Michele R

I am traveling from Cleveland to Chicago for a wedding. I plan to leave around 6 am and hope to get to our hotel (Palmer House Hilton in the Loop near the north side of Millenium Park).

My goal is to arrive at the hotel around noon.

With it being a holiday weekend, do you think traffic will be congested? Should I leave Cleveland earlier than 6 am? I can't leave Friday night. :-(

Thanks!

Suggestions, please!

My cousin is attending the University of Tampa in the fall as a freshman. He didn’t want a graduation party or gifts, but I want to do something nice for him anyway. I would like to get him a gift certificate that he can use in Tampa. I’m sure something generic like a gas card, Publix, Westfield would all be helpful…. But I would love to get him something a little more “University specific”. Is there a favorite coffee shop, date spot, cool shop, hangout, restaurant, club that would be a good choice? He is an avid athlete, devoted to hockey, plays guitar, very smart, social and responsible young man.

Thanks!

My friends and I visit NYC every year, but we typically stay in Manhattan. We love music, dancing, nice restaurants, wine, shopping, etc. Can you recommend some things for us to see so we can experience Brooklyn? We'll be visiting Jan 27-30. Thanks!

We are 30, don't care for house/ techno music very much. We like the old school hip hop, 80's, pop rock. Any suggestions in Manhattan?

My girlfriends and I are all talking about a trip to Italy for our 30th birthdays. We love wine and sight-seeing and clubs...

My 19 year old cousin wants to join us. Would she be able to do the same things as us? What age limits are there on drinking, nightclubs, etc?

I am visiting San Fran for the first time in November, we're staying for 6 full days with a friend. We want to do some touristy stuff and some shopping and eat at some nice restaurants.

How much should I budget per day for food?

How much should i budget for transportation? I'm confused about the public transp, there's the BART, taxis, cable cars... how will I know what to take?

Can you recommend some great restaurants?

If you could only suggest 5 things for me to see/ do what would they be?

I found this anagram quiz online about 5 years ago and I've been working on it ever since. No joke- I'm down to my LAST clue. All of the answers are famous rock vocalists... most of them from the 70's. here are some examples:

Clap any rectum= Paul McCartney

Nice ski Vest= Stevie Nicks

Pubescent Ringers= Bruce Springsteen

Coy Volunteer= Courtney Love

Buried Corn= Eric Burdon

The one I'm missing is: RANDOM BANAL

Please help me figure this out!!!

I tried a new recipe and I think the liquid to dry ingredients ratio was poor. The flavor is great, but the loaves didn't hold their shape. Now I have two pounds of meatloaf-flavored ground meat. Any suggestions on what i can do with it?

I am buying a gift online for a friends kid. He's 1 yr. I found exactly what I'm looking for, but the smallest size is 2T. Does that mean for a 2 yr old Toddler? Would it be stupid to get it for him now anyway? I know she'll love it... even if she has to wait a year to put it on the kid! :-)

I throw an elegant holiday dinner party for about 30 guests each year. This year, to save space in my small kitchen, I am going to slow cook several beef roasts as the main dish.

How many side dishes should I have? Any elegant ideas? Here is what I have so far:

mushroom risotto

steamed asparagus with bearnaise sauce

fingerling potatoes

I also need a suggestion for a salad?

I will be in Detroit (from Cleveland) on Wednesday for a concert at the Fillmore. We may visit the casino as well. We're looking for a good place to have dinner. Nothing too expensive, but we want to try something new (not a chain restaurant like Applebees). Any recommendations?

I am planning a trip with my girlfriends next year. Both Napa Valley and Chicago are on our list, which one should we do first? Please only respond if you've actually been to both places. Help us decide! (We're traveling from Cleveland)