As I drive along the western edge of the Steamtown National Historic Site parking lot, I have no doubt about the focus. On my left looms a row of massive railroad locomotives, mighty machines that relied on steam to create motion. They are an impressive reminder of a bygone age in railroad history, when steam engines ruled the rails in the United States and elsewhere.  By James D. Porterfield
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From the silky white sand beaches lined with a kaleidoscope of colored umbrellas to the impeccable rolling golf courses, Myrtle Beach is fun for just about anyone. Myrtle is the most famous spot on the sunny Grand Strand, 60 long miles of beautiful South Carolina  beaches stretching from Little River to the historic streets of Georgetown. But beyond the staples of popular resort areas, Myrtle Beach boasts a variety of entertainment options, including theaters, nightlife, fine dining, water parks and outlet shopping galore. Hit Restaurant Row after a day in the sun for endless eateries or head over to Broadway at the Beach, a mini-boardwalk city of award-winning restaurants, shopping, nightclubs, an aquarium, the IMAX 3D Theatre, and miniature golf. Not far from Broadway are a bevy of live performance theaters such as the Carolina Opry, Alabama Theatre, Palace Theatre, Legends in Concert, Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede and Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.

So many announcements, such little time — what with the 1K Country Adventure earlier this month, I’ve barely had time to post about the other exciting goings-on in our Country!  But today I’m coming at you with the trifecta of new hotels.  I am very pleased to announce the opening of: OKLAHOMA CITY NORTH, OKLAHOMA,  CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA, and COLUMBIA AT HARBISON, SOUTH CAROLINA!
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Just a quick reminder that it isn’t too late to enter the Working Mother “I love this Country” photo contest!

You can view the official rules and regs here, but basically if your picture is taken in front of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson property, you’ll be eligible to win a 2-night stay! 

Wherever your travels take you, there’s a whole lot to love about this Country.

~Emily

It’s sometimes easy to forget that music is a performing art. And as thrilling or enjoyable as a song might sound on the radio, the Web or a CD, nothing compares to the experience of hearing music live. Whether it’s the performance of a classical score by a symphony orchestra or a simple, heartfelt blues tune by a lone guitarist, the opportunity to hear live music should not be missed. We’ve asked some of our correspondents to create performance- and music-related itineraries for four premier U.S. music destinations—Miami, Florida, Memphis, Tennessee, Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, California. Each of these cities offers one-of-a-kind music experiences featuring great musical traditions. By: Andrew Humphreys, Linda Romine, Paris Permenter, John Bigley and Jean Schiffman
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 Introduced to Europe during the Crusades limes have been a multi-purpose food throughout the ages. Check out these tips and facts to become an expert on all things lime.

Fun Facts

• British sailors were dubbed “Limeys” because of the daily citrus they were given in the 1800s to prevent scurvy.
• Limes are most plentiful from May through October.
• Romans floated lime leaves in their baths as a grooming aid and to scent their bath water.
• The top five lime-producing countries are the United States, Mexico, Italy, Spain and India.
• Key lime trees are the only lime trees with thorns.
• Limes are used as a natural shampoo and body wash by the Malays and Burmese
• There are several varieties of limes. The limes found at stores are generally Persian limes.
  Key limes are small with a thin, leathery, greenish-yellow skin.
• The most common lime, the Persian (or Tahitian) lime, does not have seeds because it is parthenocarpic—the flowers do not require pollen to produce fruit.
• No one is certain when the first Key lime pie was created, but many date it to the late 1800s.
• Limes and lemons have a similar flavor, but limes are more fragrant and less acidic. Both are important for their juice.

Kitchen Tips

• To get the most juice from a lime, it should be at room temperature. Roll it under your palm on the countertop until it feels softened.
• When selecting limes, choose ones that are firm and heavy—this means they have lots of juice. Depending on the type and size of the lime, it will take between six and 10 to make one cup of fresh juice.

Time is running out!    Need a last minute Dad’s Day Destination?  What better way to show your favorite Dad or your favorite Grad how much you love them than by sharing your love of the Country — visit http://www.countryinns.com/destinations to choose from dozens of destinations and packages to plan the perfect getaway.  From golf weekends to spa and sporting trips, we’ve got everything you want to thrill your favorite guy.

I love this Country!
~Emily

The first time Stephanie Haase organized a trade show for her company, Tunnell Consulting, Inc., of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, she forgot to order nametags. “I didn’t realize I needed them,” she recalls. “I was literally learning as I went along.”

If you’re not a professional event planner, staging a corporate seminar, company party or team-building session can send your stress level through the roof. That’s where the five W’s come in, says Jodi Wolf, co-author of Event Planning Made Easy (McGraw-Hill, $24.95) and president of Paulette Wolf Events & Entertainment in Chicago. Wolf says you should “ask yourself, ‘Who are your guests? What is your event? Where and when is it? And why is it happening?’” Once you answer those questions, you can put together a budget and what Wolf calls an “event blueprint,” which she recommends organizing in a binder—something Haase now does religiously.

A detailed event checklist is a lifesaver, says Anya Grottel-Brown, vice president, management supervisor for Dentsu Communications Inc. Grottel-Brown, who has organized events for 50 to 500 attendees, also recommends allowing 15 percent of your estimated total budget for miscellaneous expenses. “There’s always something you’re going to forget,” she says, “like the time I was organizing a photo exhibition and had to buy $400 worth of Velcro at the last minute.”

Here are a few more tips from the pros:

·  Don’t forget signage. When your guests, speaker and panel members show up,
will they know where they’re going?

·  Send an electronic invite when possible. It’s cost-effective, and chances are attendees
will ask for information to be e-mailed to them anyway.

·  Unless you’re having a sit-down meal, order food for half the number of attendees. “Most people come to nibble and make contacts,” says Grottel-Brown. “They are not expecting a full-course meal.”

·  Staff up. Have assistants on hand before and on the day of the event.

·  Always have a backup plan. Once all the details are in place, imagine what could go wrong. Then solve the problem.

Haase now works from a template she designed herself, complete with a calendar for deadlines, e-mail reminders to participants and an exhaustive list of trusted vendors. “Since I still have to do all of my other job duties,” she says, “being organized—and coming into the office on an occasional Sunday afternoon—is the only way I can stay sane.”

 Author Bio: The last big event writer Beth D’Addono planned was her husband’s 40th birthday.

It’s said that families who play together, stay together, and that holds true for all kinds of groups. Fun activities can strengthen bonds between colleagues and teammates. So how do you infuse fun into ordinary occasions or meetings? Organize your event around a creative theme, says Sherri Morrow, a Nashville, Tennessee, freelance graphic designer who’s planned numerous thematic events. Here’s how: 

Choose a theme that fits your group’s objectives. For instance, an employee recognition event could be set up as a “Night at the Oscars,” with managers dressed in formal attire or impersonating celebrities presenting awards. Looking for theme ideas is part of the fun. Morrow finds inspiration in movies (Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars)eras (Wild West, 1920s), holidays (Mardi Gras, Cinco de Mayo) and unique venues (casino, circus). 

Brainstorm ways to carry out the theme. Themes can be incorporated into a logo, invitations, decorations, food, background music, giveaways, group activities, clothing, presentations and entertainment. At a sales training event, Morrow’s team designed a “Road Warriors” logo and printed it on T-shirts, nametags and folders. 

Set the stage. For a tropical-themed meeting, serve luau-type food, cover tables with ocean-blue linens and use centerpieces made with shells and exotic flowers. Rent palms to enhance the ambience. “If you have a small budget, concentrate your decorations in one or two areas,” advises Morrow. “I like to make a big splash by the entrance, and then do something by the food table or speaker’s podium.” For a European theme, Morrow created tablescapes using English teacups, French baguettes and Italian wine bottles. At a mock Academy Awards dinner, she rolled out a red carpet and flanked the banquet room door with 6-foot-tall cardboard Oscars. 

Plan fun activities and giveaways. Morrow recalls organizing a United Way pledge drive on the office lawn that simulated a county fair. 

“People lined up at the ring toss and beanbag toss to win cheap plastic toys,” she says with a laugh. “And the dunking booth with company executives was a huge hit.” 

It takes careful planning to make themed events run smoothly, says Morrow, but with planning, you can create events that encourage networking, team-building and creative thinking. 

Author Bio: Melany Klinck is a freelance writer who once turned an office into a submarine with a control panel, portholes and scuba gear.

Well, we did it:

7 states, 7 days, 3 families, 1000 miles (well, closer to 2000 miles, really!), dozens of Suite Stops, and countless memories.  The snapshots I’ve been posting over the last few days are just glimpses into the adventures our families experienced – but what will stand out in my memory are the glimpses into the HEART — specifically, how quickly and easily we all bonded and forged friendships that I know will last.

Oh wait — you want to know the destination? 

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS.

WHY, you ask?

To celebrate the grand opening of our BEAUTIFUL 500th hotel – obviously I’ve seen a lot of hotels in my life and career, but I have to say that I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this hotel. 

GLEAMING hard wood floors.  Furniture I’d put into my own home.  Large towels.  Amazing beds with plush bedding.  A huge flat-screen TV.   An outdoor pool and spa with beautiful landscaping… in my many travels, I’ve stayed in a lot of expensive hotels, and this was nicer than just about anywhere I’ve ever stayed – at a fraction of the price.  Never has our tagline (“A cozy stay at a comfortable price”) rang truer!

 So you see, the crew started in Minnesota (where the Country story began), and experienced some of our best and brightest hotels as they journeyed southward towards our newest shining star, deep in the heart of Texas.  They arrived at the mystery destination mid-afternoon, and I think the kids were in that beautiful outdoor pool in nanoseconds.  Watching the kids get to be friends has been one of the most enjoyable parts of following this journey – I’m confident that they’ll keep in touch (I suppose kids don’t have “pen pals’ anymore, but perhaps they’ll be “tweet pals”?).  As they splashed about, I headed out to pick up dinner – a true southern BBQ, which we enjoyed in the beautiful breakfast area of the hotel.  We laughed and talked until late into the night, getting to know each other even better.  I can’t wait to see where these friendships go.

Below you’ll find my usual recap of Suite Stops, but I want to start with the END – and if you never watch anything else that I post (but you should, because all the Suite Stops are awesome!), watch this one – it truly captures the essence of this trip, this project, and what the Country (both the nation and the hotel!)  is all about.

The day started off by visiting some stallions… after enjoying the beautiful area, the “took the time” to stop by this local landmark.   Their final Suite Stop of the day was to visit the famed Cowboy’s stadium, before getting their last piece of direction to head to College Station, TX .

One of the things that I love about Country Inns & Suites is that each property has their own story – their own piece of local flavor and culture that makes it unique.  The one thing I believe remains consistent across the chain is the quality of not only our product, but our PEOPLE – I can’t tell you how exicted the participating hotels were to jump in and go the extra mile to make our guests feel special!  Many of them put together gifts (beer & cheese in Wisconsin), posted welcome signs, and sent the kids on their way with bags of fresh baked cookies.   And just like our hotels, the Suite Stops were chosen to showcase fun things about each city that are unique and filled with local flavor — places you PROBABLY wouldn’t think about as a vacation destination, but a special piece of history, current local culture, or Americana that help to make this country whole.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a gigantic THANK YOU to our sponsors — Avis, Sprint, JVC, and Duracell.  We quite literally could NOT have done any of this without you.  And of course… our amazing road warriors and their families: Kara, Sharlene, and Ross. 

And also… thank you to the local news crews that showed up and the local convention and visitors bureaus that added some extra touches to the adventure!

And last but certainly not least – our “host with the most,” Dave Sniadak.  There are no words to express my gratitude and appreciation of your time and talent!

I LOVE this Country.
~Emily

PS: Did you notice the Texas-shaped waffle in the pictures above?  That was my breakfast yesterday in College Station!

PPS: Make sure you keep checking back – rumor has it that there is a LOT of video coming, courtesy of the JVC Everio HD cams that our crew used on the road!