Valerie is an incredibly friendly, chatty and helpful host. Even though she was in the process of moving house, she welcomed us like old friends and immediately offered us a cold beer (it was incredibly hot outside). We sat around her kitchen table chatting for hours, and then she drove us around the neighbourhood to find some food. Nothing was too much trouble: she rang Amtrak to try to change our train, and also booked us a cab.
There's no point in writing anything about the house or location as I know she is about to move.