I started out camping solo and I'm solo again since my romance ended recently. But not my trips to Toledo's historic Lorraine hotel. Just spent a night there hoping to work on a companion workbook for my new book, Million $ Lemonade Stand.
I finished the table of contents.
But it wasn't a wasted trip once I got over the shock of being in the room where my ex and I spent our first night together.
Once I was over that I ordered some Chinese food, ate, relaxed and enjoyed my brief stay. I do want to give anyone planning to stay at the Lorraine list of things you'll need.
Lorraine Camping List
1. Towels, if you like thick ones. Theirs are thin.
2. A stopper if you like to take baths and you'll want to in the roomy tubs there.
3. A TV tray table to use as a table or nightstand.
4. A fan if it's hot, an electric heater if it's cold.
5. A portable DVD player and movies. The TVs usually only get 2/3 channels.
6. Soap, bath salts, etc. to have a spa experience.
7. A lamp. There aren't any and the overhead light can be harsh.
8. Hangers for your clothes.
9. A bath mat and a slip resistant mat for the tub. It'll be a little slippery.
My CHOICE Campsite
Where it all got started!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Historic hotel worn with use now my new urban campsite
Despite my efforts to connect with Choice Hotels, contacting privately owned Comfort Inns and offering to hold my first Urban Campout at any hotel interested, I've concluded that I'm not going to get the company or any of its affiliates interested.
So, with that in mind and also due to economic considerations, I've chosen a historic hotel in downtown Toledo as my new urban campsite.
Often labeled as seedy, The Lorraine Hotel is actually a clean, quaint place that had its heyday back in the 1920s-1930s. Signs of its former glory still exist.
Evidence of The Lorraine's former elegance are evident in some of its fixtures, the tile on the floors of bathrooms, and old-fashioned bathtubs with the feet removed.
The Lorraine, despite its reputation, most likely to the clientele who are usually poor folks who can't afford the priceier hotels, is quite clean. It lacks frills, however.
You won't see paintings on the walls or little bottles of shampoo and lotion. There's a TV in every room, but no cable and probably no remote. But the linen is clean.
You do have to ask for an extra towel, but check in early - you can at The Lorrain - and a pleasant young man with mad customer service skills will give you one if you need it.
These days with a new love in my life, my urban camping trips are no longer solo.
My beau suggested The Lorrain for our first rendezvous and, I admit, I was apprehensive.
All my apprehensions were put to rest as was my tired body in the simple but
comfortable room like one you'd find in an old hotel in New York or Europe.
My guy and I go urban camping to get away from our individual domiciles and
daily routines. It's the perfect place with the perfect price for our lifestyle and
budget.
How much do we pay for our bare-bones urban camping experience in one of our
city's best kept secrets? Only $38 a night plus a $5 key deposit. Just $43 total!
Checkout time is at noon and once the heat is shut off at the end of the cold season, you'll have to ask for a blanket if you're there on an unseasonably chilly night.
If you're like me, you won't mind giving up amenities like toiletries, cable, and a
breakfast buffet for an affordable price. Hard times call for austerity.
The Lorraine Hotel offers more than amenities. There you get a clean place to
spend the night and have enough money left to buy your own toiletries and
breakfast.
You can also buy lunch and dinner with the money you save at The Lorraine.
Besides, if you go there with someone, you're not going to be watching much TV anyway.
So who needs cable? If you do go to The Lorraine alone to get a project done or
just relax, it's only $33 a night. Of course there's no wifi in this old hotel from
another era.
Even when my income increases, which it will, in the near future, I'll still go to The
Lorraine for a relaxing, initimate time with my sweetheart. We'll just stay longer!
So, with that in mind and also due to economic considerations, I've chosen a historic hotel in downtown Toledo as my new urban campsite.
Often labeled as seedy, The Lorraine Hotel is actually a clean, quaint place that had its heyday back in the 1920s-1930s. Signs of its former glory still exist.
Evidence of The Lorraine's former elegance are evident in some of its fixtures, the tile on the floors of bathrooms, and old-fashioned bathtubs with the feet removed.
The Lorraine, despite its reputation, most likely to the clientele who are usually poor folks who can't afford the priceier hotels, is quite clean. It lacks frills, however.
You won't see paintings on the walls or little bottles of shampoo and lotion. There's a TV in every room, but no cable and probably no remote. But the linen is clean.
You do have to ask for an extra towel, but check in early - you can at The Lorrain - and a pleasant young man with mad customer service skills will give you one if you need it.
These days with a new love in my life, my urban camping trips are no longer solo.
My beau suggested The Lorrain for our first rendezvous and, I admit, I was apprehensive.
All my apprehensions were put to rest as was my tired body in the simple but
comfortable room like one you'd find in an old hotel in New York or Europe.
My guy and I go urban camping to get away from our individual domiciles and
daily routines. It's the perfect place with the perfect price for our lifestyle and
budget.
How much do we pay for our bare-bones urban camping experience in one of our
city's best kept secrets? Only $38 a night plus a $5 key deposit. Just $43 total!
Checkout time is at noon and once the heat is shut off at the end of the cold season, you'll have to ask for a blanket if you're there on an unseasonably chilly night.
If you're like me, you won't mind giving up amenities like toiletries, cable, and a
breakfast buffet for an affordable price. Hard times call for austerity.
The Lorraine Hotel offers more than amenities. There you get a clean place to
spend the night and have enough money left to buy your own toiletries and
breakfast.
You can also buy lunch and dinner with the money you save at The Lorraine.
Besides, if you go there with someone, you're not going to be watching much TV anyway.
So who needs cable? If you do go to The Lorraine alone to get a project done or
just relax, it's only $33 a night. Of course there's no wifi in this old hotel from
another era.
Even when my income increases, which it will, in the near future, I'll still go to The
Lorraine for a relaxing, initimate time with my sweetheart. We'll just stay longer!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Urban camping for two
My new love called me up shortly after met and had the requisite two dates to ask "How'd you like to do some budget urban camping?" Having learned of my "urban camping" concept during one the numerous phone conversations we had after meeting on dating site Plenty of Fish. Limited funds during the current recession wouldn't permit a night at my favorite campsite which I haven't visited in months for the same reason. So we chose a low-cost alernative for our first encounter.
Urban camping for two is a great time to make a choice. Chances are you're not going to be watching TV, so it doesn't matter if you have HBO or even cable, for that matter. We didn't. Just four local channels we barely watched except to see the news.
Amenities like wifi, breakfast buffets don't matter either if you're spending a your time in bed. We had a nice clean room in a vintage, downtown hotel with old fashioned bath features including a "de-clawed" claw foot tub.
We were just there one night, but are planning a return trip to commemorate our first night together by re-creating that initial encounter, complete with having the same Chinese food delivered on our first urban camping for two visit.
Urban camping for two is a great time to make a choice. Chances are you're not going to be watching TV, so it doesn't matter if you have HBO or even cable, for that matter. We didn't. Just four local channels we barely watched except to see the news.
Amenities like wifi, breakfast buffets don't matter either if you're spending a your time in bed. We had a nice clean room in a vintage, downtown hotel with old fashioned bath features including a "de-clawed" claw foot tub.
We were just there one night, but are planning a return trip to commemorate our first night together by re-creating that initial encounter, complete with having the same Chinese food delivered on our first urban camping for two visit.
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