AMWA Jacksonville Conference About to Begin

Well, that was fast. It seems like we just wrapped up last year's AMWA conference blog, and now it is time to gear up for the Jacksonville meeting, which gets under way late Wednesday.

A few things to think about before you head to Florida, or in my case, a different part of Florida:

• Lori Alexander, editor of the AMWA Journal, has a nice post over at her blog mentioning some of the great benefits such as museum discounts that she and the other local arrangements coordinators have made for conference attendees. You can also read about the Florida Chapter's drive to collect donations for Hubbard House, a Jacksonville shelter for victims of domestic violence. 
• The clock is ticking down on making arrangements for the discounted rate ($16) for the airport shuttle. Reservations must be made 48 hours before arrival to get the discounted rate.
• Read "Maximize Your Conference Experience" on the AMWA Web site, so that you can, you know, maximize your conference experience.
• The AMWA Conference blog is always looking for more contributors. If you know how to write, you know how to blog. If you are interested in contributing, please get in touch with me. I edit all posts and take care of getting them up on the blog. In addition to text, I would also be happy to consider photographs, audio, and video contributions. The more voices, the better the blog. E-mail me at VictoriaJWhite@gmail.com. 
• Follow official AMWA tweets at: http://twitter.com/AmMedWriters. If you are tweeting about the conference, please use the hashtag #amwa11 so it will be easy for people to find tweets about the conference.

Milwaukee cafes

by Ed Possing

So you like coffee but are getting a little bored with Starbucks? As a Milwaukee resident and coffee drinker I think I can help you out. I’ve come up with a short list of close(ish) cafés that serve delicious food and hot drinks. You may have to travel a little bit, but all of these spots can be reached by bus.

My personal favorite is Sven’s European Café (2699 South Kinnickinnic Avenue). It’s about 4 miles away from the conference center in the neighborhood known as Bay View. They serve the best paninis I’ve ever had -- and I eat a lot of paninis. Try the Picasso. On display throughout the café is a variety of local artwork. Oh, and they have wireless if that’s your thing.

If you’re feeling dangerous, head over to the Fuel Café on 818 E. Center Street.  Milwaukee is all about motorcycles and the Fuel Café celebrates that. The coffee is strong and the people are friendly in this motorcycle-themed coffee shop.  It’s about 9 miles away so you might want to get there on your Harley.