Category: Travel

Whetstone Wine Cellars

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Last week’s photo post was about my sadness that summer is coming to an end and with the official start of fall next week, I’m sharing another photo from my recent trip to wine country. As we were visiting Whetstone Wine Cellars, a beautiful leaf floated down to our table signaling that yes indeed, the changing of the seasons is near.

In addition to the wine, I loved learning the Whetstone story including the connections to North Carolina, and I especially adored Ace the greeter who as not stingy with his dog kisses. If you are planning a trip to Napa, I highly recommend making sure you stop at Whetsone.

Whetstone dog Pucker Up

 

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Plum Crazy! Labor Day Stress?

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I always dread the end of summer simply because it is my favorite season. This morning on a call with a colleague, she mentioned the sense of “now we’ve got to get back to work” because Labor Day has come and gone. We know that holiday stress rises in November and December, but it never occurred to me that Labor Day stress could be a thing.

Two years ago, Mars Drinks commissioned a study that confirms that this is a legit issue and offered the following tips on helping employees ease the anxiety and remain productive:

Get inspired.

  • Maintain the activities that energize you outside of your work. Find a way to keep attending that yoga class even though the summer is over. (This is why we have Well Wednesday at Clairemont!)
  • Savor your morning coffee while reading an inspirational article before diving into your email.

Manage your time.

  • Book time for short breaks throughout the day. Even taking time for a cup of coffee between meetings will help you to relax and refresh.
  • Keep a longer term calendar of your projects so that when new requests emerge, you can determine what’s possible and communicate.

Stay connected.

  • You still have a few days of sunshine – take meetings outdoors if possible.
  • Keep up the volunteering – it’s a great way to stay connected to the things you love the most outside of work.
I don’t like that summer is over, but I love these tips. What do you do to help maintain productivity during stressful times? Share your ideas on the Clairemont Facebook page.
Story behind the photo: This summer I had the opportunity to visit wine country for the first time. In addition to taking some amazing winery tours, I simply loved picking and eating fresh fruit. Plums don’t look like this in North Carolina! They were delicious.
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Photo of the Week: Opus One Wine

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If you ask me where to go to enjoy a glass of wine with friends in Raleigh, that’s a no-brainer. Clairemont client, Vita Vite opened at the end of last year and has quickly become a downtown hot spot. Best place for dinner with wine in Chapel Hill? Oh, pick me! I know that one, too. Il Palio, also a Clairemont client, is the absolute best at pairing regional Italian cooking with wine from Italy’s 20 regions and vintifications produced in every corner of the Italian Peninsula.

Ask me to pick a bottle of wine outside of the doors of these establishments with no expert help from our clients and I might hesitate. However, my recent trip to Napa certainly provided a strong foundation for my wine knowledge. What better place to start than Opus One! I captured this shot during a tour and was intrigued to learn that Opus One hand-harvests and hand-sorts all grapes, and after about a year and a half in these beautiful barrels, the wine is bottled.

Can learning about wine really help me be a better public relations counselor? Many of our clients would say so. Read more about our restaurant PR work, and let me know if you agree.

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Photo of the Week: Curiosity

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I recently wrote about my ongoing appreciation for the excellent customer service I receive when I stay at Le Meridien Tampa. During my last trip to the area, I was able to visit another favorite, Oxford Exchange.

I love the food, I love the coffee and I love the gift shop selection. (Hope to see Videri Chocolate sold there soon!) To me, a trip to Tampa isn’t complete without a meal at Oxford Exchange. The service has never been anything less than exceptional. This time I noticed a little something extra that just made my day.

In addition to our check that was delivered to the table inside a beautiful old book, there was a bookmark with a lovely quote. I loved it so much that I asked if I could keep it. “Of course!” said our server. And not that I could forget about Oxford Exchange, but now I have yet another delightful reminder. I’ll admit that I’m curious about what extra touches they might include next time.

Want to know about some of our favorite places and customer service stars right here in our own backyard? Read Clairemont team member Tracy Lathan’s post called 36 Hours in Raleigh.

 

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Myrtle Monday in Mexico!

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Monumento a los Ninos Heroes en Guadalajara.

As the weather turns chilly here in North Carolina (okay, below 60 IS chilly to me), I want to travel with Lela and Ruth to Mexico! While I am not quite old enough to join them on the AARP trip, I am old enough to find humor in Lela’s comment about Bing Crosby. She writes, “The weather is delightful. No wonder Bing Crosby spent much time here.” More from Lela in the next Myrtle Monday.

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