An unfortunate side effect of travel, jet lag can easily suck the fun out of the first few days in a new time zone. Whether you're planning on traveling to a new city for business or pleasure, these three tips will help expedite your acclimation.

1. Ease your body into the time zone of the city you'll be visiting.
Take a week or so before your departure to incrementally shift your sleep schedule so that upon arriving in your destination, your circadian rhythm is already in sync. Go to bed earlier for an eastward trip, later for a westward trip. If you'll be traversing multiple time zones, you may want to consider breaking up your travel into smaller flights.

2. Get outdoors.
Staying inside only worsens jet lag. Being exposed to sunlight will help stimulate a correction of your biological clock. Try taking a short walk to clear your head.

3. Stay hydrated.
Once you're in the air, drink eight ounces of water per hour. This will help curtail the dehydrating effects of cabin air. You may be tempted to reach for a cocktail, but be forewarned that alcohol worses jet lag. Avoid caffeine, as well, as it acts as a stimulant and may prevent restful sleep.

Jet Lag [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
Jet Lag and Sleep [National Sleep Foundation]
Avoid Jet Lag with our Top 10 Tips [Fodors]

Located on busy Westheimer Road is Empire Cafe, a romantic little spot to grab your morning coffee or brunch with a couple of your best friends. The decor is distinctly European, while the friendly, laid-back service leaves you feeling right at home.

Pick from coffee served with a variety of syrups (or perhaps a splash of Bailey's Irish Cream and Kahlua), or select from teas like blackberry sage and cinnamon plum. The breakfast menu boasts a number of delicious egg dishes, while lunch offers eggplant parmigiana, goat cheese and mushroom ravioli, and a delicious variety of pizzas big enough to share with a friend or take home for later.

The patio at Empire Cafe is a must when the weather is nice and makes a great spot for people watching. Empire Cafe is open Sundays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Empire Cafe
1732 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 528-5282
http://empirecafe.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/empire-cafe-houston

Public Domain/Public Domain

Ever wonder where that rumpled, wrinkly dollar bill in your wallet has been? Chances are, the bill has done its fair share of traveling all across the U.S.

Curious about his bills' journeys, former tech consultant Hank Eskin launched a currency tracking project, Where's George?, in 1998, which quickly became a sensation among hobbyists. The premise behind the website is simple: Users input the serial number of a dollar bill into the website, which will email them if the same serial number is inputted again by another user. Then, the original user can log on to see how far their bill has traveled. (Typically, a user will mark the bill in some way to denote that the bill is part of the Where's George program.)

A visit to the Where's George summary page reveals the site's current statistics, from the number of bills entered to the number of bills that have made an appearance within the tracking program more than once.

If you'd like to follow the journey of your dollar bills, visit the website to start tracking. It's free and easy to use.

Where's George [Official Site]
Where's George?: The Trail Of $1 Bills Across The U.S. [NPR]

Public Domain/Public Domain