There are ways to minimize that sense of dislocation by tweaking your routine and bringing a little bit of home with you when you travel.

1. Don’t live out of your suitcase. By unpacking and putting your “stuff” where it belongs, you’ll give yourself a subconscious cue that you’re in familiar territory.
2. Venture out of the room. Even if you need to bring your laptop with you, make use of the hotel’s welcoming shared spaces, such as seating areas around the fireplace and pool. Being around others can spark conversation or make silence more companionable.
3. Bigger is better. When possible, upgrade from a standard room to a suite for an extended stay. Having more elbow room, an in-room fridge and other conveniences makes a big difference.
4. Travel with your totems. What reminds you of home? Maybe it’s your pillow, a few photos, an iPod playlist. One frequent traveler opts for fresh flowers in a collapsible vase that’s easy to pack. Another listens to e-books to stay connected to the neighborhood book club. Or maybe it’s a comfy robe and slippers to make evenings cozy. Whatever it is, bring it.
5. Stay with your normal routine. Flying, driving and being on the move are disruptive enough. When possible, try to stick with your normal regime of exercise, diet and sleep habits to maintain balance away from familiar turf. Make use of your hotel’s fitness center and check for healthy food options in the breakfast offerings.
6. High tech helps. Kissing your spouse and kids goodnight over Skype isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing. Apps for smartphones, such as Apple’s FaceTime, deliver live video calls perfect for bedtime reading and sharing the details of a busy day. Even something as simple as keeping a photo gallery on your laptop to remind you of loved ones is a big help.
7. Membership has its privileges. Be sure to join your hotel’s frequent stay program. Club Carlson^SM rewards with free room nights, airline miles, prepaid cards and more. When you feel like your business is appreciated and the welcome mat is out, you’ll sleep easier, even if you are away from home.

Another benefit is the opportunity to meet interesting people. Some tours, such as New York’s Big Apple Greeter, actually pair travelers with resident New Yorkers based on language, neighborhoods requested and interests. All that, and it’s free of charge.

Your Walking Guide:

• There’s a tour for that. Is your passion architecture, food, history, gardens or neighborhood culture? Chances are, in most cities and towns, a walking tour awaits. Some tours, such as those offered by Philadelphia’s Mural Arts program, or the Coronado Historical Association in San Diego, are also offered on bicycle.
• Take a foodie tour and skip lunch. Sign up for a stroll through Pittsburgh’s Strip District with ‘Burgh Bits & Bites or San Francisco’s Chinatown with Wok Wiz, and you’ll eat your way through colorful storefronts selling everything from homemade sausage to Peking duck.
• Calling all preservationists. PreservationDirectory.com is a great resource for history buffs. The website is a clearinghouse for history-focused strolls, both guided and solo. Searching by state and region, you may find a route through bewitching Salem, Mass., or along the Art Deco facades of South Beach in Miami.
• Dabble in the weird. If you’re looking for the offbeat, Weird Chicago fits the bill. Follow in the steps of serial killer H.H. Holmes, relive the bloody St. Valentine’s Day mob massacre or chase elusive ghosts for a few hours. With its voodoo-laced past, New Orleans is another city that loves to make you shiver. Explore the shady and sinister side of the Vieux Carré with Haunted History Tours or trek to an above-ground cemetery for a lesson in Big Easy burial customs and a gander at Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau’s final resting place. (Or is it?).
• All by yourself. Sites like City Slicker (Charleston, S.C.), GPSmyCity (multiple, including Indianapolis and Portland, Ore.) and Trek Exchange (multiple, including Philadelphia and San Antonio) offer self-guided tours you can download to your smartphone and do on your own schedule. Check the city’s local tourism or convention and visitor’s bureau sites for more, and sometimes even free, options. Your job is just to show up with a curious mind and a good pair of walking shoes.

Since business travelers tend to be creatures of habit—remember George Clooney’s “same old” regimen in Up in the Air?—forging new paths may take some conscious effort. Even if you don’t add on extra days, there are still ways to recharge your batteries by getting local and soaking up a slice of regional culture.

1. Do what you love. From swimming laps at the Y to taking in a foreign film to perusing a farmers’ market, sniff out a source of R&R in your business destination. For example, conference goers in New Orleans can take a yoga class at the Cabildo Museum overlooking Jackson Square three mornings a week for just $12.50.

2. Stop by the local visitors’ center or CVB. In Philly, for example, the Independence Visitor Center in the heart of the historic district can hook you up with a Mural Arts walking tour, breakfast with Ben Franklin and a City Pass for bundled savings on museums and other attractions. There are plenty of free touring options, and a multilingual concierge staff can help you make the most of your time.

3. Force yourself to disconnect. Instead of catching up on email in your room, take a technology break and visit new surroundings. Even if you have to work, opting for sitting in a local coffee shop will expose you to an energizing flow of people and a sense of place.

4. Don’t always have dinner with colleagues. It’s easy to fall into the habit of rehashing office politics and the day’s business. Treat the end of the workday as exactly that, and go out and do your own thing.

5. Support local restaurants. Even somewhere as chain-heavy as Orlando has an indie restaurant scene, populated by gems such as Le Coq au Vin, where chef Louis Perrotte gives farm-to-table dining a decidedly French accent. Not sure where to start? Your Country Inns & Suites By Carlson front desk staff can help.

6.Museum hop. Just because a city museum is huge doesn’t mean you have to spend all day in it. Even the vast British Museum offers free 30–40 minute eyeOpener gallery tours introducing different areas of the museum’s collection. Dip in for the time available and you’ll walk out better for it.

7. Take in a show. Getting out and about can include experiencing repertory theater, showing up for a library lecture series or giving stand-up comics an audience. Anything that gets you out and about is a good thing.

8.Use social media. Search on Twitter or Facebook for a city and an activity, say hiking and San Francisco, or fishing and Columbus, and you’ll find all kinds of connections to explore.

Here are five tips to keep in mind about healthy eating for your family while on your next road trip:

1. Consider “where” you stop. Let’s be frank: It’s challenging to eat healthy when on the road. With mainly convenience stores and fast food restaurants as your roadside options, it’s important to research ahead of time and find grocery stores where you can pick up whole or healthy foods—fruits, carrots, nuts, etc.—or supermarkets that feature a salad bar.
2. Drink lots of water. It’s very important to stay properly hydrated on long road trips, and drinking plenty of fresh water will help flush your body of toxins, keep your skin fresh and help you eat less. Water also helps to ward off travel lag and heat overexposure.
3. Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it jumpstarts your metabolism. Country Inns & Suites’ Be Our Guest Breakfast offers an array of breakfast options—for kids and parents—to start your day: yogurt parfait, warm oatmeal with fresh fruit and a variety of meat or veggie omelets.
4. Eat frequently, but watch portion size. Eating too many calories in one meal—even if they’re healthy calories—sends your brain the message that leaner times are around the corner, so those calories will be stored as fat. Instead, eat small amounts of healthy foods throughout the day to let your body know it’s OK to burn through those calories quickly.
5. Pack snacks. Often when traveling we don’t have access to food at regular intervals. Because our typical routines get out of whack, it’s better to have healthy snacks—especially for kids—than skip meals and indulge in a big slice of apple pie later. To keep your body humming, pack healthy snacks such as almonds, veggies, yogurt, fresh or dried fruit and hard-boiled eggs.

1. Travel with meds. Depending on where and when you get sick, a pharmacy may not be around the corner, or open, in the middle of the night. Keep a small kit packed with pain relievers, cold/flu medication, antibacterial and cortisone creams, plastic thermometer and anti-diarrhea tonic so it’s handy. On the road, safe is better than sorry.
2. Don’t push it. If you’ve come down with something, forcing yourself to attend a meeting or stick to an ambitious touring schedule can just run down your immune system further. You may also be exposing your colleagues to whatever is bugging you.
3. Let yourself rest. Give yourself a sick day—you would at home. Sleep will help you get well faster and give your body the ammo it needs to fight off infections and viruses.
4. Push fluids. Water, juice, hot tea and soup will help flush your system and keep you hydrated.
5. Adjust your expectations. If you’re functioning but just not 100 percent, pick a few highlights from your itinerary and let the rest go.
6. Ask for help. The front desk staff at your Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM hotel will go the extra mile to be sure you have what you need in your room to feel better.
7. If you need a doctor, see one. Toughing it out isn’t always the smart way to go. Ask the front desk for a local recommendation.
8. Keep important phone numbers handy. Keep these in a prominent place in your purse or wallet in case somebody else needs to make calls for you. Include your emergency contacts, your doctor and a list of any prescription medications or allergies.
9. Know your benefits. As a precautionary measure, call your health insurance company and find out what your protocol is when you’re sick in the U.S. and abroad. For overseas travel, buying short-term supplemental health insurance can put your mind at ease.

Chicago

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so what better way to kick off Valentine’s Day weekend than next to your significant other in a cooking class? Join Chef Kristine Subido from Wave Restaurant as she demonstrates how to prepare heart-healthy dishes. The class includes lunch!

Sacramento

Or perhaps a little music on the water is what you’re after – why not try the Valentine’s Day Brunch Cruise from Hornblower Cruises and Events? This two-hour jaunt from the heart of Old Sacramento includes a full brunch menu, sparkling wine, and live entertainment. It’s the perfect mid-day activity to spend with your significant other.

New York City

And is there a better place in the country for great restaurants? Check out this list of Big Apple eateries (from OpenTable.com), most of which offer fantastic promotions around Valentine’s Day weekend. But make your reservation early – romantic dinners are a popular choice, and these places are likely to fill up quickly.

Country Inns & Suites, Around the Country

Maybe you’re in the mood for a romantic getaway in a new part of the Country? Take a look at our February romance specials and you’ll find dozens of Country Inns & Suites locations – from Orlando to Denver – that offer discounted rates and might include special touches like chocolates or a bottle of sparkling cider.

Wherever you are, I hope you find time to spend with that special someone. I Love this Country!

~Emily

Eat Healthy
Packing (or buying) your own snacks at home and eating lean meats during airport layovers will help you stay energized while on the road. Check out more ideas from USA Today: http://bit.ly/fdq97j

Get Fit
Not enough time in the morning to find a gym on the road? No problem—check out this 20-minute in-room workout routine by Road & Travel Magazine: http://bit.ly/evCUue

Stay Organized
Looking for a more organized work life on the road? GigaOM recommends starting by working off your priority list, not your email inbox. More here: http://bit.ly/f5BupP

Country Inns & Suites Be Our Guest Breakfast
Did you know we offer a hot breakfast every morning with rotating entrees like omelets or eggs benedict, and yogurt parfaits? Find your favorites from home: http://countryinns.com/breakfast.

“I would imagine there were clear lines and divisions 60 to 100 years ago,” says Chef John Reilly, who teaches at The Culinary Institute of America. But today the cuisines have blended so much that they’re difficult to differentiate, except by their origins. Cajun—often described as “country” food—originated with French-speaking people from Nova Scotia, called Acadians (and later “Cajuns”), who settled in southern Louisiana in the mid-1700s. As farmers with large families, Cajuns cooked one-pot meals made from whatever ingredients were available. Creole was considered “city” food, brought to New Orleans by the sons of aristocrats who left France in the early 1700s.

By the 1900s, Creole and Cajun cuisines began to blend, and today have more similarities than differences. Both include gumbo and jambalaya, but though each relies on seafood, Cajun uses crawfish or catfish while Creole recipes contain oysters, shrimp and crabmeat. Dishes in both begin with roux—a mixture of oil or butter with flour, used to thicken sauces. And both use what bayou gourmets call the “holy trinity”—onion, celery and green bell pepper. “It’s used in just about all their applications of cooking,” Reilly says.

To experience the cuisine, Reilly suggests an appetizer of gumbo or étouffée (from the French “to smother”; seafood covered in a tangy tomato-based sauce) and, for your meal, a shrimp or crawfish court-bouillon (a spicy stew with fish, tomatoes, onions and vegetables). To bring the flavor home, Reilly says, concentrate on the spices—cayenne, paprika, and black and white pepper.

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.

Even the most serious shoppers will be impressed by the size of Mall of America in Bloomington. Touring the country’s largest mall takes some stamina, so tackle it while you’re fresh. More than 500 stores await your visit—including Build-A-Bear Workshop, where kids can create customized stuffed animals—plus Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor amusement park. After you and your kids brave the park’s roller coaster, carousel and pint-sized train, check out Underwater Adventures, an underground aquarium where guests go nose-to-nose with sharks and stingrays from inside a glass tunnel.

Continue your animal adventure with lunch at the Mall’s Rainforest Café (entrées $11–$20), decorated with faux foliage and tropical creatures to replicate that authentic jungle atmosphere. It serves Congo Catfish for grown-ups, Rasta Pasta for kids and a Sparkling Volcano dessert to share. If the weather is balmy, head to the sprawling playground structure at nearby Hyland Lake Park Reserve. If you’d rather play indoors, there’s the Water Park of America, with a wave pool and waterslides. While the kids splash, adults can relax with a facial or massage at the Trillium Spa at the Radisson Hotel Bloomington by Mall of America.

For dinner, try Jun Bo in nearby Richfield, which serves Chinese-American favorites such as chicken chow fun ($10), and a dim sum selection rivaling those of New York’s and San Francisco’s more famous Chinatowns. The wait staff push carts containing small snacks, everything from pork buns to mango pudding, which makes for a lively, interactive meal.

Day Two: Minnesota Museums and an Evening Show

Start your morning in downtown St. Paul at the Day by Day Cafe, a homey, knickknack-filled eatery serving breakfast standards ($4–$10) all day long.

For children ages 6 months to 10 years, a trip to the Minnesota Children’s Museum is a must. Kids can operate a tot-sized crane, crawl inside a mock anthill and try out the touchable art gallery on the museum’s roof. If you’re traveling with older children, visit the Science Museum of Minnesota for exhibits on everything from animation to Star Wars to the human body. When you’re ready for a break, watch The Alps, the story of a courageous mountaineer’s redemptive climb, at the museum’s IMAX Omnitheater (through June 12).

Break for a burger, malt and fries at the classic Mickey’s Diner. The restored art deco railcar has been featured in many locally filmed movies, including The Mighty Ducks and A Prairie Home Companion.

Spend the afternoon touring the Wabasha Street Caves, once a notorious gangster hideout during Prohibition, and learn about the legends of Ma Barker and John Dillinger along with a bit of geologic history.

End the evening on the Mississippi River with dinner and a show on the historic Minnesota Centennial Showboat, with performances by theater and dance students from the University of Minnesota.

Plan your next visit to coincide with the Minnesota State Fair. “The Great Minnesota Get-Together” is famous for its livestock exhibitions, crop art competition and food-on-a-stick.

Rachel Hutton rode the Timberland Twister at Mall of America—and screamed the entire time.