SVU Technical Showcase

Are you interested in the most recent advances in ultrasound technology?

Does knowledge that helps enhance your interpretation on ultrasound equipment intrigue you?

Are you a hands on learner who jumps at the opportunity to take part in a new scanning experience?

Do you like free breakfast?

If so, then make sure you stop by the SVU Technical Showcase being held on Friday June 8th from 7:00am to 9:00am. There will be a variety of Conference sponsors and vendors present who will be focusing on technological advances for their equipment. Each vendor will be giving a brief presentation focusing on features that enhances the technical or interpretational aspects their equipment. There will be a free continental breakfast for you to munch on while enjoying the vendors presentations.

Sponsors of the SVU Technical Showcase are: 

Following the presentations, there will be time to make your rounds to the various vendors to take part in observing, and perhaps even scanning, for some demonstrations. Saying that we all work with our hands every day, I feel confident in saying that this offers benefits to all of us! Even if your work environment doesn't currently have the technology presented, someday you may stumble upon an opportunity to use some of this equipment. What a great opportunity to impress your boss when you already know the tricks to the machine thanks to this showcase.

The world of vascular wouldn't be nearly as proficient without these companies and their technological goodies. Shoot, without them most of us wouldn't have a career. The showcase gives you the chance to mingle with the companies which provide you with what you need to keep doing a great job. It might just benefit to get to know some of the people on their end as well.

I think we all know how important the opportunity to learn and grow in this field is. I mean we all are attending a conference full of learning right? The technology of ultrasound is constantly advancing faster then most of us can keep up with. There are few opportunities available to catch up on the latest and greatest AND get hands on experience like the SVU Technical Showcase. So I will be expecting to see all of you getting hands deep in new technology bright and early on Friday!

Until next time,
- Kristen

Where Am I!?

Good morning everybody! This time next week we all will be anxiously awaiting our alarm clocks to sound off the start of the AC Pre-conference sessions. How exciting! Today I have made it my task to ensure that everybody feels comfortable on where to go once arriving at National Harbor. I have found a map of National Harbor, see below, that shows where everything is located. Please use this to navigate your journey to wherever your destination may be so you don't get lost. Kidding of course, it is hard to get lost in this little area consisting of only a few blocks across the span of three streets. Larger map here: http://www.nationalharbor.com/consumer/nh_directory_map.pdf

I hope many of you will be staying right in National Harbor. If so, then your journey during your stay here is a piece of cake! For those of you who are staying outside of the harbor, luckily the major roadways of DC take you straight to your destination without city roads to navigate. I recommend checking out the National Harbor's website which lists directions for any way you may be traveling: http://www.nationalharbor.com/consumer/directions.htm.

Okay, now on to finding your way to the conference. If you make your trip to the Gaylord by walking down Waterfront Street, this is the first view of the Convention Center you will see:

If you see this view above, you are approaching the side of The Gaylord. Continue following the sidewalk until you see this:

This is the front entrance to The Gaylord. You should see a huge drive way leading up to a covered entrance. Follow the roadway to the large revolving doors to enter the resort, directed by Mindy:

Alright, you are almost there! Upon entering The Gaylord continue to walk straight into the lobby. There will be many ways you can turn, but if you follow these directions I promise we will keep you on track! After passing through the revolving doors keep on going straight down the elegant red carpet:

Along the path of the red carpet you will see the main desk of the hotel on the left, for those of you staying at the resort, and the concierge located on the right, if you have any questions. Follow this red carpet all the way to the end. To the left, you will see an information desk containing all sorts of layouts and ideas for tours of the DC area. Now once you get to the end of the red carpet you should be facing a fine jewlery store. Directly to your left you will see a set of escalators (elevators can be found to the right), take these up to the next floor:

Once you have made it up the escalators the convention center will be located straight ahead. You should be able to identify it thanks to the large sign labeled "CONVENTION CENTER" at the entrance of the hallway.

I hope this guide has answered all of your questions about where to go for the conference. To all of you with butterflies about venturing into somewhere new, rest assured it isn't so bad out here. All the horror stories of traffic and chaos belong to parts of the city located outside of National Harbor.

ONE MORE WEEK!!!!

Until next time,

- Kristen

Pre-Conference Sessions

                For those of you that will be arriving earlier at the National Harbor, there are pre-conference sessions being held on Wednesday June 6th.  Join us for registration all day and and a conventional breakfast starting at 7am. Then, between 8am and 5pm, there will be a session called  RVT examination clinical content review. After having some lunch come back and enjoy the ICAVL accreditation workshop that will be directed by Marge Hutchisson, RVT, RDCS, IAC Director of Accreditation. This workshop will begin at 1pm. Also at 1pm, the American college of phlebology session will be starting. This session will contain information on venous insufficiency testing in the vascular laboratory. Keep in mind that ALL the pre-conference sessions require a separate registration to attend. There is also a separate fee required (except for the accreditation workshop which is free).

We are getting really close to the annual conference!!

Rise and Shine

        They say that you learn the most early in the day so make sure to attend some of the early morning tutorials that start at 7 am. Tutorials numbers 1-4 will be held on Thursday and tutorial numbers 5-8 will be on Saturday. There will be breakfast at all the tutorials. There is a small fee ($10) and a separate registration required to attend these early morning tutorials. Some interesting topics will be 1) Options for examining the technically challenging patient, 2) Common and uncommon anatomic variants, 3) Lumps, bumps, and strange things you see in the dark (what do you say about incidental findings), and 4) cardiac influence on vascular studies. These are just a few topics that will be covered in these early morning tutorials. 

Have a good breakfast while you learn about some interesting things in the vascular world. 

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!

                                    

Shopping Time!!!

Love to shop?

            Here at the National Harbor you can enjoy doing some shopping because there is a large variety of shops. Ladies, you can find unique and affordable jewelry at Charming Charlie. I nice thing here is that all the jewelry is organized by color making easy to shop. For unique clothing, there is a nice boutique called Knits Etc. where you can find fashionable women's clothing, sports wear, knitwear, hats, handbags, and accessories. 

Now for the men, there are stores that you might enjoy if you like shopping. At Fossil you can find stylish watches, men's clothing, and other accessories. If you enjoy motor cycle riding there might be something for you at the Harley Davidson at the National Harbor. Here you can also find cool apparel and more accessories. 

Now for gifts to take back home to your loved ones, stop by Occasions. They have unique gifts and gift baskets to choose from. 

Before you leave make sure to get some delicious chocolates from Godiva Chocolatier! 

There is also a CVS pharmacy across the street from the Gaylord Resort for everyday necessities. 

Enjoy the many more shops at the National Harbor!

Cadillac Ranch

Hello everyone.

       If after a long day of events you still feel energized, you might want to checkout Cadillac Ranch -All American Bar and Grill located directly across the street for the Gaylord National Resort. Here you can enjoy all your favorite authentic All American cuisine. After dinner, have some fun on the dance floor while they play classic rock, modern rock, and many other types of music on their state of the art sound system. Enjoy! 

Peeps!

Okay, so call me naive but I had no idea that the delicious marshmallow treats called Peeps were made year round. More importantly, I had no idea that there was an actual Peeps store which is filled with Peep treats and gifts! Obviously stumbling upon this store during my journey to National Harbor made me a very happy girl.....

The Peeps & Company store at National Harbor is the first one to open ever. This store offers all the Peeps you could imagine. Regular Peeps, Chocolate covered Peeps, Peeps on a stick, and more! If you don't have a sweet tooth, then perhaps you won't be able to resist falling for the adorable giant Peeps stuffed animal. The thing was as big as I was! They also offer miniature stuffed animal peeps as well. And for the true fans out there....there is all the Peeps supportive gear you could dream of. T-shirts, pajama pants, headbands, bracelets. If you can wear it, they have it.

 I always thought Peeps were a little treat of their own. But it turns out that the brand also is the creator of Mike & Ike's and Red Hot Tamales. I am guilty of going through Mike & Ike binges. So when I walked in and saw a giant selection of Mike & Ike flavors, in which you can create your own combination, I immediately was in heaven. You can try them all out, or you can just buy a pound of the red ones (We all know those are the best kind). Maybe you like spicy more then sweet, or simply just like foods that make your eyes water. Stop by the opposite side of the store and find the perfect level of heat in the Hot Tamales section. Before you leave, be sure to find out what type of "Hot Tamale Hottie" you are. NEWS ALERT: For all of us Mike & Ike die hards, the duo is currently going through a split. When you enter the Peep store you can see that Ike has clearly been scribbled out from the giant sign. More information here Mike and Ike Split Up.

All please keep the following in mind as you venture through the store: Not all items in here are edible. Many items may appear very convincing, as you can see above. It may be hard to resist if you go in there with a sweet tooth. But please, do not find yourself in the awkward situation of attempting to eat a non-edible Peep...the staff do not find this to be amusing and prefer you keep your purchases out of your mouth until you have left the store.

Hopefully this has everyone ready to stock up on some Peep goodness!

Until next time

- Kristen

Yoga on the pier

Do you enjoy yoga? Or have you been thinking about trying it for the first time? If so, your're in luck. While visiting the area enjoy a free yoga session on the East pier platform from 7-8 pm on Thursday June 7th. Instructors from the Sun & Moon yoga studio will be there. Exercise while you enjoy the beautiful sunset view.

Let's Ketchup While You're In Town!

Are you guilty of having a ketchup to food ratio that is ridiculous? If so, National Harbor has the restaurant for you! Ketchup!

Located just two blocks away from the Gaylord Resort, Ketchup takes a spin on American classics by adding an upscale twist to our childhood favorites, turning them into a gourmet dish. The restaurant offers a relaxing atmosphere with a red ambience throughout the restaurant, which sets the mood for a great evening out! Every month Ketchup releases five brand new, unique flavors of ketchup created by the restaurant's chefs themselves. Of course they also offer traditional ketchup for those of you who aren't feeling too adventurous.

That's right! FIVE flavors of ketchup!

This month's flavors: Ranch, Maple Bacon, Roasted Garlic,
Mesquite Barbeque, and Pineapple

Ketchup offers a wide variety of menu items from Appetizers, Burgers, and Entrees from land, sea, and air. Entrees range from $10 to $30. There is an exclusive offering of Mac N Cheese choices: Jalapeno Mac, Baked Mac, Pizza Mac, and Lobster Mac. Can you say delicious?

Dipping options for all your ketchup choices? Try the threesome of fries to find your
perfect combination. This appetizer includes all three signature fries served
at Ketchup: Parmesan Garlic, Mesquite Barbeque, and
sweet potato fries with a cinammon chipotle rub.



Mindy decided to try the BBQ Pork & Mac sandwich. She was more then pleased!

I went with the Chili Con Queso Burger. All I can say is Queso makes EVERYTHING better!

Okay, now on to the best part....Drinks! Ketchup offers a full bar with beer, wine, liqour, and a menu of thirst quenching summer drinks. We sat at the bar for our dinner and had an absolute blast. The bartenders were very entertaining. Nothing is better than seeing someone who truly enjoys their job, and these two surely knew how to have a good time while working! No matter what your beverage of choice may be, they have it here. Mindy and I took a shot at two of their mixed drinks.

Mindy and I both really enjoyed their summer time drinks.
We ordered a Watermelon Sangria.

 It was absolutely delicious and refreshing.
Those can be the ones that get you though!

Of course being at Ketchup, I couldn't help but be cheesy
and order their Bloody Mary. I'm not going to lie,
they did a fantastic job mixing up the
perfect combination to enjoy with a Burger.

Hopefully this hasn't left your mouth watering too much! There is still another 3 weeks before you can try out the one and only Ketchup in the country!

Until next time

- Kristen

Water Taxi

Good evening everybody!!


        While visiting the area you might want to find some time to enjoy a ride through the Potomac River. Catch the water taxi, operated by the Potomac Riverboat Company, from the Gaylord National Resort (south dock) or from the National Harbor (north dock), which is just a five minute walk from the resort. Both docks will take you to Old Town Alexandria where you can enjoy some more shopping, good dining, and just simply to enjoy the historic city. You can also use the water taxi to visit President George Washington's home and garden and/or visit Georgetown while viewing the monuments along the way.

Tickets can be purchased at the Gaylord National Pier ticket booth. Enjoy!

America!

If you love to sport your American pride, then you have come to the right place! What better city is there than the nation's capital to find all the patriotic goodies you could ever dream of? For those of you staying locally in National Harbor you are in luck.

AMERICA! is located right on the strip mall at National Harbor. The store's purpose, as seen above, is to celebrate the pride and spirit of America. Whether you have the desire for a t-shirt branded with FBI, a bobble head of a political figure, supportive wear for your favorite military branch, or toilet paper marketed to be from the White House, I promise this store will have what you are looking for. They have nifty souveniors, priceless treasures, and gag gifts for all ages. The store offers quite the selection of political products for both supportive and anti-oriented memorbilia for either political party.

Of course, I prefer to save the best for last. The store offers a fantastic photo opportunity. Ever watch The President address the nation and can't help but picture yourself behind the podium speaking to the millions of people clinging to your every word? Well AMERICA! is ready to make that dream a reality...somewhat....

I must say I felt pretty inspired while standing up there, facing the various bystanders who continued to shop with no notice of my pure joy in such a power position. Perhaps I got a little caught up in the moment. Regardless, it can leave you with quite a memorable picture to take home and share with your family and friends. If anyone happens to stop by the store while in town and takes advantage of this photo op, then please feel free to share the experience with us on here!

Until next time,

- Kristen

Bond 45

     Soon you all will be here enjoying the SVU conference. The last thing you want to be thinking about is what you will be having for dinner while you are here. No worries! Here at the National Harbor there are many different types of restaurants to choose from. No matter what you are in the mood of, either a burger or nice steak, its all here.

     Bond 45 is an Italian steakhouse and seafood place just around the corner from the Gaylord Hotel. With only two locations in the U.S., Times Square and at the National Harbor, you have to try it while you are here! Its located on 149 Waterfront Street.

   

Make sure to keep checking our blog for more restaurant ideas! 

"The Awakening" at the Beach

Well you know what they say. If you can't go to the beach, bring the beach to you. Okay, maybe that isn't a saying...but that is what they have done here at National Harbor. Throughout the length of the harbor, guests have the capability of enjoying a walk right along the water's edge on the paved walkways. However, if you stroll a little farther away from The Gaylord Resort you'll find yourself approaching this little treasure tucked between one of the boardwalks and shopping centers. The Beach at National Harbor isn't exactly the size of an ideal beach, but it gives you the enjoyment of being able to take off your shoes and have your toes in the sand.

Oh did I forget to mention the giant (literally) sculpture rising from the ground of the beach?



"The Awakening" was created by J. Seward Johnson Jr. in 1980. The sculpture represents a 70 foot giant struggle in attempting to free himself from his entrapment in the earth. You can see the struggle as the giant's left hand, right foot, right arm, left leg, and head emerge from the ground. The tallest part of the sculpture is the gaint's right arm, reaching up to 17 feet in height! The detail of work put into this structure really captures the intense emotion of struggle in the giant's face. The sculpture was originally located in a long, flat field at Hains Point in Washington, DC. In 2007, the sculpture sold for $750,000 and was moved to its new home at National Harbor. I think this would be a trade up in location for this giant.

The beach provides an area of relaxation to guests of all ages. There are chairs throughout the area if you want to sit and take in the scenary while digging your toes into the sand. The giant sculpture serves as a challange to the many children who dream to climb to the top of his limbs. While Mindy and I visited National Harbor we got to observe the many attempts of these children. Despite the nasty fall some of these kids took while climbing on the giant's leg,  I just couldn't resist giving the sculpture a shot at my climbing skills....

Okay, maybe I didn't attempt to climb the largest portion....but it was a success in my book.

For those of you who do not take enjoyment in the mess that sand can provide, there are plenty of other beautiful areas to walk by the water's edge and take in the view. The entire harbor is lined with a paved walkway with just a barrier of large rocks seperating you from the water. There are benches every couple of feet if you want to take a break and just enjoy the scenario. The Gaylord provides a beautiful lawn sitting area which looks out at the Harbor, it even has a fountain.

Of course, there are plenty of options for enjoying the water itself....but we will save that for another time.

- Kristen

Gaylord Resort

Hello everybody. Hope you all are as excited about the SVU conference as much as I am!! As you all know, the conference will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and it's an amazing place. Here are some fun facts about the Gaylord Resort:

1. There are 2,000 quest rooms
2. There is 470,000 sq/ft of functional space
3. There's a 300 acre waterfront destination full of amazing dining
4. The convention center can accommodate meetings and events for groups of up to 10,000 people
5. There are 4 ball rooms
6. There are 82 meeting rooms
7. There is an indoor 24 meter lap pool ( don't forget your bathing suit!)
8. There is a water taxi with narrated history and folklore 
9. There is a 230 ft high atrium in the hotel
10. 37,000 tons of steel were needed to create this structure

 Make sure you don't get lost in there (yes, it's that big!)

Welcome to National Harbor!

Hello to all!

My name is Kristen and my fellow co-blogger's name is Mindy. We are sonography students entering our senior year at The George Washington University. This time next year we will be walking across the stage to receive our Bachelor's degree in both Vascular and General Ultrasound. Going to school in Washington, DC has given us an amazing experience while exploring the nation's capital. When we found out the SVU conference was going to be held at National Harbor, we were more then enthralled. We couldn't be happier to have been given the opportunity to share our knowledge to help enrich your time here in the nation's capital.

During the next couple of weeks we will be here to provide you with information about places to visit, things to do, exquisite restaurants to dine at, and all the sight seeing a tourist could dream of while enjoying your stay at the National Harbor. For those of you enjoying an extended stay, trust me....you will not run out of activities to do. We will also be featuring the additional opportunities to take part in at the SVU conference. Once the conference starts, we will be keeping you up to date on the latest information right from the convention center itself.

Thank you for checking out the 2012 SVU Annual Conference Blog! Mindy and I are excited to welcome you to the nation's capital for this year's SVU Conference!

- Kristen