Lodging: Residence Inn, Framingham, MA

December 13, 2012 -- Now that I'm working for an extended period in the Sudbury/Framingham, MA area, I needed to find myself a suitable Marriott.  Of course the area is loaded with them and I settled on the Residence Inn in Framingham, MA.  If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a Platinum Elite Marriott Rewards member, so staying with the chain is a must!  This hotel offers several different styles of rooms and I've stayed in just about every one!  The building is a bit older and could use upgrading, but it's more than adequate for what I need.  It's situated just off of Rt. 9, which is both a good and bad thing.  Rt. 9 has a ton of stores, restaurants, and bars, which is great, but if you happen to have a room facing the road it can be quite noisy.  There's traffic literally all times of the day and night, and if you're trying to sleep in you better be used to the sound of cars driving by.  And depending on the time of day, traffic to and from Boston can get backed up.  You've been warned!

All in all, the staff is very friendly, the hotel is clean, and the Internet service is free as well as breakfast and happy hour (no, not drinks but food!).  I'll be here during the week for the next few months so if you see me be sure to say hi!

Lodging: Marriott Hotels, Andover, MA

August 22, 2012 -- Well I've been working up in the Andover area for the better have of five weeks and I'm starting to know my way around.  The first thing I needed to do was to find a place to stay and being a Marriott Rewards member I looked for the right Marriott hotel.  The first week I stayed was the Courtyard Marriott in Andover, MA.  Not a bad place, but a little out of the way of everything.  Knowing that, I looked for something a little better for my subsequent weeks.

Not too far from where I'd be working is the Residence Inn in Tewksbury, MA.  This place is far better!  The rooms have a kitchen, living area, two flat screen HD TVs, and bedroom with a king size bed that's separated from the rest of the living quarters by sliding doors.  And if you know me, you know that I get acquainted with the right people.  Victoria Ashworth, Marriott's Director of Sales, was kind enough to book me for the next eight work weeks, in the same room!  It's like my home away from home!  If you need to go on travel or if you're looking for a place to stay north of Boston, give this place a try.

Nightlife: The Gaslamp District, San Diego, Day 26

July 13, 2012 -- "All good things come to an end."  That's a quote that we've all heard, and when I hear it I make sure I make the best of the situation.  With tonight being the final night in San Diego, me, Enrique, and Rocco hit the Gaslamp District.  Of course the first place we went to was the Rockin' Baja.  Did I mention before that we love Brooke?!?  Once her eyes locked on us, she started pouring the beers!  Being Comic-Con weekend, we saw plenty of sights, including the Zombie Walk down 5th Avenue.  Keeping in the spirit of the day, Brooke made me where a crown with horns -- how could I refuse.  I told her that if I needed to wear the crown, I wanted a picture with her.  Nice shot, huh?

Believe me, I hated having to leave my favorite spot in San Diego, but you know the phrase.  I said goodbye to Brooke, Drew, and Jay and vowed to be back sooner than later.

We ended our night at the Searsucker one last time where we saw Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots.  I tried to get his attention -- I was even wearing a Patriots shirt, just look at the picture above! -- but he was too busy heading to his table of friends.  I didn't recognize any other pro athletes and I'm not one of those guys that gets all stupid when it comes to celebrities and athletes.  At least Rocco saw him as well and confirmed that we had a celebrity sighting.

With a 6:30 AM flight out in the morning, I headed to the Residence Inn in La Jolla for my last quiet night in one of the best places I've ever been.  Twenty-six days went by faster than you might think, but it was time to come back home to RI.

Lodging: Residence Inn, La Jolla, San Diego, Day 22

July 9, 2012 -- The end is near!  I checked out of the Manchester Grand Hyatt for the last time this morning and after work I checked in to my home-away-from-home, the Residence Inn in La Jolla.  I really do enjoy staying here; it's quiet, central to everything in the San Diego area, next to the La Jolla YMCA, and not as noisy as being downtown.  Don't get me wrong, being in the Gaslamp District has its advantages, but when you realize that most people at the hotel are on vacation and you need to get up at 5:15 AM to get ready for work, it makes for a difficult combination.

Sadly, this is my last week in San Diego, so I need to see my spots one last time before I go.  I called Enrique, who lives in La Jolla, and we went to the Rock Bottom restaurant to catch the Home Run Derby at the 2012 MLB All-Star game.  I frequented this place many times since it's walking distance from my hotel.  They serve a great spicy shrimp and chicken jambalaya, which I had to have, and washed it down with some local brews.  The Home Run Derby was entertaining, but we made it an early evening; 5:15 AM comes pretty quick!!!

Lodging: Residence Inn in La Jolla, San Diego, Day 1

June 18, 2012 -- I'm a Marriott Rewards member, so I have a vested interest in taking advantage of staying at Marriotts while on travel any time I can (hey, they bumped me up to Gold level after my last trip!)  When in San Diego, if I can't book a stay in the Gaslamp District I like to stay at the Residence Inn in La Jolla.  The hotel isn't one that has a ton of amenities, but it acts more like and apartment and when I'm in town for a month it more than fits the bill.  AP hates the place, but that's just him. I personally like being close to La Jolla, rubbing elbows with the rich people!  I'm settled in, went to Ralph's to stock up on some groceries (fruit and Coca-Cola!) and chilled out from my long day.  Tomorrow I'll start my work and workout routine (6AM at work, the La Jolla YMCA afterwards), so I'm off to bed now.