A Night to Remember
To everything there is a season. So it was recorded in the Bible. A few years later in 1959 Pete Seeger wrote the song. The Byrds took it to an international hit in late 1965. This version was renamed “Turn Turn, Turn”. This bit of trivia serves no other purpose than to be a seque to the approaching time of the year. It’s a time to refresh and rediscover. It’s a time of turns and turn arounds. It’s road trip season!
Yes, this is a real season here in the land of rapidly changing weather and impending winter. It begins the day after school starts and extends as long as the weather cooperates. There are more than a few reasons for road tripping at this time of the year. The crowds are gone. Families with strollers and toddlers in tow are home recuperating. The weather is pleasant. The bugs have retired for the season. The highways and backroads are not yet crowded with the rush of snowbirds.
With the time determined, the planning begins. A recent on-line magazine poll asked folks how they plan a road trip. Not too surprising, most sought advice from on-line sites that yield the top ten of everything. While these sites can be helpful, they almost always start and end with the common “must see” attractions. Neither these on-line sites nor the poll respondents mentioned a destination after a day on the road. So, I was just thinking.
Why should the fun end at the end of the day? The place we lay our head at night might well be an extension of our daytime adventure. Face it, traveling the freeway, sleeping at chain motels, and eating at chain restaurants is a little mundane. There are better options. One might consider deciding first where to end the day and build the day’s activities around the lodging. Wouldn’t that be fun? Be assured that for every great place to rest our heads, there are places to see, things to do, and explorations to be had. The following list does not constitute a recommendation. They are merely examples of lodging that are truly memorable.
1. Naniboujou Lodge. Located near Grand Marais, Minnesota, the lodge was built in the 1920. It is a throwback to the grand days of vacationing along the north shore of Lake Superior. The design and craftsmanship of the lodge is stunning. It is truly an extension of the beauty of the north shore. Meals are limited in choice and served at a predetermined hour in a communal dining atmosphere. The food is excellent and served in style. Rooms here are not large. However, booking a lake view room more than compensates for the size. Onsite parking is ample and near to the resort entrance. The grounds are manicured enough to get a good walk in after dinner. There is a game room in the lodge equipped with a piano as well as tables where perpetually unfinished puzzles provide a quiet respite. The rate for a minimum two night stay is $600.00 which includes 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts. The north shore never disappoints. At this time of the year it’s easy to take a relaxing walk on the rock covered shore, visit the many art studios, or climb the 32 step spiral stair to the top of the Split Rock Lighthouse. All are in proximity of the lodge.
2. Irma Hotel. Located way out west in Cody, Wyoming, there is a place that is a throwback to the days of Buffalo Bill, his family and his assorted notorious friends. The Irma Hotel was built by Buffalo Bill in 1902 and named after his youngest daughter. The building is old. Prepare to climb steps to get to a room. Parking is not especially good. However, if Room 12 is available, book it……it is the Buffalo Bill Suite. The suite is reflective of its day, but is very clean and comfortable. It affords the road tripper a nice view of downtown Cody. There is a celebrated gun fight staged by locals on the street in front of the hotel six nights a week; interrupted only by an occasional mule deer strolling around. A hotel restaurant occupies the space where the old bar was located. The menu choices and the food are adequate. However, the restaurant is worth visiting if only to ogle over the Cherry back bar. It was a gift to Buffalo Bill from Queen Victoria. The cost for this ambiance and the room rolls in at about $250.00 per night. A caveat is the hotel’s proximity to the Buffalo Bill Center of the west. It is a complex that includes five museums, all of which are exceptional.
3. The Palmer House. Located in downtown Chicago, the Palmer House itself is a destination. In road trip season, a jaunt to the windy city is palatable; even comfortable compared to the stifling heat of summer. The Palmer House is a grand hotel. Build in 1873; It is one of the older iconic hotels in the country. Here, the guest list includes literary luminaries like Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde. In 1933 the large Empire Dining room was changed to an entertainment center that hosted Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald and others. The ballroom in the hotel can accommodate up to 1700 guests. Still, the best time spent at the Palmer House is just sitting in the magnificent lobby enjoying luxury and ambiance not found in any other hotel in Chicago. The rooms are appointed with equal luxury and are a bargain at $200-$300 per night. The caveat for a road tripper is the parking. The Palmer House has a parking garage just across the street. Valet parking is $78.00 per day----self-park is considerably less. The Palmer House is located in walkable proximity to Millennium Park and the Chicago Art Institute. Before leaving Chicago, consider a cab ride to Gene and Gorgetti restaurant on North Franklin Ave. Make a reservation—the place fills fast as it has since its opening in 1941. Patio seating is available in good weather. However, the inside of the restaurant is a Chicago classic. The food here is consistently good. Expect to pay close to $100 for one of their signature steaks. However, pasta here is as good as it gets anywhere and is priced well. Top it off with a brownie from the Palmer House. Trivia alert….the brownie was invented at the Palmer House!
4. State Parks. How could state parks not be included? They remain the best of the best for road trippers! Lodges, motels and cabins provide an opportunity to end the day close to nature. Some even have restaurants on site. They’re never opulent, but comfortable and situated in the best of the best for outdoor enthusiasts. Hiking, bird watching, and wonderful solitude abound in these parks. Turkey Run State Park in Marshall, Indiana offers great fall color. The lodge boasts a restaurant as well as an indoor pool. Cumberland Falls State Park in Corbin Kentucky is an enjoyable off the beaten path park. It’s one of 3 places in the western hemisphere to see a Moon bow (a rainbow created when full moon is at ideal angle and the sky is clear). The lodge is constructed of huge hemlock beams and knotty pine. Rooms here run about $125.00 per night.
Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Tennessee is only 40 miles from Nashville. But, sleeping here is a world away from the city. The night sky is clear. The rooms are lovely with balconies overlook the lake. Rates here are from $170-$190 per night.
Retro motels on the Route 66 offer a nostalgic reminder of our national love affair with the open road. Sadly, there are less and less to choose from. There are a number of up to date sources for information regarding traveling the Mother Road. These include a listing of motels still in operation. Route 66 was built in 1926. It is one of the original roads in the national highway system and quite possibly a “must drive” for a road trip enthusiast.
Often times a comfortable bed with a chain restaurant next door is adequate at the end of a day on the road. However, an unconventional choice will make it a night to remember! It may be a vintage motel, a converted railway car, a house boat, a barn, or even a light house. Whatever the choice, sleeping on the road can be an extension of the trip; or quite possibly--- the highlight of the trip!
Turn, Turn, Turn. Adventure awaits!