Its been pretty crazy around here lately but hopefully I won't be leaving home again anytime soon. In the last month I've been to meetings in California, Charlotte and Kansas. Then amidst all that we went on vacation in West Virginia. I sure was happy when that plane landed last night in RALEIGH!! I love traveling to new places but I also like breaks in between the trips which hasn't been the case this time. Brian was so sweet last night! He came to pick me up at the airport and brought me flowers! Awww, my heart melts.
Sooo... I guess I should give a brief recap of the places I've been.
1st - California
I flew into San Francisco then drove up to San Rafael where we have a quarantine nursery set up. San Rafael is BEAUTIFUL!!! The weather was perfect the whole time, I even had to put on a sweater in the evenings. I got to go out to China Camp which is a state park that had one of the first P. ramorum detections. It was beautiful and right along the bay. We also had a little free time before our flight on the last day so we went to the golden gate bridge and hiked down to the beach below it which was a blast!
2nd - West Virginia
We went on vacation to West Virginia and went white water rafting on the New River. We had a blast with Brian and my family there. We went hiking along some great trails and some of the group went on a zip line course which they thought was awesome. Me and mom opted for a massage instead. The massage studio was inside a pagota out in the woods. The very tip of the pagoda roof was open with a big wooden fan in the opening. It was awesome because you were just laying there looking up into the trees tops and you could hear the birds and all the forest noises. Soooo relaxing!!
3rd - Charlotte
The next week I was in Charlotte for the American Phytopathological Meeting. There were some great workshops and we at at a fantastic restaurant downtown called Aria. It was Tuscan and one of the best places I've eaten in a very long time! I liked it so much that the next day I managed to drag one of my coworkers back there again for lunch! I was amazed how much downtown Charlotte has changed since I had been there last. There are plazas everywhere to hang out in, lots of good restaurants, hotels, museums, etc. It would be a great quick getaway! Thanks to conference rates we were able to stay at the Westin which was not too shabby!! I was hoping to get to go to Ikea while I was there but it didn't work out. Thats probably for the best because I sort of go crazy in that place!!! How can you not when everything is soooo cute and sooo cheap!!!
4th - Manhattan, Kansas
This week I was in Kansas at a workshop on Phytophthora ramorum. I had to give a presentation which I was super nervous about but I think it went really well in the end. Manhattan is the home of the Kansas State Wildcats and they really take that to heart! I had to stop at Walmart to get some snacks and I think I was the only individual not wearing a purple (wildcats) shirt!! Manhattan has their own aiport which was pretty hilarious. They have 3 flights a day and they all go to Dallas. You had to be at the airport 45 minutes early or the ticket counter would be closed because the ticket agent is also the baggage lady!! LOL
Sooo... I guess I should give a brief recap of the places I've been.
1st - California
I flew into San Francisco then drove up to San Rafael where we have a quarantine nursery set up. San Rafael is BEAUTIFUL!!! The weather was perfect the whole time, I even had to put on a sweater in the evenings. I got to go out to China Camp which is a state park that had one of the first P. ramorum detections. It was beautiful and right along the bay. We also had a little free time before our flight on the last day so we went to the golden gate bridge and hiked down to the beach below it which was a blast!
2nd - West Virginia
We went on vacation to West Virginia and went white water rafting on the New River. We had a blast with Brian and my family there. We went hiking along some great trails and some of the group went on a zip line course which they thought was awesome. Me and mom opted for a massage instead. The massage studio was inside a pagota out in the woods. The very tip of the pagoda roof was open with a big wooden fan in the opening. It was awesome because you were just laying there looking up into the trees tops and you could hear the birds and all the forest noises. Soooo relaxing!!
3rd - Charlotte
The next week I was in Charlotte for the American Phytopathological Meeting. There were some great workshops and we at at a fantastic restaurant downtown called Aria. It was Tuscan and one of the best places I've eaten in a very long time! I liked it so much that the next day I managed to drag one of my coworkers back there again for lunch! I was amazed how much downtown Charlotte has changed since I had been there last. There are plazas everywhere to hang out in, lots of good restaurants, hotels, museums, etc. It would be a great quick getaway! Thanks to conference rates we were able to stay at the Westin which was not too shabby!! I was hoping to get to go to Ikea while I was there but it didn't work out. Thats probably for the best because I sort of go crazy in that place!!! How can you not when everything is soooo cute and sooo cheap!!!
4th - Manhattan, Kansas
This week I was in Kansas at a workshop on Phytophthora ramorum. I had to give a presentation which I was super nervous about but I think it went really well in the end. Manhattan is the home of the Kansas State Wildcats and they really take that to heart! I had to stop at Walmart to get some snacks and I think I was the only individual not wearing a purple (wildcats) shirt!! Manhattan has their own aiport which was pretty hilarious. They have 3 flights a day and they all go to Dallas. You had to be at the airport 45 minutes early or the ticket counter would be closed because the ticket agent is also the baggage lady!! LOL
