Holidays + Saving Time + Saving Monday + NO STRESS = Winter Perfection!

Hi all! This is my travel blog - but this post has nothing to do with my travels... in fact, it's the opposite! It's about staying put & doing whatever you want to do on your December weekends without challenging any crazy stores, malls or web surfing for hours to find the the best deals!

My friends, Meaghan & Tim, own a network marketing site that has the LARGEST number of partners (basically - any & every store you can think of!) Not only does going through their web portal SAVE you money immediately (2% cash back) - some of their partner sites have SUCH a great relationship with them, they offer you even BIGGER discounts!!

This Christmas - they are doing something EXTRA! Not only can you shop through their site to save money on your Christmas list - they are willing to do the shopping FOR YOU! Just send them your list - email them at: tlscoaches10@gmail.com!

Here is their website: Use www.shoptamsmart.com > PARTNER STORES (on top navigation bar) to find great deals on all the products you want from all the stores you love and trust! Earn 2% (up to) 35% cash back on eligible purchases and 1/2 percent cash on the purchases of others you refer. Start earning now at www.shoptamsmart.com. This is FREE to register!

FORM TO FILL OUT

 

November

me & Britt

November is a BUSY month!
Next Wednesday [11.10.10] is the FIVE STAR Showcase in Kansas City! It's going to be AMAZING! Lots & lots of planning has gone into this - and I'm very proud of this Showcase! I really hope it's a HUGE success!

The next day, my friend Brittanny & I leave for Vegas!! That night we will attend a ThirstyGirl event in Vegas at Sushi Samba! [I just started the Kansas City Chapter for ThirstyGirl]! We will be traveling with my new friend, Willow - and will be tweeting his experience! If you'd like to follow - you can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarah_whitten

Hard Rock Hotel Vegas Pool

The next day we will rise early to go see Jeff Havens perform for one of Britt's clients! We will spend the day with Jeff after his event poolside at the Hard Rock Hotel!

The rest of the plans are in the air! We may attempt to score some tickets to see LOVE - the Cirque du Soleil act of The Beatles!

Hoover Dam

Saturday morning [11.13], Britt flies back to KC and then we are renting a car & heading straight for the Grand Canyon! We are going to stop at the Hoover Dam & the new skywalk on our way. We are staying in the South Rim and will spend the next two days hiking! Sunday [11.14.10] is my 31st birthday - so I'm very excited to be celebrating on vacation - and especially outdoors and at the Grand Canyon!

Grand Canyon Skywalk - YIKES!!!

Here are a few pictures! Enjoy!

Grand Canyon Skywalk | View of the Glass-Bottom Floor

To Jacksonville for the Weekend!

Sara, Meaghan & Me - Chicago, Dec 2009

Off to Jacksonville, Florida!

I'm leaving for Jacksonville Friday morning [October 1] to go visit Meaghan & Tim! I'm so excited to see their new place! Sara will join us on Saturday morning, too! She has a pretty early flight - and is coming in from Chicago. I'm very excited to see my girls (and Timmy, too!) We'll have so much fun relaxing and catching up! I'm also excited for Megs to cook us one of her famous recipes and get a good home-cooked meal in me! (It has been awhile!) I'm excited for a little beach time, too, since it's becoming a bit more like Fall here in KC. I'll keep you posted with all of the fun things we'll do!!

Chicago Half-Marathon - September 12, 2010

This weekend we went to Chicago for a VERY quick trip to run in the Chicago Half-Marathon!! It was a great trip - although WAY too quick. I think this was the first time I've gone to Chicago in 10 years I didn't get to see my besties that live in the area =(  So sad - but an excuse to go back soon!!

We got there early Saturday morning -- when we landed, we went to Navy Pier to pick up our packets, grabbed a coffee, and met up with a friend! It was really cold (I was in flip flops) and all I wanted to do was shop on Michigan to buy a new pair of Uggs (winter boots that I seem to live in when there is any coldness in the air). After we got our packets, we checked in to our hotel, The Ambassador East, and then headed to lunch at a Tapa's place.

After lunch, we went down to Michigan and read our books at the coffee shop (if you haven't already - read ALL THREE of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, you should! ... they are SOOOO good, and I'm so sad to have finished them all!) We read for a few hours and it miraculously cleared up, the sun came out, and it was hot again! So, no boots to shop for - we just walked everywhere & did window shopping, went down to the lake & eventually grabbed to-go food (we had a picnic in our hotel room to get ready for the race!)

We got up SUPER early, drove an hour to the start of the race (near the University of Chicago - but there were 18,000 people running the race & it was the first game for the Bear's) - and started a little late (but the race was chipped, so it was fine). I ran an average (of slightly under) 10-minute miles for my first 10, then had a huge cramp and had to walk... and walked almost to the 12th mile before I could run again - but, I finished only one minute longer than my last half (when I ran the whole time) - so I felt really satisfied!!

After the race, we headed back to the hotel, cleaned up & packed and had a big brunch! I went to Midway afterwards to get fly home. It was a great race and a fun weekend - it still shocks me we have our next race in KC on October 16 - the KC Marathon!!

Jason & Justis Charay's Wedding!!

CONGRATS to Jason & Justis Charay - married on Sunday, September 5th!!!

Their wedding was held at the Elms Resort & Spa in Excelsior Springs! It was the most perfect night outside (wedding was outdoors) and it was the first time I was not hot or cold! Great times! Congrats to one of my favorite childhood friends - Jason! (which, for those that know the song - every time I see him - I sing 'Hip Hop Charay - Ho, Hey, Ho!!) XoXo

Lake Tahoe - August 30 - September 3

Hello Everyone!!

I'm sooooo far behind on my travel blog - all the travels keep getting in my way of posting :)

So, the week before Labor Day - I went to Lake Tahoe with my good friend & travel buddy, Brooke (she lives in Madison, WI & we were roommates at Drake).

Brooke was celebrating her 30th birthday on Friday, September 30 -- so we ventured out to do some hikes and wineries before she met her family over Labor Day Weekend in Tahoe.

We flew into Reno, rented a car and drove to Truckee, California. We checked in, dropped off our stuff (around 3ish) - and drove down to Squaw Valley - no time to waste! (Squaw Valley is where the 1960 Olympics were held!)

TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA

We started our hike & ended up 'detouring' a bit... and by the time we reached the top of the mountain, the gondolas had closed and were by CHANCE ran into two other girls that had contacted security to come pick us up and drive us to the bottom. It was getting late (we had about 2 hours of sunlight left) and it took us around 4 hours to get to the top... and as rumors have it, it's COLD on top of mountains! We were so glad to have Carl come pick us up and take us back down! ha! Doesn't surprise us at all that happened! But, it was a great hike for our first day. We ended up going back to our hotel, walking across the street to a Thai Restaurant and then to a local Brewery (FiftyFifty) where we each had 2 beers and felt tipsy! Love the high altitude!! (Makes us a couple of cheap dates!!)

RUBICON TRAIL - LAKE TAHOE

RUBICON TRAIL - B & S

The next day, we woke up early, had breakfast outside -- where it was in the upper 50s, but the sun was STRONG! We drove to the Lake and hiked the Rubicon Trail! It was amazing. The hike we did was about 5 miles (about 10 miles round trip) and took us over 5 hours! For a runner, that just seems impossible when you are moving the entire time... but I guess when you do have to "climb", it does take a bit longer! That night, we stopped at a grocery store, picked up a bottle of Red Zinfandel and a collection of cheeses (yes, a HUGE wedge of brie cheese for me!) and several other cheeses & spreads - and we headed back to the hotel and had our appetizers & wine in the hot tub. It was heaven. We finally got around to showering and then went and had another glass of wine at some local restaurants known for their extensive wine list in Truckee. It was nice - Truckee is one of those town which makes you feel like you went back in time about 40/50 years -- everything is so cute & simple and has SO much character.

MOUNTAINS IN CALI - DRIVING ROUTE!

Wednesday morning we got up, had our breakfast and ventured off for our 2 hour drive to wine country! We drove for about 2 miles where we had to stop at the local Farmer's Market and bought big peaches! It was great. We then drove throughout California (meaning, Brooke drove) - the roads were steep, winding around mountains, and without cell reception. (Confession: I did have to throw myself in the backseat twice to cover my eyes!!) The heights will always scare me - but Brooke can confess this trip was MUCH better than the time in South America going through the Andes!! It was nice to have rented an automatic in the States so Brooke could drive! AHH -- I'd love to live in Tahoe, but I'd never be able to get anywhere since I'd be too scared to drive!

BAMBI'S MAMA!

BROOKE & I GETTING OUR NACHOS!

The wineries were AWESOME! We had a list of around 10-12 we'd go to. Our first stop, Mount Aukum was WAY on the top of a mountain peak. The wine maker was a soft-spoken French man and the owner was his brother-in-law, Bill. Bill had told us MANY stories on how his daughter, Laurie (along with himself & his wife) had actually changed the laws of Cruise Ships -- how they handle security and womens rights. It was VERY nice to meet them & hear their stories! That is always the best part of traveling - you never know who you'll meet! We had hour long chats with these guys (and even saw Bambi and her mother up close and personal walk by)! I bought two bottles of wine from this place! (One was a port that you eat after dinner with dark chocolate - YUM!) Since we were at the first winery for several hours, we cut our list to hit just a couple more. PLUS - these wineries (not like Napa) are free -- so on that note, we headed towards our hotel in Placerville and hit up two more wineries in the neighborhood: Jodar (food & wine pairing) and a place called Luna (where Brooke & I both bought a bottle of wine!) After we left the wineries, we went next door (hotel) and had nachos (yes!!) and then to a local bar for a couple beers! It was fantastic!

BROOKE ON TOP OF THE BAY VIEW TRAIL

The next morning (Thursday), we woke up around 8:30 - stopped for a quick breakfast and drove the couple hours back to the lake and climbed the Bay View Trail (Maggie's Peak) where we saw the "high" view of the Rubicon Trail! It was amazing - we hiked for about an hour and landed at Granite Lake & then hiked the peaks! It was up SUPER HIGH! I took a picture of Brooke standing at the top, but I was too nervous to stand, but Brooke got me up there all the same! After the hike, we headed into Tahoe City and checked into Brooke's cabin (she was staying though Labor Day). The cabin was fabulous! We got settled, checked out the area and then went to dinner at Sunnyside for dinner - a restaurant that hung over the lake. We ate like champs -- and for dessert, we ordered Brooke the BIGGEST piece of ice cream cake! It was amazing!

ME ON TOP OF THE BAY VIEW TRAIL

We headed back to the cabin and watched a movie and turned in early. I got up the next morning, drove back to Reno and headed home :( It was a gorgeous trip and it was great to do SOO much hiking! I headed back to KC so I could go to a friend's wedding - more on that in the next post!

Here are some of my pictures from the trip! (I took more than 300 - but this is plenty to view!) Thanks for reading!!! xo


Picture Link: http://picasaweb.google.com/SarahMeredithWhitten/LakeTahoeSelectedPhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCJmyl5u_keX3Ng&feat=directlink


Embedded Pictures:

Lake Tahoe - selected photos

Upcoming Trip: Lake Tahoe

Hello!! Hope you are all well!!

Sara, Sarah (me), Brooke & Meaghan

[If you are viewing this from email, you can go to the  blog post by: http://magellan-sarah.blogspot.com/2010/08/upcoming-trip-lake-tahoe.html To enlarge the photos, just click on them!]

I had a request or two for my upcoming trips!
As of now (8/10) - here is my agenda for trips (but a few more be added!!)
August 30 - September 3: I'll be in Lake Tahoe! (with my friend Brooke)
September 5 - 6: I'll be in Excelsior Springs for my friend Jason Charay's wedding at the Elms Resort & Spa!
September 12: I'll be in Chicago for the 1/2 Marathon!! (#3 this year!)

Beth, Sarah (me), Jen & Mom

October 1 - October 4: I'm going to Jacksonville, FL to visit Meaghan & Tim (with Sara & (maybe) Brooke!!)
(October 16 is the KC 1/2 Marathon!)
October 23 - October 24: Tulsa, OK with Mom, Beth & Jen -- ladies weekend!

There may be a  few more trips in there... but for now, that is
what's on the board!
 


Lake Tahoe Vacation:

Truckee, California

Monday, Aug 30: Flying into Reno! We will be going to Truckee, CA! Once we land, rent our car and drive to Truckee - we'll spend the afternoon hiking! (I'll include a few pics of each destination!)

Placerville, California

Tuesday, Aug 31: We will be going to Placerville, CA. We willrent kayaks for a few hours, and then spend the days hiking!

BEAUTIFUL Lake Tahoe!

Wednesday & Thursday, September 1-2: We will be in Tahoe City. We are going to go white water rafting, hiking & then visit some wineries!!

 Here are a few more pictures!! (click to enlarge!)

Kayaking in Placerville!

Wineries in the Tahoe area!

The water is SOOO clear! (Lake Tahoe)

June Travels - Chicago

Last week was another Showcase for work! It was SOO fun! We landed in Chicago right before this crazy torrential downpour that ended up canceling most flights! Lucky us! We did take a limo (actually cheaper than a shuttle) to our hotel (The Hilton Lisle/Naperville) ... which I hear is technically not Chicago! Again, another truly successful showcase!! We had another amazing line-up and had a lot of laughs and inspiration!! I actually thought of a new campaign while listening to a speaker I want to explore more for work! See - professional speakers CAN change your life and motivate you!!!

After the Showcase, Sara picked me up (with Eden & James) and we headed to St. Charles!! [Sara is one of my besties & was also a college roomie (and we lived together in Atlanta after school). I had to take a pic off her FB of the kiddos (with Sara's grandma) b/c again, I was not active with my camera - but these these are my favorite long distance babies so I had to post a picture!! James is about a 1.5 years & Eden just turned 3!] We headed to the grocery store and bought apps (cheese & wine) and all the fixings to make tacos! We hung out & chatted & I ate my wedge of brie, Sara put her kiddos to bed & then we skyped with Ryan (her husband) who was in Alaska on a fish trip (Sara got 50lbs of salmon being shipped back to her!)

Friday morning, we got up & Brooke joined us! She drove in from Madison! You have met Brooke earlier in my blog (NOLA)! We headed into town and had a picnic lunch & went to a Splash Park! VERY fun!! Sara did arrrange a baby-sitter & we went to one of her fav's Wok N'Fire for dinner & then to an Irish Pub!

The next morning, Sara made pancakes and we headed to Geneva for a festival! Sara got her face painted =) I got on the metro around 12:30pm and headed to the city to play with the boy! (He was in town for business as well -- so it worked out perfectly since I missed his birthday which was Wed, the 23rd). We had SO much fun, too! His wonderful friends were out of town & let us use their loft (this is the view from their balcony). The interior was decorated like the W Hotel - so it was very nice! We spent the afternoon walking around Lincoln Park & had some appetizers at a KU Bar! We got ready and went to a festival that evening! (twice in one day) This one was sans face-painting - but we did meet up with a friend, had a drink and listened to some music and then went to Rise for dinner - another sushi place!

The next mornnig we got up and ran through the Lincoln Park Zoo & then up Lake Shore Drive!! It was a great run, but we did get poured on!! We showered and then had breakfast at a great local coffee shop & then did some shopping on Michigan Avenue! I took a small afternoon & spent the afternoon reading/Internetting & we had dinner at Japonais on the river front! Yes, another Sushi Restaurant!

I headed back on Monday! It was a great trip! Wonderful work events followed by lots of fun! While in Chicago, we did plan some additional trips!! I will be having another girls weekned at the Lake (with Glenna & some friends from work!), Brooke & I are going to Lake Tahoe to do some hiking & visit some wineries in August, and we decided to run the half-marathon September 12 in Chicago (as well as the one in KC on October 18!) I still need to visit Meaghan who moved to Florida, and one of my bestie's is having a baby this week in Pasadena, CA! So, I'll keep you posted! Thanks for reading my blog =) Take care!! And please let me know how YOU are doing!! xo  (my email: swhitten@fivestarspeakers.com)

Oh - I did get my iPhone 4 today! yay!! happy day!!

June Travels - Dallas!

I went to Dallas on June 22 for my Showcase (for work)!! We had an amazing line-up this Spring - and it was an absolutley amazing time!! LOTS of laughs, and, I feel very inspired!! Side note: I did get my iPhone swiped.. and to this day, I'm still waiting to get my paws on the new iPhone 4!! It is taking a bit longer than anticipated (and my go-phone is really, really torturing me!) But, always the silver-lining -- I must say, it is completely ideal to have your phone stolen during a full-day of listening to 16 amazing speakers (majority being motivational & inspirational!!) Also... it does give me the rational to spend the money on the new iPhone!! It was a bit of a challenge to get a hold of anyone while out of town without Internet & a phone, but I did survive! Either way, please email me: (swhitten@fivestarspeakers.com) your phone number!! I did lose all my contacts. EEK!!

After my showcase, Jen (my sister) picked me up and we had dinner with Erik & Jennifer Govea! It was great to see them! (They are the brother (and wife) of Beth's husband, Nate. Beth is our younger sister) ... I should probably throw in a neighbor's cousin just to even that out =)

Jen and I just chilled for a couple days at her condo! We relaxed and chatted & spent hours catching up! We actually stayed up until 5:30am the night after my Showcase!! I must say, it was the longest I've ever stayed up with only drinking water!! It was nice to relax & I did play hours of crafternoon (making my boyfriend a handmade birthday present!) Jen also introduced me to one of her favorite local Chinese Take-out places (they know her by name!!) so we pigged out & watched movies, too! All & all - (a quick) but fun trip!

I flew home Saturday, June 19, in time to pick up Corbin (now spending time with his "new" step-family! He has found a new special love for Glenna & her Dick and their three miniature Yorkies!!) Later in the day, Francis got into town as well  & we met up with a close friend of mine, Stacie, & went out to celebrate 50 years of life for Sam Meers!! Sam was my first boss in KC & the CEO of Meers Advertising. It was GREAT fun! I did video tape the birthday wishes and included a couple pictures. I did not take any pictures with Jen while in Dallas...  =(  I need my new iPhone (the new version comes with a 5 megapixel camera & flash!!)

June Travels - Lake of the Ozarks

It's been a busy month this June!

The first trip was the beginning of the month when we spent a weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks on da boat!! My friends Glenna & her husband, Dick (Glenna & her Dick) invited us down for a weekend of fun on their beautiful 2 bedroom/2 bathroom yacht!! I work with Glenna - and it's great to have such WONDERFUL (and very generous) 60-year old friends!! We had such an amazing time - lots of sun!! We did spend lots of time laying out, a little bit of swimming, taking the boat out, a LOT of eating & even some libations! It was a great weekend! Thanks again to the Beytiens!!

A Different Spin On My Travel!

Hello all!! Hope everyone is doing well! Although I'm still resting nicely in KC, I thought I'd post a quick blog entry! I did get a new form of transportation today somewhat related to my travels... a new bike! I'm very excited because I don't think I've actively ridden a bike since my early teen years! The bike I got, a Trek Pure, is more along the lines of a beach cruiser! I am planning on getting a basket so I can take it to the grocery store,  run smaller errands, and perhaps even take Corbin places with me! Once I get accessorized with ALL my add-ons & protection gear (bubble wrap included), let me know if you are interested in joining me for a bike ride!

All I want for Christmas [in May]...

I know this is not part of my travels - but I HAVE MY NEW TEETH! Not sure if I should have a party to bob for apples, eat raw carrots, sit around and chew gum... but I can eat, chew, and do all of the above! VERY happy day!!

After eight weeks of pain, gluing on my dentures 3x a day [while resembling a third-world hobbit] -  I can now be the proud owner of my new set of pearly whites!

After three vacations, my grandmother's funeral, running two half-marathons & the four-mile race, hosting two house parties, attending one black-tie formal event, four birthday parties, conducting an HOA meeting & book club, Easter with the family, moving offices spaces, and a Royal's game on a party bus...
I finally have some REAL teeth... that are attached, that work!! YAY!!!!

HAPPY DAY!
-- Sarah (and her new grill!)

Heading Back Home

It was a wonderful trip and it's hard to leave - but, it will be nice to get back to Kansas City!

Tonight, we have the DIFFA KC Dining By Design Black Tie event [DIFFA is the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS] - so I'll have about an hour to get ready for that once I land!

I'm in town for the entire month of May! I may post something during this time, but I won't be traveling until June (as far as I know!) In June - I do have a couple trips planned: business & 3-day weekends in both Dallas & Chicago -- and maybe even a longer weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks! If something comes up, I'll keep you posted! Thanks for reading my blog and following my adventures!

NOLA Jazz Fest!

Hey everyone! Sorry I really haven’t posted this entire trip – so not like me! I’m going through withdrawal of not having Internet at my finger tips! But, honestly, we’ve been so busy - there really hasn’t been a ton of down time! Since my last post, Tuesday night Brooke met me out on Royal Street near the coffee shop I was working at and we walked all over the French Quarter. It was great! The weather again was beautiful! Earlier in the week before I got to NOLA, Brooke had taken a guided tour so she showed me places where she had been – got some history in, walked near the river & saw the steam boats & then we found an outdoor place that had a great jazz band and we split some Red Beans & Rice and had a glass of wine. We continued to stroll through the Quarter & stopped for a beer on Bourbon Street, again, with live music! We headed back to the hotel once the sun went down so I could shower up & drop off my computer bag – then we set out for the evening! We had dinner at the Brewery which I loved (baked brie appetizer & crab cake salad). The people working there had suggested some ideal local flare down on Frenchmen Street – so we headed there to see some live jazz. There were other tourists, but this was a lot more “local” and not at all Bourbon Street! The covers to enter were a bit pricey (MUCH more than I’m used to paying – around $30) but, the jazz and environment was amazing! We danced and danced and danced!! During our entire trip, everyone we have met and encountered has been overwhelmingly nice, upbeat & super friendly! It’s great to see so many people smile & have such uplifting energy! NOLA is not at all snobby or scary… the people here seem very Bohemian and laid back. People do LOVE their music!

Thursday Brooke & I worked out, had lunch at a nearby outdoor café and then shuttled over to the Jazz Fest! It was a hot day! It was at the fair grounds – and we popped from tent to tent & to stage to stage. It was getting to be a bit warm, but around 5pm, the breeze picked up and it was amazing! I really, really loved the experience of Jazz Fest! It seemed to be well organized & I’m so glad we went Thursday & not Saturday. It was super packed, but it could have been much worse. The concerts ended at 7pm, so we shuttled back and then went out to dinner & out for more live music! It was a ton of fun!

Friday was much more low-key. We went to Stanley’s for Breakfast and walked all over the area – did some shopping & stopped at Café du Monde for coffee and beignets! We worked out and checked emails & then headed out to find a place with live music for dinner. Afterwards, we walked around for about an hour (it was suppose to rain all day – so it was about 80 degrees & 99% humidity – so not the best weather (at least for our hair!!) but still very nice out! We got back to the hotel and picked up some ice cream & just hung out. It has been a great trip! It’s 1am now – I will post this in the morning, but I’m heading to bed! I’ll write again tomorrow! Good night!

I posted my pictures through SlideShare again - so view them from my blog or you can see them here: http://slidesha.re/cmdujj

New Orleans - April 27-May 1,2010

View more presentations from SarahWhitten.

In Naw-lens!

Hey all! Brooke & I made it to New Orleans! We had SUCH a great time yesterday/last night!! I landed around 4pm - my flight from Houston was a bit delayed, but everyone on the flight was heading down to Jazz Fest - so I met a ton of people & got some great advice & tips! This week, I'm reading a book by Kathryn Stockett, The Help, it's WONDERUL! Once I landed, I shuttled it downtown & met up with Brooke at the Palace Cafe for happy hour - $5 dollar wines, so we had a glass of vino to start our week off right! It was absolutely beautiful outside - the weather has been just gorgeous!! We went to the hotel & got ready and went out to dinner at the Corner Oyster House. It was great. We are staying at the French Quarter which has been CRAZY! There is SOOO much going on - and I'm in love with the energy & talent!! This city reminds us of Buenos Aires - which would be very accurate since they both have a heavy French influence. I haven't been to New Orleans since college - so it's been about 12 years. I forgot how the architecture in this city is so amazing! I think it's the only city in the USA that feels "different". I feel like I should have my passport with me! Plus, people can drink on the street - which is weird to see people walking around with beer & when you leave restaurants, they ask you for a to-go cup or a "roadie". Hey, why not!? [Side note: it's also the only state that has the guilty until proven innocent methodology - better be on my BEST behavior!]

Every corner has musicians & there are so many people dancing everywhere and really enjoying themselves! It's all ages, sizes, genders, races - so I feel like I'm in my element! We ended up going to a ton of places along Bourbon Street and all around! We danced the night away and even got our palms read - which was pretty spot on for both of us! I've never had my palms read, and it's nice to know that it's stated in my own body that I'm stubborn & independent - so I guess it's nice to be reconfirmed! =)

I've bounced around all day long in the city with my backpack - took a conference call at the park & am at my 3rd coffee shop - pretty shaky on all my Chai Teas I've had - but I need to find my wifi somehow!

I forgot to bring my camera with me - so I will post pictures soon! It's been a blast!! Hope you are all doing well =)

New Orleans

I'm leaving for New Orleans Tuesday morning! My friend, and college roommate, Brooke got there tonight (Monday) and we will be there until Saturday! We are staying in the French Quarter at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Astor (right off Bourbon Street): 739 Canal Street & the phone number is: 504.962.0500.


I will post more once we figure out what we will be doing! If you have any ideas or suggestions of things we must see or do - please send them our way! This week (and last week) is Jazz Fest! As of now, we have all day tickets for Thursday's concert! We may do some other touristic things while we are there - perhaps a swamp tour to see the alligators, tour the city & definitely meet the locals!

Back at home [Kansas City]

Hello from Kansas City! I am back home! It's nice to be home - even if it's raining and dark out. I have a lot of work to do today - so I'm thankful there are no distractions caused by the sun!

The remaining part of my trip was really fun! Tuesday night, we ended up going to dinner at the Bengal Lounge inside the Fairmont for an Indian Buffet! It was really good! They had crazy ceiling fans - so I snapped a quick shot of them - they just waved back and forth! At dinner, we also looked out the window and saw this pigeon on top of the dome that looked like a wind direction indicator/turbine thing. Not sure the proper term for that =) But, I included a picture - which is worth a 1000 words!!

After dinner, we walked about a mile to a local brew pub on the water, the Canoe, for a beer. The place was packed - quite hoppin' for a Tuesday night! It looked like a typical American brewery, but the lighting was all chandeliers. I thought that was great!

Not much more to report, that was about it on the excitement. Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day of travel. It was really chilly & windy out so I didn't even go outside on the Ferry. I pretty much read & worked all day until I got home last night around midnight!

My next trip will be next Tuesday, April 27th. Brooke and I will be heading to New Orleans for Jazz Fest!!