After an 8 hour drive, I arrived in Charlotte last night around 10pm. The drive wasn’t too bad, but the night driving through West Virginia was terrible for two reasons: poor road construction created a rough ride and a lot of noise, and eyes were constantly assaulted by cars with the high beams on.
There were a lot of people in the lobby carousing and having a good time, but I don’t know if they were here for SLSA or for another nefarious purpose. I can’t say that I’ve recognized anyone yet, but SLSA is a big conference compared to others that I have attended.
The OMNI Charlotte hotel rooms are very nice, and my view overlooking a plaza bordered by high rise buildings makes me think of Asimov’s The Caves of Steel–it makes you feel hemmed in.
Thus far I only have one complaint–croissants. As a Select Guest member, I received free coffee, orange juice, and a newspaper delivered to my room. They also offer special prices on breakfast items. I thought a croissant for $3 was a great deal, especially for a hotel, so I ordered two of them. This morning, I discovered why they are only $3–they are smaller than the home bake Pillsbury croissants available in grocery stores. Luckily, Yufang sent me away with small packets of Famous Amos cookies, which made up for the unfortunate state of room service breakfast. I’ll search google maps for a near-by bakery or grocery store so I can stock up on breakfast goods. What can I say–breakfast is an important meal for me.
