womantraveler

Pleasanton, California: Perfectly Named

As a woman business traveler and proactive fan of leisure day trips, I've learned time and again that some of the best adventures are close to home. Pleasanton, California, originating in the Gold Rush and existing comfortably today next to the Livermore Valley wine country east of San Francisco, is one of my recent "finds." History, luxury and quality wines and food within a few blocks -- my fundamentals!

Since I often stay overnight in nearby outlying communities when I have an evening event -- to avoid rush-hour traffic, windy country roads at dusk or late-night driving alone -- I calculate at the front end a pleasant evening in new surroundings to finish off my business or leisure commitment. And, Pleasanton, California, has definitely earned its name in my travel journals.

  But the secret -- absolutely -- is the right hotel or inn. A male friend recommended Pleasanton's Rose Hotel, and it turned out to be the right combo of stylish but casual luxury and welcoming service. To wit -- a spacious and well-appointed room with windows that actually open to fresh air, a jacuzzi tub (superb after an afternoon on the links at a Women on Course event at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in the Livermore Valley,) and Peet's Coffee brewed in my room's own French press. That was the first part of the wake-up experience before I went down to the Victorian lobby/loungefor an ample continental breakfast (which comes with the room). Men and women business travelers, a leisure travel couple from Pennsylvania, and more personalities crossed paths in this quietly confident and charming space.

For dinner, I hiked up and down Main Street to check out the multiple options (40 nearby restaurants), from lively outdoor gardens to indoor white table cloth candlelight -- but chose the originality of The Oasis Grille across the street from the hotel and its Afghan/Middle Eastern specialties and featured wine list. Grilled shish kebab and a Riva Ridge Chardonnay from one of the California originals, Wente Vineyards in Livermore, were perfectly matched!

Business Travel: Be Agile

Entrepreneurs are agile, smart businesses in the new (aka recession) economy are agile and we business travelers have to be extra-agile to protect our business and navigate the predictable wacky travel uncertainties.

It's not only airlines.  Here's a familiar tale from a consultant friend  navigating the  East Coast for various clients recently -- arrival at Washington, DC's Union Station from private car service (to avoid taxi hassles) in good advance time only to discover that the Amtrak from Washington, DC, to New York City is delayed due to a freak situation (water main break near Baltimore).

Vital meetings were firmly and tightly scheduled for later in the afternoon and evening in Connecticut. Click, click, click -- brain cells go into action. Call airlines from cell phone, book next flight from Reagan International Airport, call private car service for return pick up at train station, zip over to Reagan, make the last flight before the thundershowers hit in both DC for departures and potential delays at LaGuardia. Whew!

What does it take to accomplish this? Think fast, have alternatives/options always at hand, keep your brain alert and your resources ready for quick action. Of course, such a plan is not foolproof, but it does yield big time in most cases. Scott McCartney's "Ten Rules of the Road for Air Travel" in the Wall Street Journal provides a terrific template for pulling it all together, business or leisure. Quick thinking is crucial -- calling the airline by cell phone while you're walking through the train station or airport and, critically, before even reaching a customer service line.

You have to be working all the channels at once as your own private switchboard. That means, first of all, thinking nimbly and having all necessary numbers loaded into your address book so they can be dialed up instantly on your cell phone. In this unpredictable world of business -- and leisure travel -- delays, the only constant is OPTIONS.

Napa Valley's CIA Cooking (the Other One)

Wine inspires, but food sustains in the San Francisco Bay Area, so the Culinary Institute of America (the other CIA) in Napa Valley is a must-do for cooking classes. And they're quick and easy -- 1 to 2 hours. This ongoing series of classes the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena makes it easy to actually develop a small skill in the midst of experiencing the marvelous vineyards.

We girlfriends were jaunting through the Valley one spring day and discovered the Spring Table series at Greystone, the former home of the Christian Brothers Winery. Classes are Friday-Monday and a demo is held the first Tuesday of the month. The 1-hour public cooking demonstrations ($15) include the recipe and tasting while the 2-hour hands-on cooking classes (75)consist of a 30-minute lecture, 90-minute cooking and tasting with a glass of wine. Classes in May, for example, include "Terrine of Salmon with Spring Vegetables," "Lamb Carpaccio with Greek Feta Cheese, Black Olives, Lemon Vinaigrette and Mint Oil" and "Sweet Pea Ravioli with Sauteed Pea Tendrils." I'm getting so hungry I don't think I can finish this post!

There are also Wine Enthusiast classes and elegant dinners at The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, which you can check out on their website.

Spotted by Locals: European Insiders' View

We heard about Spotted by Locals, a smart new website on which local handpicked bloggers dish out tips about cool spots, both traditional and offbeat, to visit in their own European cities. So we tested Paris, which we know pretty well, and, bien sur, our favorite Left Bank resto, Fish la Boissonnerie, was one of the features. Plus, les Parisien bloggers suggested ways to experience some of the typical sights in new ways, such as the picturesque gardens Luxembourg and Jardin des Plantes.

Not that some of these recommendations wouldn't be in a typical guidebook, but the perspective is definitely "from the ground up," where everyday people enjoy something fabulous that outsiders are not going to find easily unless we have their lens. You feel like you're talking to someone you know, who's sincere and believable, and there are maps to help get you to their choices. This is a site to use as part of your broader searching -- it's not all-inclusive, but a welcome peak into an authentic experience. Bravo!