and watches shows/TiVo on their computer while traveling? If so, are you happy with it? Pros? Cons?

Thanks.

Harrisburg

HOTEL
* It's an older Residence Inn, with a bunch of separate buildings. All buildings are two stories, without exterior entrances (ie, no elevators). But the rooms are nice.
* There is NOT a fitness room. I think the front desk told me they could send you to a near-by gym. Exercising in your room will require furniture rearranging. Courtney says there's a greenbelt trail a short drive away, but I didn't have an opportunity to explore.
* They're doing construction next to the hotel. I was in a building next to it, and I didn't notice noise until I'm already awake in the morning (and usually just the beep-beep of trucks backing up).
* Restaurants, Wal-Mart and Target aren't too far away. Turn right onto Penhar, then right on Chambers Hill Road then left by the Target sign. This takes you through a strip mall with Target and a bunch of other stores and up to some roads that contain gas stations, restaurants, etc.
* For you outdoor lovers, there's a Bass Pro Shop along the highway as you're heading into Harrisburg (in the same area as Macy's ... apparently a his-and-hers shopping experience?).

GETTING AROUND
* Traffic on I-86 into/out of downtown was bad during rush hour. I think my max speed was 40 mph.
* During off hours, it took about 15 minutes to get from the Residence Inn to the newspaper.
* Directions from the hotel to the newspaper: Turn left out of the hotel parking lot. At the stop sign, turn left and get into the right lane. Turn right at the stop sign and get into the left lane. Access to Highway 322 West and I-86 South requires a left turn onto the ramp, which spits you onto Highway 322 heading into Harrisburg. Go straight but get into the middle or left lane, which automatically puts you onto I-86 South toward Harrisburg. Take the 2nd Street exit (watch out: the exit lane is used as an entrance lane, too, so people are trying to merge into traffic as you're trying to exit); as you come off the ramp, be in the middle lane as the road curves to the right. DO NOT turn right at the stop light: go straight, which is 2nd Street. Get into the right lane. Turn right on Market Street (between the outdoor bus plaza and the Hilton). Go past the bus/train station and under the viaduct. The newspaper's parking lot is the first left turn after the viaduct (as Courtney's workflow audit says: turn left at the cow reading the newspaper).
* You need a badge to get up/down the elevator. Courtney has one that we shared this week. Don't know what you'll need to do if he's not there, as the guard at the front desk wasn't very helpful when I got there Wednesday. I just called Courtney and he came downstairs to get me.
* Getting back to the hotel: Turn right out of the paper's parking lot onto Market Street. Market becomes 1-way after the viaduct, so you're forced to turn right. Get into the left lane so you can make the next left turn. Go all the way down to Front Street, where you're forced to turn left because of a bridge. Be in the middle lane. Take I-86 North toward Hershey; the interstate kind of blends into Highway 322, so just watch the signs. The Penhar exit for the hotel is shortly after you get on 322.
* Do NOT follow the Mapquest instructions of using 13th Street to get in/out of downtown. The folks at the newspaper say 13th Street is the "hood" and told me that if I take that street, don't get out of the car.
* Airport is about 15-20 minutes from the hotel. The route back to the airport requires a lot of sign reading to get on the right exits.

Tulsa is OK by me

Greetings from green and sprawling Tulsa, OK. Lee and I are here doing AdSpeed support team (actually, she's doing most of the work, and I am learning along with the rest of them).

We've eaten at some pretty sweet spots so far. First off is a restaurant at Utica Square, a shopping area that has a Neiman Marcus, Williams Sonoma and other stores of that ilk, as well as eateries such as The Wild Fork, a very delicious and eclectic place. I had a Pear Salad (with bleu cheese, walnuts, pears ["I wasn't expecting beets," I remarked to Lee. She pointed out that those were the pears. Oops.], and of course lettuce. It was delish. I also got the vegetable stir fry (onions, two types of mushrooms [stay away, Amanda], broccoli, peppers and more), which had a nice kick to it. Had to order some extra water. If you like berry cobbler, skip it at the Wild Fork. Well, skip it if you prefer a pie crust as opposed to a cake-like one. Lee got the tuna, which, she said, was "overcooked," but that was her only complaint. We sat on the breezy and tree-lined patio, which shared a grassy courtyard with Starbucks. From our plastic seats, we got to hear a David Gray soundalike strum his guitar and croon the evening away. It was quite lovely.

If you like BBQ ribs -- and some of us do -- then eat at Elmer's BBQ on Peoria, near 41st street. Its tagline is "It Be Bad!" and if this be bad, then I don't want to be good. For a true Southern BBQ experience, get the sweet tea and baby bick ribs. You won't be disappointed. Sides included cole slaw (crunchy and sweet) and potato salad (which appeared to have mashed potatoes).

There's also a good Greek place within walking distance of the paper, as well as various delicatessens. Oh, and there's a bonafide drive-in movie theater off the highway that plays double features (the theater does this, not the highway).

Hotel-wise, we are staying at the Candlewood Suites near 71st Street, about 30 minutes from the paper, taking traffic into consideration. There is weekly maid service and no breakfast. The laundry machines are free, according to the front desk; soap must be purchased. There is a workout room with one elliptical, one bike machine, and one walky thingy. (Brain getting fried.) We are hoping to stay at the Hampton Inn down the street (my fave hotel chain); it's directly across from the mall (hello, Macy's) and in back of the DSW shoe store.

For a kick, visit the ginormous stone hands that grace (ha ha) the entrance of Oral Roberts University. The U is next to a Star Treky-looking hospital. Very '70s sci-fi, if you're into that kind of thing.

I've got 3 more weeks here. I'm looking forward to exploring more of this city.

And yes, Virginia, there is a Panera Bread.

p.s. Some recommendations from an OK native I met on the plane: Pomodori's Italian restaurant downtown at 5th and Cheyenne. The Utica Square area in general (music Thursday nights) between 15th and 21st on Utica Avenue. The Wild Fork (mentioned above) and Queenie's (a neighborhood place) are both there. There is also an Asian restaurant on Utica called Teckai's (inexpensive rolls on Wednesday nights) -- not sure I got the spelling right on that one. Lambruzco's deli at 41st and Peoria. If you like beer, McNelly's has beer tasting (not sure where this one is). Kilkenny's nearby is also a good little pub. The Brady area north of downtown is a "fun" area with lots of restaurants. Lola's is supposed to have good music. Cherry Street is known for its antiques, bead shops, etc.

Overheard -- and had to share

I thought there should be a post where we could share the funny things we've overheard while on the road -- on the plane, in the airport, on site, in restaurants, etc.

I'll kick things off with bits of the conversation two older gentlemen were having in the Dallas airport last week. They were sitting right behind me, so I couldn't help but overhear.

The first comment I heard went something like this:
Guy 1: "How many Jews do you think there are in Salt Lake City?"
Guy 2: "About 20."

They talked a bit more, then I heard:
Guy 2: "Is there actually a lake in Salt Lake City."
Guy 1: "No, there's no lake. It's named after the salt flats."
At this point, I had to chime in: "There's a lake!"
Guy 2: "What's it called?"
Me: "Great Salt Lake."
Guy 1: "Where is it?"
Me: "Outside of Salt Lake City."

They were headed to Park City, then going south to the parks. One of the guys knew about Java Cow in Park City, but he didn't know there was a lake in SLC?!?!?!?

So, what funny things have you overheard?

Tallahassee

Dining
Kool Beanz Cafe: (921 Thomasville Road): You've got to checkout this eclectic little diner! The menu might be classified as worldly southern, and the menu varies from day to day with a few staples available every day. Prices are a little high by traditional lunch standards, but you won't be disappointed. Don't be afraid to mix and match pairings on the menu. If you'd rather have the creamy grits, they'll be glad to swap them out with the wasabi mashed potatoes.

Samrat Indian Restaurant: Indian food isn't the first thing I think of when I'm looking for a place to dine. That's my way of saying I'm not an expert on what is good and what isn't, but Matt Chatterley and I ate at this little restaurant at 2529 Apalachee Parkway, and we both thought it was pretty good. The decor is nothing to jump up and down about, but the food made it a good experience.

Carlos Cuban Café: Located a few blocks from the newspaper at 402 E. Tennessee, Carlos Cuban Café is a family-owned restaurant with a sparse decor, but the smells that greet you at the door are enticing. Unfortunately, I ordered badly, deciding on a marinated shrimp salad. It was basically iceberg lettuce with some shrimp thrown on top and few peppers and onions scattered around the plate. I should have opted for more traditional Cuban fare. Matt Chatterley liked his sandwich, but I'd have to try it again and order something different to recommend it.

Barnacle Bill's Seafood Restaurant: I'm not sure Barnacle Bill's could pass an honest-to-goodness health inspection, but the food was pretty darn good. The restaurant is at 1830 N. Monroe, within a couple of miles of the old capitol building. One Internet review of the placed raved about the "Little Hotties" that grace the establishment. Far be it from me to mention something so crass in my review, but I will say that the Parmesean Oysters were pretty tasty — Matt even liked them. We both had different variations of the skillet dinner. Mine had shrimp and scallops mixed with sausage, onions and peppers on a bed of rice. Very good.

Crisper's: This is one of those fancy fast-food salad/salad places. It's located a couple of blocks from the paper at 1241 Apalachee Parkway. The salads are creative and good, and if you want to counteract the salad, they have a pretty good bakery with good cookies and other desserts.

Morelia's Mexican Dining: It's not Austin, but Morelia's is a pretty good Mexican food restaurant. It's located at 1400 Village Square Blvd. in a shopping center. I had the Morelia's nachos, and they were fairly standard piled high with guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes and jalapeños. It was way more than one person could eat. Margaritas were pretty decent too. They come in four sizes: Small, Medium, Large and Super. I got the medium, and it was pretty big. I can't imagine how big the super size was. I may have to do more research so I can report back accurately on the blog (only because I want to keep you informed, of course).

Miller's Ale House: (722 Apalachee Parkway) Miller's has a varied menu ranging from salads to baby-back ribs to seafood, including a raw bar. Jeff Robertson said the ribs were pretty good, and Carol-Lyn Jardine gave the hushpuppies a thumbs up. I can vouch for the raw oysters. The restaurant is loud, and it has a large outdoor (but covered) dining area with bar, which offers a decent selection of beer on tap.

Cabo's Grill and Bar: (1221 Apalachee Parkway) If you're a surfing fan, and who isn't, you'll want to check out Cabo's collection of classic longboards. The food is not bad either. The menu is varied, featuring Mexican food, hamburgers and seafood, and the atmosphere is beach-bummy and loud, but it's local and worth checking out for lunch or dinner.

Cypress Restaurant: (320 E. Tennessee) Cypress is an upscale restaurant located a couple of miles from the Residence Inn. The food is excellent and well-presented, but expensive. If you have a significant other in town and want to win a few brownie points, make a reservation. I had the beef tenderloin (rare, of course), which was served on some Yukon gold mashed potatoes and a homemade steak sauce. For dessert, my wife tried the flourless chocolate cake, served with homemade Madagascar vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Other things to do
Wakulla Springs: This natural spring located about 15-20 miles from Tallahassee is the largest (by volume) natural spring in the world and sits on a national park. It's close to 200 feet deep, and there are underwater caves that stretch for miles (so I'm told). There's a protected area for swimming, and it is reminiscent of the olden days with diving platforms and a small beach area. A historic lodge overlooks the spring, which stays a constant 70 degrees year-round. The water flowing out of the spring forms a river and a protected environment. For $6 per person, you can take a boat ride on the river and get up close and personal with alligators, manatees, turtles and many species of birds. Entrance to the park is $4, and there are a lot of nice picnic spots.

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge: This large wildlife refuge is only about 10 minutes from Wakulla Springs. Entrance costs $6. We spotted a young black bear just after we entered the park, but other than that and some kind of catlike creature that skittered across the road in front of us, we didn't see much except for a lot of birds. The park borders on the Gulf of Mexico, so you can get down to the ocean, but there's no beach to enjoy. There is an old lighthouse, but you can't go in and it's not that impressive. If you enjoy hiking, this might be a fun place to go; otherwise, try the beach somewhere else.

Austin

Austin is an awesome town for eating. It would be impossible to list all of the good choices, but here are a few to consider:

Hudson's on the Bend — You'll want to save your per diem for a few days before you go to Hudson's, but it will be worth it. Hudson's is a five-star restaurant specializing in wild game and fish. The Espresso-Chocolate-Chili rubbed Smoked Elk Back Strap is unbelievable. Presentation is excellent, and the menu is very creative. You'll spend at least $50 for dinner, and it won't take much to get up to $100, but it's truly a dining experience.

Chuy's — There are more good Tex-Mex restaurants in Austin per capita than any other place in the world. Chuy's is one of my favorites. Make sure you ask for the Jalapeño Ranch dressing for your chips. There's a rumor that they serve pretty good margaritas too. : )

3. Other choices to consider: Austin Java, Shady Grove, Guero's.

Skycap Charges

I noticed Sunday that American Airlines and United are charging $2 to skycap your luggage (tip not included, of course) at the Salt Lake Airport.

Anyone notice this elsewhere? Any other airlines charging? I'm sure they all will eventually.

Extra Delta Skymiles anyone?

Delta is offering up to 2,000 skymiles for people that watch five videos and vote on their favorite. It looks like there are four rounds. I just watched the first set. The destination was Budapest and all of the videos were actually interesting. Well worth the few minutes it took to watch them.

Here is the AJC story today: http://www.ajc.com/search/content/travel/otherdestinations/us_stories/2007/08/03/delta_0806.html

But, you can just go to www.delta.com/challenge to play.

Tip request: Tulsa, OK

Places to eat? Directions from the airport to the hotel areas? Things to do? To avoid?

Thanks,
Danielle

Travel tips from Newsweek

As a traveling "newbie" (my first trip is coming up, though), I don't have any personal experiences to share. But The July 30 Newsweek had a few tips for air travel. I'm sure all your experienced folks already know all this.

Title of the article: Happy Tarmac Sitting!

Most-delayed big-city airports that get fewer than 70 percent of flights off on time:
* Chicago O'Hare
* Portland, Maine
* NY Kennedy
* Newark (NJ) Liberty
* Charlotte-Douglas (NC)
* Philadelphia

I'm guessing no one is surprised by those.

To see 10 hours in airplane hell, there's a YouTube video (Delta Flight 6499) that some guy posted about his 10 hours spent on a plane on the tarmac with no food and plenty of crying babies due to unspecified mechanical problems and weather. Haven't watched it (am scared to), but I'm sure it's a dozy.

Newsweek offered these travel tips:

* Research before you buy your ticket
- Avoid busiest airports and busiest times (duh!)
- National Air Traffic Controllers Association (www.natca.org) offers airport-specific reports on how to avoid delays, like "fly mornings at JFK, weekends at Logan"
- At flightstats.com, you can check specific flights and see records of on-time departures and cancellations.
- Check avoiddelays.com, which publishes rankings of the "worst offenders": airlines, flights and airports that had most and longest delays last summer.
- Fly as early in the morning as you can to get in/out before troubles start.

* Book a good ticket
- Passengers who use online travel agents and consolidators to get low prices may be the first people bumped.
- Airlines may work harder to find new flights for their own frequent fliers and those who bought tickets directly from the airline.
- Paper ticket helps you jump to a different carrier more quickly.
- Nonstop flights may be worth the extra money.
- Allow two hours between connecting flights.
- Give yourself a buffer day.

* Use your airport time
- Check in at curbside. (Did I hear AA is charging for this now?)
- Make sure cosmetics and liquids confirm to TSA rules.
- Some airlines take cell phone numbers so they can text message passengers information about changes.

* Bring a sandwich, extension cord (ie, you can't avoid delays)
- Make sure phone is charged.
- Bring phone numbers of all major airlines.
- Bring a good snack with you on the plane. If the flight doesn't have a meal, then you won't get food while stuck on the runway.
- Carry an extension cord so if you're stuck for several hours at the airport, you won't have to crowd around the one outlet by the gate to charge your phone or power up your laptop.

* Be nice, but be tough
- Don't take out your frustrations on a hapless airline employee
- If don't get satisfaction after delay or cancellation, follow up later with a written complaint to the airline. They don't always give the best consolation prizes on the spot, but confronted with your disgruntlement a week or two later, you might get a travel voucher.

Ice is amazing

Just an FYI, really...

I was in Eugene, OR last week. There's a great restaurant you should visit for lunch (Cafe Yumm!). They make the most delicious rice bowls. Anyway, they have this sauce called Yumm! sauce, that I wanted to buy and bring home. Thanks to the darn terrorists, I can't carry it on, so I had to pack it. Anyway, the sauce must remain refrigerated, so the wife of a guy on-site gave me some Ziploc bags to store ice. I packed the Ziplocs with ice, stuck them with the sauce in the big plastic laundry sack from the hotel, thinking, heck, it will only be 3-ish hours for me to get to the airport, fly to SLC and drive home, so it should be OK.
However, as it so happens to the best laid plans, my 6 a.m. flight was canceled, and I had to wait for the 10:00 flight (of course, this happened after I checked in at the airport). THEN, when we landed in SLC, my luggage wasn't on the plane. So, I had resigned myself to the inevitability of throwing away my Yumm! Sauce. My luggage arrived at my place at 10:00 pm Saturday night. I was coming down with a cold, and I was busy reading Harry Potter, so I decided that the sauce was ruined and it could wait to be unpacked and thrown away Sunday morning. So, Sunday morning, I opened my suitcase only to find that there was still ice in the Ziploc bags!! Of course, some of it had melted and leaked onto my clothes, but my Yumm! sauce was saved. I couldn't believe it. Next time, instead of ice, I might just buy frozen peas and try those instead. So, three cheers for insulation!! Just in case any of you want to transport anything chilled from location to locations...

Atlanta car rental...

This is more of a funny (kind of) story than a travel tip...

I recently rented a car from Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Atlanta (not at the airport) while my car was being worked on for a few days. It was a Suzuki Reno. I couldn't figure out how to put it in park the first day I had it. (tip: push down on the gear shift to get it to move to reverse or park.) When I went to return it I stopped to fill it with gas. I couldn't figure out where the button was to release the cover thingy to the gas tank. I looked everywhere, but decided to just get the manual out to look it up rather than waste anymore time looking like a complete idiot at the gas station. I opened the packet the manual was in while I was pulling it out a bag of CRACK fell out too!!! I was pleased to know I had been driving around with crack in the glove compartment for four days. I don't think I'll ever be able to rent a car now without checking the glove compartment. lol.

FYI: The gas cover release button is down on the floor by the door on the driver's side.

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

If you enter the airport from the north side, use the credit card you used to rent your car, and you won't have to pay the toll.

Leaving the DFW airport to take the 635 loop north/eastbound, I found this route the easiest:

From rental car area, take your first right (out of car lot), first left, first right (at light), then left at light (at this light, there is a sign pointing you to turn right to pick up the 635. Do not turn right. Turn left instead. You will start to see signs for 635).

If you like Panera Bread (like I do!), there is one just west of highway 80 on a right-side exit while you are on the 635.

If you like ice coffee, the bartender at the Olive Garden on Greenville Ave (just off 635 loop eastbound from DFW) pours a mean one.

The Hampton Inn near the south entrance to DFW is nice and clean and easy accesible to the airport. The Fairfield Inn at the north side of DFW is skanky with limited parking.

Welcome, Travelers

I reminisced recently with fellow trainer Lisa about the scrumptious blackberry cobbler served at the Country Tavern in Kilgore, TX. As our conversation progressed, I wished aloud there was a Web site that posted trainer-tried-and-true information on restaurants, hotels, airport ins & outs, driving routes, and other tips on making our traveling lives easier.

I now propose this one: Trainers' Traveling Tips. It has no official affiliation to DTI. It's just something I'd like us, as a community of travelers, to be able to use to gather and give information to help each other out. If you know a shortcut from DFW to Longview, let us know. If you know a great server at a local restaurant, give us her name. If the traffic in Houston is bad between 8 a.m. and noon, give us the 4-1-1.

I think it would work nicely this way (if you have a better idea, try it and see how it plays out): Simply create a post for the city and state you want to tell us about, and write about it. If the city you want to write about already has a post, add a comment to that post. That way, we can keep the site organized by city.

If you want to post to the blog, you must have a blogger account; you can create one at blogspot.com. If you prefer not to create a blog account, please email me your information, and I will post it for you.

Thanks,

Danielle P