Spring is the time of year to get outside and see what nature waking up from its winter slumber looks like – outside of the concrete jungles that so many of us live and work in. Here are a few ideas for a bloom-filled afternoon across the country.

Northeast – Stroll down Queen Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake for an inspiring Niagara attraction featuring cascading flower baskets, plantings and potted displays. Then, head up the road to see the floral clock at Queenston Heights and stay for dinner. There are many Niagara restaurants, but Queenston Heights Restaurant is perched atop the escarpment, allowing you to see the floral display and watch the sun fade from the blooming orchard-strewn valley.

Midwest – When it’s still dreary outside, sometimes going inside offers the most stirring example of spring splendor. The Chicago Botanic Garden has the most significant display gardens in the Midwest with 24 display gardens, on nine islands surrounded by lakes.

Southeast – Spring is awe-inspiring at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC where from April to mid-May, the Festival of Flowers offers events featuring their thousands of flowers including tulips, azaleas, hyacinths and other spring flowers. Live music, seminars, special menu items at restaurants and children’s programs round out the festivities. 

Southwest – California’s Mojave Desert has millions of orange poppies from February to mid-May. The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve is over 1,700 wildflower covered acres. The seven miles of trails will be a breeze with the brilliant color motivating your steps.

Now that it’s clear that usernames are like staking your online real estate claim, let’s discuss how to choose a good username for your social media accounts.

First, think about who you are and what you’re wanting to promote about yourself. Your name is the starting point because if you can secure it, it’s definitely worthwhile. But on the major social sites, most name combinations are already reserved so you’ll have to be more creative. You should also identify what your social activity will be driven by – work or personal. Depending on your job, you might consider two personas if your work and social life are not to be interwoven.

Below are some real usernames for various account types which should give you a few ideas to identify your unique username.

·         corporate brand/product – cokezero

·         small business owner – thelasikdoc

·         personal branded blog with a purpose – thepioneerwoman

·         business blog with a purpose – copyblogger

·         hobby-oriented – bitethedust (cyclist)

·         independent promoter – vegasbill

·         personal brand – scobleizer (a nickname: last name with “izer” added)

·         company name, abbreviated – rww (readwriteweb)

·         blog name, reworked – weddingsurvival (for surviveweddingseasons.com)

If you need more ideas, try a username generator. And remember to keep it relatively short! Twitter only allows 140 characters in a post, so it’s wise to choose a name under 15 characters if possible.