Since six hours of time change wasn’t enough for me, I headed west to San Francisco shortly after returning from Europe. This time, it was to take some classes at Cooper U. The escape from the DC hell-midity was just a bonus. Rather than recap the trip (food! fog! family! friends!), here are a few random recommendations. I’m curious if you’ve tried them, or have more to add!

• Lo & Sons travel bag. I’ve had this carry-on bag for six years and just love it. The size is large enough to hold a laptop, tablet, books, snax, etc. but it also fits under the airplane seat in front of me. It also slips over the handle of my roller suitcase so it stays firmly in place.
• United lounge. Is it worth the cost to get a lounge pass? Obviously, it depends on the fee, your travel, etc. I got the pass for free via a credit card and really enjoy it. Not only is there free food and drinks, the bathrooms are clean and empty (some even have showers), and there are extra customer service agents on hand if you need to change something. This has been enormously helpful when a flight is delayed, since they have been able to rebook me immediately.
• Hotels.com. Until this year, I usually stuck to Marriott or Hilton, but have been enjoying hotels.com as it lets me patronize independent properties (including cool, historic B&Bs) but still accumulate rewards (10 stays = 1 free night) and have a dedicated customer service line to call if something goes wrong. In the case of this trip, I had originally booked at the Hilton, but they pulled a “whoopsie” and canceled my reservation the day before I left, and couldn’t rebook me within per diem rates. However, I was able to find something via hotels.com just a block away, and for less money.
• ClassPass. Yes, running around SF’s misty shores was fun but I needed a break from the hills! Luckily, there were plenty of options for classes near my hotel. I wound up taking pilates, yoga, and strength classes at three different studios. (Favorite: Wheelhouse, which offers a variety of classes and FREE SNAX.)
• Luna Chix: Did you know that in addition to making awesome bars and sponsoring athletes like yours truly, LUNA also supports local women’s sportz teams? The San Francisco run club happened to be meeting while I was in town, so I joined them for a run and led a skills clinic. So fun!

So there you go. Road warriors, did I miss anything?