Tips to Have Fun on Your Next Business Trip

I’ve just come back from a business meeting at a beautiful resort in Florida. Whenever we think of conferences at great resorts, we often think “boondoggle.” I even tease my husband when he’s headed out of town for business meetings with this term. But the reality is – there’s often little time to enjoy the property, no matter how beautiful and what great amenities, other than walking from one meeting space to another. Unless you are intentional and plan ahead.

As a mom who rarely gets the kid-free trip away from home, I definitely try to squeeze in a little bit of me-time, around my conference agendas. Conferences aren’t cheap to attend (for the attendees or the host organization), so it doesn’t make good financial sense to pay the fees and not go to the prescribed business sessions. Instead, make the most of the time outside of the agenda.

Grab a few of these tips for the next time you find yourself heading out for a conference away from home.

Arrive early, stay late. When attending conferences, I always plan to arrive before the conference starts, even a day before, if possible, and take the last flight/train home after the conference ends to build in a little free time to enjoy the host city. When I went to my sorority conference in Chicago, this plan gave me lots of hours to bike and wanderthrough the city.

Wake up early. As tempting as it is to sleep in, or as much as possible, instead, wake up early and go out for a run or walk before your business agenda starts.  We had breakfast, followed by a full day of meetings on my recent conference agenda, so I got up early and went for a run around the hotel property. This was my time to myself and the opportunity to get in some exercise to counterbalance the sitting in meetings all day.

Make the most of “lunch on your own.”  Just because the agenda allows a 2-hour lunch break doesn’t mean you have to sit in the hotel and eat for the entire time. Wander outside, grab lunch at a food truck, and explore the city.  Or find that much-raved about restaurant in the city and get over there. Or skip lunch all together (you know you ate a big breakfast) and do something relaxing instead.

Be ready for spontaneous moments.  I know, sounds like an oxymoron, right? But there’s always that session that ends early, an unexpected break for a technical glitch. Keep a book in your bag or loaded on your e-reader and find a corner to catch up on your reading, wander outside for a breath of fresh air, keep cash in your pocket for a scoop from the ice cream shop.

And lastly -

Always pack a swimsuit.  I don’t know of a hotel worth its stars that doesn’t have a swimming pool.  Find the time for a refreshing dip in the pool or even a few laps – wake up early, jump in during a lunch break, or slide in after the day is done.

With a little bit of planning ahead, you can actually enjoy your next business trip. Have fun!

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5 Things to Eat in Charlotte

A trip to any southern state is a food trip, as far as I'm concerned. Sweet tea, grits, biscuits, and other fried selections are a must.  If you ever get to Charlotte, NC, here's a few things to try.

Shrimp and grits. This southern tradition is one of my favorites. Its a basic concept - a serving of grits and a serving of saucy shrimp on top.  And from there - it can go all kinds of ways. Every coastal and even not-so-coastal city seems to have their own favorite recipe and "best" variation.  Charlotte's no exception. I had a bowl at Mert's Heart & Soul, a soul food restaurant in downtown Charlotte, a few blocks and a short walk from the Convention Center. Mert's recipe is a brown sauce for the shrimp (I've usually had a red tomato sauce.) Its flavored with tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and a kick of hot-ness. The spiciness is a crucial ingredient for me, without it, there's a blandness to the whole thing. The grits were smooth and creamy.

Shrimp & Grits, Collard Greens at Mert's 

Biscuits & cornbread. You just can't go south and not get some fresh baked bread.  At Mert's, they serve hot mini-loaves of cornbread. Not hot as in warm to the touch, but hot as in steaming when you cut it open and slather it with sweet whipped butter.  We had biscuits at Tupelo Honey Cafe, served with honey and blueberry compote.  I don't usually put honey on my food, but this was a delicious combination.

Biscuits with honey & blueberry

Krispy Kreme. This is a North Carolina tradition and favorite, founded in Winston-Salem. Now, the signature "lights on" causes drooling for hot doughnuts in many cities outside of the Carolinas. Even still, it feels like a requirement to get a box of donuts when crossing the state line.

More grits and other toppings. Can we go back to the grits? Tupelo Honey Cafe, located a couple miles outside of downtown, in SouthEnd, offers a couple variations on the shrimp and grits, and then also a Veggie Bowl. Don't be confused because, for some reason it's listed under Salads on the menu and is served hot. This is essentially the "everything but the kitchen sink" of grits dishes. The base is a serving of smooth, goat cheese grits. It is then topped with black eyed peas (peppery), salsa, sautéed greens (the server said spinach, but I think it was actually kale), and fried okra. Yes - all of that in one big ole bowl. And I had them add shrimp, but really, everything else was more than enough. At first, it's worth it to taste each item to get the full individual flavor. And then, it's got to be eaten all together - the creamy grits, the sharp greens, the spicy black eyed peas, and the crunchy okra.  Delicious.

Then, wash it all down with moonshine or sweet tea - your choice.
Moonshine is a potent liquor, heralding from the days of Prohibition and apparently, one of the reasons NASCAR came to be. (You find out all kinds of things at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.) I had a tasting of Midnight Moon (gotta love the mason jars, right?) The strawberry and apple pie were pretty good. But it's not for the weak. Proceed with caution.

Try a shot of moonshine to complete your trip!

Sweet tea. Any southern state, you can find sweet tea almost easier than water. If you are a native northerner, you may not even understand fully what "sweet" means in this context. Trust me, it does not mean Splenda or any other artificial sweetener. Don't pass it up, whether at a local restaurant or Bojangles. Just be sure you get yourself a glass.

Mert's Heart & Soul

Tupelo Honey Cafe

Eat & enjoy Charlotte!

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A Flower Grows in Brooklyn (Botanical Gardens)

On our last trip to New York, our friend suggested we stop through the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.  It was our first (real) stop after a morning departure from home and four-hour drive. The flowery pathways and beautiful gardens made for a great place to stretch our legs and kick off vacation.

Add a visit the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens to your New York City itinerary

There is, of course, a schedule of events and talks and demonstrations, but we didn’t do any of that. Instead, we met our friend and wandered around, enjoying the blooms and fragrances of the various themed gardens. Here's a few.

The Fragrance Garden, with all the smell-good flowers.  We might’ve even picked a mint leaf and sniffed at it through out the day.

The Japanese garden, my perennial favorite at any garden. This one has the requisite lake and pavilion.  If I lived nearby, I could imagine bringing a book and a cup of tea for an afternoon of peace and quiet.

The Waterlilies. Another one of my favorites. Flowers growing in water is quite fascinating to me. And as a black-thumb gardener, it seems like a good option, the opposite of a cactus, but maybe just as easy?

 

Bonsai Gardens.  I'm amazed by little teeny plants and trees and the patience required to cultivate such little greenery.

If you're going, what you need to know

• The Gardens are closed on Monday
• Admission is FREE on Tuesday, but a relatively good price the rest of the week ($12 for adults, $6 for kids over 12, kids under 12 are free anyday)
• It’s next to the Brooklyn Museum and you can get a combo Art & Garden ticket

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Splashing at Great Wolf Lodge

We finally made it to Great Wolf Lodge! It feels like we're the last family on the east coast to visit this family resort in Williamsburg, Virginia.  It's one of a chain, others located scattered across the U.S. and is fairly popular for family get-aways.

The theme of Great Wolf is all rustic and woodsy, with cute fluffy wolf ears at check-in. There are a number of room options, including a log cabin themed room, with a separate tent-looking area for the kids. We were in a regular family suite (the tent-theme rooms were sold out), which was space-y enough for the six of us, with two beds and a sleep sofa, an in-room coffee maker, microwave, and refrigerator.

• Tip: you get a wristband which acts as your water park admission, room key (swipe it across the sensor) and room charge card (again, swipe it across the sensor.)  I like this and it was handy not having to carry a wallet in the pool area.

The big attraction is the indoor water-park, which makes it a great middle-of-winter (or when will winter ever end!) mini-vacation.  There's a wave pool, multiple fun slides, one of those scream-inducing vortex/tornado type slides, a water-y playground, lazy river, and a little kids' shallow pool.  And an adults-only whirlpool.  (Is there any better two words at a family resort than "adults only"?)

• Tip: you have access to the waterpark before you check in and all day when you check-out, so pack the family swimsuits separately for your arrival and have traveling clothes packed separately on your departure

On the lower level is also other entertainment options. There's a 4D video, video games, arcade, and duckpin bowling, all for additional fees of $2-$6 per person.  Our kids spent a few minutes challenging each other in the Time Challenge - a room equipped with a pattern of lights which the kids had to run around and turn off in sequence (think, life-size Simon.)  There's also a few Quest games - the kid gets a magic wand and then sets off to different stations around the lodge. It looked to total almost $50 to play and seemed geared to younger kids, so we got out of having to do that ($50 for 4 kids adds up.)

• Tip: Have a plan and a budget. You know how quick $2/kid/game can add up. You can get a point card to load your points, so that's a good way to limit your spending.

We didn't eat in the lodge, but I did get coffee from Dunkin' Donuts! I think this was the first hotel I've stayed in with a Dunkin' Donuts and I was kinda happy. Although there was a long line, as folks were picking up donuts and breakfast, too.  We also got ice cream and fudge from the sweets shop, even before breakfast - you know that's a sign of spring break.

We were only there one night, but it was a full stay.  If we had a lower rate, we may have stayed another night.  We're on Spring Break this week and it seems like everyone else is, too, thus, the higher prices.

• Tip: Prices, like most travel destinations, vary depending on season and demand, so if you're flexible, you can get a better rate.

The kids had a great time and I'm glad we finally checked this off the family to-do-one-day list. I could see us heading back on another mid-winter/will winter ever end get-away.

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Going back to 1776 in Colonial Williamsburg

We spent a day in the 18th century in Williamsburg, once the capital of Virginia.

If you haven't seen the commercials, Colonial Williamsburg is a refurbished town, with live actors, or interpretors, re-enacting the activities of the time. There are wheelwrights, milliners, shoe makers... even slaves and free Blacks.  Throughout the day, you encounter them in their various shops and on the streets.  According to the wheelwright, the skilled laborers actually go through an apprenticeship to learn there craft and the work they are doing is real, not just for show. For instance, he was working on two projects - carving a section of a wooden wheel, using a tool that would've been used in colonial times, that would go on a wagon used in the town, as well as making a cannon wheel for a museum in New England. Of course, I made stops in the spinning shop, where the woman was spinning wool into yarn, and bookbinder. Interesting to see that some of these crafts have not changed much in hundreds of years.

The townspeople were fascinating in that they seemed to know a lot about their particular craft (it was just as intriguing to hear them field questions, as to hear  their own presentations), had  opinions about other folks (the shoemaker clearly expressed disdain for the cobbler), and portrayed a well-rounded and informed  history of the time and their character. Many of the people talked about what was going on in other parts of Virginia or pieces of trivia about the Governor's palace. The slaves mumbled to each other that nothing was going to change as the Declaration of Independence was read out loud.  There were re-enactments of one man's decision on joining the military and a slave jumping the broom ceremony.  It all felt like you had stepped back and were eavesdropping on history. To the point that when the townspeople nervously yelled that the British soldiers were coming, my kids got up and ran with them.

You need a pass to go into the various shops, available as one day, multiday, or annual passes. We received annual passes as part of our room package at Williamsburg Woodlands. If you go, check the various room deals; this one turned out to be a little less than what I would've paid for hotel and five day passes. There's a daily schedule of events, when shops are open and special activities.  Take note of any special things you want to see, as once you start wondering around, you might forget.

A day in Colonial Williamsburg transports you back to a time when cooking was done with food grown nearby, clothes were recycled and repaired as an economic necessity not as fashion, and when towns were filled with skilled "smiths." It was also a time when women couldn't vote, nor could poor men, and slavery was still legal.  There's stepping stones going into Williamsburg that remind you of the differences. It's an educational and entertaining day, and makes you appreciate walking back into the present.

Enjoy the City In a Few Hours

Work trips, professional conferences, and organization events may take you to a city away from home. It’s easy to take the cab from the airport straight to the hotel, eat in the hotel restaurant, and follow the busy agenda that brought you there, never to emerge onto the city streets until time to get back in the cab for the return trip to the airport. Resist.

 

Take comfy walking shoes & be ready to explore!

Over the past few months, I’ve had a few agenda-driven trips, for a quick weekend or a few days, but only a few hours to experience the city.  But I can't stay inside and never wonder around the city. Let me share some excuses to get out of the hotel.

Explore the city.  Especially, if it’s a new-to-you city. In Milwaukee, I arrived hours before my meetings were supposed to start, on a beautiful, sunny day.  There was just enough time for the fifteen-minute walk to the RiverWalk (who knew there was a river?) to get lunch. Along the way, when the sidewalk ran out and we were looking at a drop into the river, we learned that the streets that bridge the Milwaukee River are a series of drawbridges – that rise straight up, not angled, to let the boats pass.

In Austin, I went boot shopping at night and in between the conference ending and my return to the airport for my late flight home, I walked over to the state Capital building for my own self-guided tour.  In San Francisco, I combined sightseeing with my workout and ran over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Eat outside of the hotel.  I like to try the local restaurants, rather than a chain. I live in the DC area, I could eat at almost any chain restaurant I want to at home.  In Austin, of course, I ate at places featuring, what else - Mexican and Southwest.  I tried Adolfo’s, an Italian place in Springfield, MA and had this delicious pasta with seafood and basil and a French martini.  It’s a small restaurant, lit primarily by candles. I had a perfect seat by the bar, next to the window – I could people watch inside and out and was close to the bartender.  In Milwaukee, I ate - where else - on the Riverwalk!  I had a delicious veggie burger and drinks at WaterBuffalo.

 

Do something a little different.  For a recent trip, I planned to get a cab for the short ride from the airport to the hotel. Then it hit me – for the $100 round-trip cab fare, I could rent a car for the two days I’d be in town. So from the car rental lot, I picked out a car I’ve never driven before – a red VW Bug! It was fun departure driving this little car that would fit in the back seat of the huge truck I drive at home.  Continuing in the “new car” theme - in Charlotte, I had a great time at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

VW Bug - My little teeny ride for a weekend!

Expand your hobby. I crochet and am starting to knit. In addition to regular trips to my local yarn shop, yarn is my travel souvenir. In fact, when other people travel, I ask them to bring me back yarn.  But isn’t all yarn the same, my husband always asks. (Or used to, he doesn’t even bother anymore.)  Well, you just never know ‘til you check, do you?  I have shawls and scarves and sweaters made from yarn purchased in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Madrid.  If you have a particular hobby, does the supplies or the hobby itself work as a travel souvenir? And if you don’t have a hobby, make one up perfect for traveling like collecting spoons or coffee cups, visiting state capitals, eating at hometown ice cream shops or drinking local beers.

Yarn shopping in Mystic, CT & Berlin, MD

Take a break from the group. This is a tip for the introverts out there. Sometimes traveling and hanging with the group is exhausting, right? All those people, all that chatter, all the group decision making.  When you’ve had enough, bow out. Make an excuse or tell the truth, whatever you think will get you out with the least questions.  Go outside for a walk or get a drink at the bar down the street.  It may seem awkward for the moment, but at least you’ll be refreshed when you return.

How do you squeeze in fun during a business trip?

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