beat writers: are you creatures of habit?

[accguy]

So my beat has me this weekend in a strange city. It's a fine place, but it has left me out of my comfort zone.

While having dinner tonight at P.F. Chang's (one of my regular on-the-road dinner spots), I was thinking about how I'm such a creature of habit.

At pretty much all of my regular stops on the road, I stay at the same hotel and often eat at the same places. Sometimes I'll mix up a lunch spot, but if I get one dinner in a town, it's almost always at the same spot.

As I said before I love going to Changs. I'm a big Outback guy. And several places I have a local/regional place I'll hit for lunch or maybe post-game beers.

Is everybody else as predictable like this? And I'm not sure what it all means. I'm pretty open to trying new places and like to check out new stuff in my own town. I guess when I'm working I have my routine.

Food for thought.

 

[HejiraHenry]

the only issue is whether that predictability creeps into the way you work your beat.

and if, like so many, you're afflicted with Home Bowl Syndrome.

 

[accguy]

I don't think it's predictability creeping into my beat. I just have my place to stay in each town (a Courtyard or a SpringHill Suites or something like that) so I know what to expect. Then I don't have to worry about anything strange coming up.

Sometimes I'll have a colleague say, "have you stayed at such and such hotel? it's really good." And I never change. About the only time I change is if there's a new marriott property that's an upgrade or if the rate is out of whack.

Maybe it's one less thiing to have to worry about and I can concentrate on my work

 

[BYH]

the only issue is whether that predictability creeps into the way you work your beat.

and if, like so many, you're afflicted with Home Bowl Syndrome.

I know how that goes. I get all flustered if I'm not dumping in the main bathroom with my favorite newspaper.

Oh, Home BOWL Syndrome.

 

[Bubbler]

It depends for me.

I have a college beat, and during nonconference trips to unfamiliar places -- as was the case this weekend -- I have some old reliable restaurants, hotels, etc., I fall back on.

But when I go to my once-or-more-a-year conference locales, I mix it up. As much as I can, I try to discover the regular cities on my beat -- its cool restuarants, bars, even local hotels. I've found some gems, fewer disappointments.

For example, one city I visit is an unlikely center of Greek immigration, so it has a lot of Greek restaurants. I ALWAYS go to Greek restaurants over anything else, and this city has more than a few good ones. Never would have known that had I not sought it out.

 

[murciélago]

I'm with you, accguy. I hit the same places every time through.

My goal is simple: Get back to the house with as few problems as possible. I stay in hotels I know are acceptable. I eat at establishments I know are acceptable. I save <i>adventure</i> for the times I'm kicking it on vacation with my lady friend.

 

[Omar_dont_scare]

Through an error on the hotel's part, I ended up staying in the exact same room on one road trip earlier this fall as I did two years ago for the same game. Colleague of mine who dropped by for a postgame beer noticed it; I just thought I was having a bit of deja vu...

 

[PackOfGauchos]

Go local. You can go to a PF Chang's or an Outback anywhere. Pick up a guide book at the library, look for listings online on the local newspaper's site, and find good local restaurants and bars. Stick to the chains only if it's real late at night, or you're in such a podunk town you don't trust anywhere else. Go local. It's the only way to get the most out of any road trip.

 

[PackOfGauchos]

But hotels .... stick with what you know. Marriott points and dependable wireless.

 

[Angola!]

But hotels .... stick with what you know. Marriott points and dependable wireless.

Seriously, I stayed at a Ramada last weekend and I went there after my game to send my story and it had wireless. Only, it wasn't connecting. So, I call the front desk and ask if they are having issues with the wireless and they tell me no. Well, obviously you are, because I am connected to said wireless at 5 megabytes per minute. That is slower than dial up. I should of just stayed at the stadium. Anyway, I eventually had to retype my story in their "business center" which included computers with XP on them, but no Word.
Needless to say, I will not be staying in that Ramada ever again.

 

[JBHawkEye]

But hotels .... stick with what you know. Marriott points and dependable wireless.

Agreed.

 

[Ace]

Go local. You can go to a PF Chang's or an Outback anywhere. Pick up a guide book at the library, look for listings online on the local newspaper's site, and find good local restaurants and bars. Stick to the chains only if it's real late at night, or you're in such a podunk town you don't trust anywhere else. Go local. It's the only way to get the most out of any road trip.

I agree with this sentiment, though on a lot of trips you may just have time to grab a late dinner after a night game and you are stuck with what's open.

 

[SF_Express]

Back in the dark ages when I traveled for a beat, my philosophy was didn't care about the hotel as long as it was decent -- it was often the team hotel -- but tried very hard to eat "local" and rarely didn't. It was one of the perks of the job, to me.

The only variable was that "what's open?" one.

 

[Alma]

My God, you oughta have a habit on the road. Wandering around those first couple road trips gets real old.

Nothing wrong with consistency in hotels. It's smart, even. Hotels - that's one thing you learn. And the team hotel isn't always the way to go - that's another thing you learn. When the team hotel has a tiny lobby, no service and a bunch of asshole fans milling around - or my personal favorite, there's a 800-woman Mary Kay convention going on - but it's the team hotel cuz it's near the bowl stadium or the beach or whatever, what the hell good is it?

Now, restaurants? Your habit oughta be to find good local joints, preferably a steakhouse in there somewhere, that has some classy service, a little atmosphere and some food. Outback actually ain't half bad, but if you're not in the mood for heavy peppercorn and just want a old-school steak, just about every college town has one.

 

[write then drink]

But hotels .... stick with what you know. Marriott points and dependable wireless.

Seriously, I stayed at a Ramada last weekend and I went there after my game to send my story and it had wireless. Only, it wasn't connecting. So, I call the front desk and ask if they are having issues with the wireless and they tell me no. Well, obviously you are, because I am connected to said wireless at 5 megabytes per minute. That is slower than dial up. I should of just stayed at the stadium. Anyway, I eventually had to retype my story in their "business center" which included computers with XP on them, but no Word.
Needless to say, I will not be staying in that Ramada ever again.

why would you ever not file from the stadium?

especially without testing the wireless at your hotel?

and once in that situation, why not just save your story on any sort of USB memory device or drive and transfer it onto the other computer instead of re-typing the whole thing?

 

[leo1]

when i was in the business i would frequent the same hotel chains but always try to get some local flavor if time. i miss that part of the business because my jobs took me to all sorts of places i'll never get back to, from tiny rural towns in east bumble**** to big cities.

 

[FuerteJ]

The only habit I'm in is sleeping on a friend's couch wherever that may be. Luckily I know people in most of the cities I travel to. If not, I've got some friends on the beat who help me out. If not for that, I think I may be sleeping in my car on road trips. But man, when 17 weeks straight are road trips, it doesn't really matter. And I try to eat local, as well. I don't think I'm helping you here.