Reston Limousine is proud to support those who serve our country, and in late January/early February we sponsored a trip for wounded soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

From Jan. 28 to Feb. 1, the Grand Strand was home to the group of wounded warriors, some in wheelchairs, who were greeted by a crowd of “flag-waving, teary eyed, patriotic Americans,” according to an article in the Sun News.

The soldiers were treated to a weekend in the coastal resort town courtesy of Scents for Soldiers, a program founded by Christina Shealy of Myrtle Beach. She organized the trip and the activities, including shopping at Broadway at the Beach,  a show at the Palace Theatre, a putting contest at Martin’s Golf and a party at Ocean Dunes Resort.

“Scents for Soldiers is a great organization,” Spc. J.P. Poyneer, who served in Afghanistan and has been at Walter Reed for the last year, told the Sun News. “They do so much for us.”

For more information on Scents for Soldiers and their activities, please click here.

Atlantic City: Saturday, March 13th

Come with us to Atlantic City! We’ll get you there and back in a safe, comfortable minibus. All you need to do is bring your wallet and a little luck. We will drop you right at the Tropicana Casino and Resort and hand you $15 for the casino. If gambling is not your scene, check out one of the various restaurants – from Chinese to Mexican to upscale American, you’ll find something to wet your taste buds. As our guest, you are welcome to bring a thermos, smaller cooler or a few snacks for the ride. If you want a taste of the luck of the Irish, RiRa Irish Pub in The Quarter will feature a line up of entertainment from noon to 2 a.m.

Charlottesville: Saturday, March 20th
Relax and enjoy a trip to two Charlottesville-area wineries in a comfortable minibus. As our guest, you are welcome to bring a thermos, small cooler or a few snacks for the ride. Following the wineries, you’ll have the chance to visit Downtown Charlottesville, which will be flush with Virginia Festival of the Book activities that day, including appearances by mystery authors and sessions for budding writers at the Omni Hotel. For more information about the festival, please visit the festival Web site at www.vabook.org. For a cool map of downtown Charlottesville, check out Discovery Maps.

And of course, our perennial favorite — New York City day trip on Sunday, March 28th
It’s not too late to celebrate the lunar new year, and you can join the Big Apple’s celebration via Asia Week, the first-ever coordinated effort between New York City galleries, museums, art dealers and auction houses to devote a week to awareness and discussion of Asian art, the Asia Society-sponsored Asia Week will feature special events and exhibitions taking place at a variety of locations around the City. On March 28th, take in a guided tour and lecture at the Museum of Chinese in America. For more information on Asia Week, visit www.asiaweeknewyork.org.The bus also makes stops at Central Park and Times Square, so you’ll have a host of other opportunities to celebrate spring in the City!

To book your seat on any of these, visit our Online Calendar at www.restonlimo.com.

Bouweiri heads award-winning Reston Limousine (www.restonlimo.com), the Washington, DC metropolitan area’s largest limousine and shuttle provider, and the 17th largest in the country. Bouweiri’s leadership extends to service on numerous local and area business boards, and her company’s philanthropic efforts annually assist a number of non-profit organizations. She is frequently asked to speak on management topics and share her insights as an entrepreneur.

All Smart100 CEOs will be profiled in the magazine’s 100-page annual supplement to publish in the near future. Honorees will also be listed on www.smartceo.com. The Smart100 leaders represent a variety of industries, including government contracting, information technology consulting, travel services, financial services, and video production.

Want to catch Kristina at an upcoming networking event? Morton’s The Steakhouse in Reston will be honoring her at “A Celebration of Women in Business” — a luncheon series celebrating the noteworthy and inspiring attributes of women in business.

The event begins at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16th, starting with registration, then lunch to follow at noon. For more information, including cost and menu,visit the Morton’s Web site at www.mortons.com/reston/specialevents/.

John Mayer performing at the Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007; image from Wikipedia

“It was fantastic, we had a great time,” says Chris Frame, who manages event rentals for the National Building Museum in Washington DC.

Chris had the driver pick up his best friend, Andreas Alevromagiros, and Andreas’ wife, Melissa, in Ashburn before attending the concert at the Verizon Center. “They spoiled us pretty well,” he says. “It truly was a wonderful night.”

Not a bad prize for simply responding to Reston Limousine’s e-mail promoting the contest; “all I had to do was hit reply to enter,” Chris says.

To sign up for Reston Limousine’s newsletters, which provide up-to-date information on upcoming specials and contests, visit our online Newsletter Sign Up page at www.restonlimo.com/about/newsletter-sign-up/.

This exciting 3-day shopping fundraiser and educational outreach showcases local, regional and national merchants for shoppers seeking the latest in fashion, home décor and unique gifts.

The weekend event begins at 6:30 p.m. March 5th with a Preview Cocktail Party co-hosted by Pamela Sorenson of the DC blog  Pamela’s Punch. A Silent Auction that night will feature a variety of sports and celebrity memorabilia, including items from Taylor Swift, Twilight, Alex Ovechkin, President Obama, The Rat Pack and more; a VIP Tour for Two of Yankee Stadium that’s actually led by a Yankees World Series Champion player; an NYC Fashion Week Experience; and much more. Tickets to the party are $45 in advance with online RSVP, $60 at the door.

On Saturday, catch Shawn Westfall of the DC Improv Comedy Club providing an Improvisation Class or shop all day long from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

On Sunday, former Washington Redskin Gary Clark will be personally doing signings and photo opportunities, with shopping again available from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission on Saturday and Sunday is $8; reserve for all weekend events online at http://livebreathedancepresents.com.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Lombardi Center’s Breast Cancer Research Division of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the Georgetown University Medical Center and Hospital. They seek to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer through innovative basic and clinical research, patient care, community education and outreach, and the training of cancer specialists of the future.

Lombardi is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers in the nation, as designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the only one in the Washington, DC, area. What began as a small clinic treating cancer patients has grown into a state-of-the-art cancer center housing more than 240,000 square feet of clinic and research space.

Yakitori Boy serves 'Japas' -- traditional Japanese cuisine, tapas style

The list offers a culinary tour of Asia via Burma, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan, and includes short reviews of each restaurant as well as the famous Zagat ratings of food, decor and service.

To view the list, visit Zagat.com’s ZagatBuzz Philadelphia Edition.

If you can’t bear to leave the show, not to worry — foodies have a wide variety of offerings to choose from: an elegant tea, live cooking presentations by local celebrity chefs held three times each day, free tastings of fine wines and  uplifting spirits, and an international coffee break topped off with delicious desserts. For more information, visit the 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show Web site.

Haven’t booked your seat yet?  It’s not too late — click here for our online Reservations page.

Trip details:

Sunday, February 28, 2010
Cost: $35 Roundtrip
Depart: 8:00 am, 1650 Tysons Blvd, McLean, Virginia
Arrive: 11:00 am, Philadelphia Flower Show
Depart: 5:00 pm, Flower Show
Arrive: 8:00 pm, 1650 Tysons Blvd, McLean, Virginia

Photo courtesy of Virginia Dept. of Transportation

From providing a Hummer limousine to a Springfield bride determined to be married despite more than 2 feet to 3 feet of snow in some areas to transporting Maryland and Virginia doctors carrying organs scheduled for transplants, Reston Limousine  came to the rescue on more than one occasion during the first two North American blizzards of the year.

“The bride was desperate, and we sent it out, and we did great,” General Manager Tony Simon told LCT Magazine. “It was tough, but we did it. We got there on time. The wedding went well, although many people didn’t make it, but at least we were able to get them around from place to place.”

“People were calling us and saying, I have no electricity, take me to a hotel,” or asking Reston Limousine to transport other family members to other safe and warm shelters, according to Dispatch Manager Margaret Day. “It was pretty cool” being able to help people in obvious need of Reston Limousine’s services, she added.

Careful planning, including putting up staff in a nearby hotel, allowed Reston Limousine to continue providing transportation service throughout the DC area when other companies could not, she said. She and the other staff members, including drivers, mechanics and other dispatchers, stayed there from Friday night to Wednesday night, leaving for home only on Sunday evening.  “You do what you have to do,” she said.

“We only stopped running buses on Saturday,” the peak snow day, Tony Simon told LCT Magazine. “Monday was a good situation where our buses were out there constantly. Even the Metro was not running, and we even had some of our routes shuttling people form location to location.”

The internationally distributed magazine annually features a survey of this country’s largest fleet operators ranked by operational size.

Already the largest luxury transportation service in the Commonwealth, Reston Limousine is also among the Top 10 largest shuttle bus fleets in the country. The recognition is reflective of Reston Limousine’s “continuous growth, which includes relocation to larger headquarters, an expanded employment base of 300 employees, and its increase in fleet size,” said President and CEO Kristina Bouweiri.

Recent blog posts have covered:
* Wine Enthusiast magazine’s recent listing of Veramar Vineyards’ 2007 Cabernet Franc with “one of the highest scores ever awarded a Virginia wine” — an 87. Here’s the Wine Enthusiast review, dated Nov. 12, 2009:

This seductive Cabernet Franc opens up with aromas of cherry, vanilla and spice leading into layers of blackberry, plum, cinnamon and cedar on the palate. Fruit and spice are balanced here, and medium tannins means the wine can age. Paired with roasted duck or beef, the wine is a sure hit.

Kluge Estate

* Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard sweeping the Inaugural Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, with six awards for its 2004 SP Rose, 2004 SP Blanc de Blanc, 2004 SP Reserve, and 2004 SP Blanc de Noir

Three Fox Vineyards

* Virginia wineries’ awards in the San Francisco Wine Competition, including  Three Fox Vineyards’ 2008 Piemontese Nebbiolo; Veramar Vineyard’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Cabernet Franc; and Kluge Estate’s 2005 Red

Other blogs that offer news and reviews of Northern Virginia wineries:
CellarBlog
My Vine Spot
Virginia Wine Time
Wine Trail Traveler

Enjoy some of these award-winning wines on stress-free public wine tours offered by Reston Limousine every Saturday and Sunday. Please check our online Calendar for a schedule of the upcoming tours.

We understand your time is valuable, and now we’ve made it easy to arrange for multiple reservations nationally and internationally with just one phone call.

No matter what or where your travel needs are, Reston Limousine can handle airport transfers, corporate convention shuttles, wedding limousines and buses, city and countryside tours – if you need wheels, we can provide them.

Call 703.478.0500 or 1.800.546.6141 to reserve now, or reach us by email at rls@restonlimo.com to request more information.