Giles County/Blacksburg VA

Must stay at Marriott Courtyard.  Nice suites!!!!  On Main St.  Go to Social House for dinner yum.

Try not to check a bag.  Just bring to gate and they can check in short term and it will be waiting in jetway.  Otherwise, you will be waiting in Bag Claim forever.  Very pretty in Giles so bring your camera if you are a picture (country side) buff.

Fly into Roanoke and stay in Blacksburg.  It is a finicky airport as I've been fogged in before.  Today was rainy and bumpy but they landed no problem.  More tomorrow

Blacksburg VA (Giles County Plan)

Social House for dinner.  In historic home and owned by an Asian woman who wears hot pants!  She is very nice and I've always had great service.  Don't see that they take reservations.  Enjoy!

St. Louis August '15

Residence Inn by the Galleria is more like condos.  No elevators.  Ended up staying at Spring Hill Suites.  Small pool, not that great.  Nice people and ok breakfast.  Had dinner with the Nyradys.  No free internet at airport.  Fly Delta as SW not that many flights out and had to wait until 6:45.  Eat at Galleria.  Mostly chains but safe.  Not much redeeming about St. L.  Teachers in Hazelwood had decent attitudes.  Admin doing the retraining themselves.  Hmmmm

Alcoa TN

Easy to stay at Hilton Garden at airport and have them take me to Alcoa Elementary.  The hotel is pretty basic with old carpet but the buffet in the a.m. is decent.  Going to stay downtown Knoxville in August as I'll be there for 3 nights.  Always nice restaurants there.  Alcoa Elementary is so on board.  They are doing FUN K-3, JW and not sure about Wilson.  We're getting there.

St. Louis/Hazelwood, MO

Stay by the Galleria.  There were 4 of us there and we ate at Nordstroms one night and Maggianos the next.  Delicious both times.  The district is pretty challenging, but Mona is going back to save the day.  Not much pretty to see here.  Going to meet up with Barbara in August as I'll be here 2 more days to finish up the workshop.

Dyersburg TN

So the highlight was stopping in Memphis to have dinner at Grisante's with Ellen and Frank.  What great hosts and it was wonderful seeing them and the food was delicious.  Dyersburg is about an hour and a half north.
So Dyersburg is very lean on good places to eat.  I ate at a Japanese restaurant tonight and that may be my place as I'm here for 4 nights.  The Hampton Inn is very yuck.  My door was banged on or messed with a crow bar.  Carpet is old and smell hmmmm.  The teachers invited me to eat at Mom's restaurant for lunch.  It was a buffet of fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn bread etc.  Ya.

New Orleans

Here for one night July 2015.  Stayed right downtown in Marriott Courtyard.  Very nice and nice upgrade for room, but it is a little crowded down there.  Might try staying closer to river and away from all the people.  A bitty sleazy and tacky and being here by myself was not the most fun.  Did a Level 2 workshop for Renew Schools.  Very young and nice folks.
Late lunch at Deannie's Seafood right across from the hotel.  Very yum.  They brought me boiled spicy new potatoes.  Amazing.  Butter too.  ha ha