From Sunshowers to Snow

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When I left Charlotte, it was raining.  When I touched down in Denver, it was sunny but crisp.

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And when I landed in Spokane, it was SNOWY.

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Thank goodness I actually checked the weather and packed a jacket (how many of these trips have I gone on and NOT packed a jacket?!).

 

My journey was relatively uneventful.  The best part was, without a doubt, this SkyMall description.  Haha.

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SkyMall has really stepped up their product descriptions, by the way.  I chuckled at least once every two pages.

 

The other highlight of the journey was finding Dr. Pepper-flavored jelly  beans in a candy shop in the Denver airport.  Hello.  You know I was all over that.  I ate a real lunch, too.

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Some sort of brown rice  and tofu veggie bowl.  It was good, especially as far as airport food goes.

 

And then, several hours later, I touched down in the glorious state of Washington and got my rental car.  Whooo hoo economy car!

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My #1 healthy travel tip is, without a doubt, avoid the Dr. Pepper-flavored jelly beans.  My #2 healthy travel tip is to find a grocery store near your hotel and stock up on food when you land.  I usually search for ‘Whole Foods’ on my iPhone, and even if there isn’t a Whole Foods, the map will pull up similar grocery stores, which is how I found this gem.

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I snagged a lentil curry dish and a bean and olive antipasta from the cold bar.

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In other news, I am staying at an insanely creepy hotel.  I really want to take a nap but am afraid of bed bugs.  It’s that bad.  Yikes.

{ 50 comments }

 

  • Sarah @ Yogi in Action November 13, 2012, 5:46 pm

    Bed bugs are so gross! I really hope your hotel doesn’t have any! That’s terrible.

    That’s such a great idea to go to a grocery store- I travel with work also and we’ll usually do that. Though it’s typically more snacks for the day while we work- everyone else will get chips and chocolate and laugh at my hummus and crackers. I’m going to start doing that for meals too!

  • Joanna @ Running Places November 13, 2012, 5:51 pm

    I always carry a mini flashlight to check hotel beds for bed bugs. (Yes, I’m kind of nuts like that!) Lift the shits and check the bare mattress and any nooks and crannies in the bed frame or in or around the bed.

    Also, that airport tofu bowl looks pretty great. I’m so impressed with how airports are doing these days. There’s always a good option!

  • Amy D November 13, 2012, 5:51 pm

    Yikes! Look for bloody spots on the edges/sides of the bed. If they’re there, get out!

  • Elizabeth November 13, 2012, 5:51 pm

    My friend went to Whitworth! I guess they have some luck thing about catching a pinecone as it’s falling or something weird… so watch for falling pinecones!

    That description CRACKED me up! I almost spit out my tea, except Lassie wasn’t a boarder collie, she was just a collie 🙂

    And now I am craving curry lentils for dinner 🙂

    • Lesley T. November 13, 2012, 8:31 pm

      I was going to say the same thing about Lassie’s breed!

    • Erica November 14, 2012, 12:59 pm

      Haha yes! Catching a virgin pinecone! It must be done if you go to Whitworth 🙂 I have yet to do but have come close…it’s really hard.

  • Katie @ Talk Less, Say More November 13, 2012, 5:55 pm

    Oh no! Can you change hotels?!

  • natalie @ will jog for food November 13, 2012, 5:55 pm

    Gotta love skymall! So creative 😉

    Have fun in Spokane!

  • Carrie @ The Cook's Palette November 13, 2012, 5:56 pm

    Yay, Washington! I live on the other side of the mountains near Seattle, but that’s awesome that you’re speaking at Whitworth. The weather is completely different there…very cold and snowy through the fall and winter. West of the mountains is temperate and rainy. Enjoy the snow! And yikes about the hotel!

  • Rachel (Two Healthy Plates) November 13, 2012, 5:57 pm

    Oh no – creepy hotels are the worst =( I hate touching the comforter in places like that – makes my stomach turn!

  • Cara @ I Don't Believe in Diets November 13, 2012, 5:59 pm

    Wow lots of weather changes. At least you got beautiful views!

  • Chantal November 13, 2012, 6:06 pm

    I love Skymall, and I love that you always review Skymall. Welcome to the west coast!

  • kristin s. November 13, 2012, 6:25 pm

    I’m really curious to which hotel? I live in the small town of spokane:) and can tell you which hotels are good or not

  • Pam November 13, 2012, 6:32 pm

    Huckelberries is a great store! Glad you found that one . . . my son went to school at Gonzaga and every trip over there it was the first place we went. Have a great visit to Spokane!

  • Samantha November 13, 2012, 6:32 pm

    Oh no! Can you switch hotels?! That totally sucks, I’m sorry. If you think there are bed bugs, get out nowwww. You don’t want those to get on your suitcase and go home with you!

  • Meg @ Anderstons in the Andes November 13, 2012, 6:33 pm

    I used to live in Spokane and I am SO curious what hotel you are staying in. In case you didn’t know, Washingtonians called Spokane “Spokompton”.

    • kristina November 13, 2012, 10:42 pm

      HAHA I’m from 2 hours north of Spokane just over the border in British Columbia and we all call it Spokompton too! Funny! I, too, am quite curious what hotel it is…I have some ideas in my head!

  • Katie November 13, 2012, 6:33 pm

    I think bedbugs only come out at night? So nap away, before it gets dark! 😉

  • Marissa November 13, 2012, 6:38 pm

    Eeew bedbugs! Where are you staying? You should move to the Davenport!

  • Katie @ Peace Love and Oats November 13, 2012, 6:46 pm

    Pictures of your hotel!! Haha and I always check weather before a trip, like obsessively. I love weather.

  • kristina November 13, 2012, 6:58 pm

    Too bad the hotel is gross! The red lion on the riverfront is a good option if you need to.switch! Def. Check out the riverfront and downtown!

  • Coco November 13, 2012, 7:17 pm

    OMG I just flew to South Carolina and back to Baltimore this weekend for a whirlwind trip with my brother, sister-in-law, and one year old niece, and I was DYING at the SkyMall. You are SO RIGHT–the descriptions are AMAZING. I want to work in that job! Did you see the wine glass that holds A FULL BOTTLE OF WINE?! haha. Or the “food” pillows, which come in pizza, sushi, etc. So hilarious.

  • Amy November 13, 2012, 7:32 pm

    Denver is a great airport for a layover (if you have to have one). I almost always have a lunch of an Apple Pie Caramel Apple from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Good luck with the bed bugs :/

    • Stacy November 14, 2012, 10:44 am

      I love the Denver airport. Oh, the choc. factory is AMAZING!

  • Kathryn November 13, 2012, 7:42 pm

    Important request: I have to know where you got the healthy meal at Denver airport! I go there every 3 weeks for work and have never seen something that looks that good.

    • Caitlin November 13, 2012, 8:21 pm

      Its a Wrap, Its a Bowl!

      • Caitlin November 13, 2012, 8:21 pm

        which is in concourse B.

        • Kathryn November 15, 2012, 6:57 pm

          Lifesaver! Thank you!

  • Carrie November 13, 2012, 9:08 pm

    If you really want to impress your hosts, practice your Spokane pronunciation! It’s “Spo-can” to the natives.

  • Natalie @ Free Range Human November 13, 2012, 9:08 pm

    Oh wow! I couldn’t handle that. I’m so OCD about hotels.

  • Sarah November 13, 2012, 9:15 pm

    Always, always, ALWAYS check for bed bugs before you go into the room. Trust me on this. We had an experience last summer with them and it left us SCREAMING from the hotel room at 2am. And never, ever, EVER put your suitcases on the floor. EVER!! *Shudder*

    I really hope that your hotel doesn’t have bed bugs.

  • Bri November 13, 2012, 11:29 pm

    Welcome to Washington! Huckleberry’s is such a good find! Next time you visit our state, you’ll have to come on an apple or cherry orchard tour. I work for a grower/shipper and would love to show you around!

  • Kiki November 14, 2012, 1:30 am

    Spokompton, Spokandyland, Spokanistan…..welcome, Caitlin!

  • Emily November 14, 2012, 2:29 am

    I feel like I failed my life! Hah! You were like so close to my house/work I could have met you at huckleberries!! Ugh I’m so disappointed in myself!

    Are you going there for bfast?! What hotel are you in?!

    I can’t believe I had unbreakable plans this evening 🙁 ughhhh

    • Caitlin November 14, 2012, 8:41 am

      Wahhh I wouldve liked to meet you too 🙁 I’m already on the plane!

  • Nicole@ livingthesweetlifestl.wordpress.com November 14, 2012, 7:13 am

    Skymall is definitely awesome…I think my favorite recent skymall story is: My boss and I travel a lot for work so we are always flying and he actually bought this fake big foot head that you nail to a tree so it looks like he is peaking around the tree at you. He put it up at his friends hunting cabin and he said one night it scared all the guys so much because they didn’t know what it was!

  • Katie D. November 14, 2012, 7:59 am

    Hubby and I stayed at a sketchy hotel once and we went out and bought sheets and put the fitted sheet on top of the bed and slept under the regular sheet and a blanket we had in the car. We never pulled the blankets/sheets up!!

  • Amanda November 14, 2012, 8:34 am

    Snow!!! We’re in Va Bch and I really hope we see some this year, so I’m jealous you get to enjoy some now. I always freak out over bed bugs too. Last year I went to Greece and the hotel was interesting, I checked the bed like a freak before I crashed from jet lag.

  • Laura @ My Pink Thumb November 14, 2012, 9:21 am

    eww just looking at that snow makes me cold!! it’s been hovering around the 0 deg C mark around here lately but thankfully no snow yet! *knock on wood* sucks about the sketchy hotel too!! I stayed in my fair share of those back in my university days when we’d go to the USA (upper NY) for Intercollegiate horse shows. Thankfully there would be like 8 of us girls in a room so we felt somewhat safer! lol

  • Amanda November 14, 2012, 9:30 am

    Just FYI for future reference: http://bedbugregistry.com/!

    • Caitlin November 14, 2012, 12:57 pm

      nice!

  • deva at deva by definition November 14, 2012, 9:40 am

    iiiiiick creepy hotels are the WORST. The Boy travels a lot for work and will often tell me “this hotel is nice.” or “this hotel is… okay. I’ll sleep, but… yeah.” and I’ll laugh, but ewwwy to the bed bug fears!

  • Erin A November 14, 2012, 10:21 am

    It’s fun to see you in Spokane! I’m from a town less than two hour west of there so we go there all the time!

  • Lele November 14, 2012, 10:34 am

    Oh my gosssssssssh you are in my home town! I made that same connection flight from Denver to Spokane last summer and was flabbergasted by all the beautiful mountains below me (and I say this as someone who hates to fly!). I was amazed going back to my childhood home as an adult and see what a cool hippie place it became. You may not have time for any of this BUT if you do go to Latah Bistro (sp?). Amazing local food. Also go to Manito Park. It’s absolutely beautiful, and it’s where I’d go to feed the ducks when I was Henry’s age! And go downtown and see the red wagon. Did you know they filmed Benny and Joon there? Johnny Depp stayed down the street from my godparents <3<3<3

  • Jennifer November 14, 2012, 11:39 am

    If I were on the speaking circuit, I would be such a diva about hotels. I’d imagine that lots of these venues just try to pay for the cheapest lodging possible. Do you not have a contract/rider of some sort specifying lodging requirements? I’d want at least a three star hotel……

    • Caitlin November 14, 2012, 12:56 pm

      hahaha well i charge a flat rate and book my own hotel, so my own cheapness got me into this mess! LOL sometimes i spring for nicer places though 🙂

      • Erica November 14, 2012, 1:01 pm

        You stayed at the Apple Tree didn’t you?? Oh my goodness that place is skeeeeetch. Haha when my parents came to visit one time they stayed there and it was seriously gross.

        • Caitlin November 14, 2012, 1:04 pm

          Hahah no it wasn’t the Apple Tree. I don’t want to say which one because I joked that they had bed bugs (which I don’t think they REALLY did – I totes would’ve left). But it wasn’t Apple Tree. Apple Tree sound does sound really sketchy though.

  • Tabitha November 14, 2012, 1:10 pm

    I always check out bedbugregistry.com before staying in any hotel! I have found it very helpful in picking a hotel to stay at in an unknown territory. Because after all if you are just sleeping there who really wants to waste 150-200 dollars! Good luck!

  • Lesley November 14, 2012, 8:34 pm

    Check under the mattress! Hope you are in the clear! Otherwise enjoy your trip and have fun with your presentation!

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