Once in a while, we need to leave the comforts of home, including our favorite coffee mugs. Becoming restless, even Oliver and Tanner dream about time away at puppy camp. As honeymooners, we’ve discovered that, sometimes, life needs a reset. That can be found after a short drive west, away from wide open skies, towards the neon lights of the Biggest Little City to the West.
City life never disappoints. Driving right past the main part of our destination city is a place that offers an inviting stay while still humming with energy. You can choose to scurry about or do absolutely nothing at all, both good options.
Our favorite resort can only be described as a little city within the biggest little city in the west. Park the car and put away the keys because everything needed is right there. Restaurants don’t require reservations weeks in advance. Long, quiet hallways lead to rooms so comfortable they practically insist on an afternoon nap. Here, someone else makes the bed, provides the extra-fluffy towels, and brings room service.
Stay-cation days start slowly, with coffee cups that remain filled to the brim. Made-to-order breakfast magically appears as we sit and enjoy our meals a little longer than normal.
The best thing about this resort is that something is always going on. Travelers come and go for those who enjoy top-tier people-watching. Who knows? A random service horse and their owner may walk by.
The resort is divided into two sections. One is exactly like any other mega-casino you might visit. Aisle after aisle of slot machines and card tables, all designed to make the gambler feel as if winning is a given. It’s very wise to remember that the only giving to be done is from the gambler to the house.
The other side of the resort is tranquil and inviting. Surrounded by rows of empty lounge chairs, winter is a time when the fog-generating hot tubs are often empty. Above the pool area, the spa awaits to cocoon one in steamy bliss. Time stretches into hours of relaxation, always restorative, even if you’re only escaping retirement.
HHH and I always find peace for a few days away from our two crazy canines. Sleep is deeper, and mornings blissfully uninterrupted. There’s a lightness that comes from knowing the fur-babies are fine at puppy camp while we’re temporarily off duty.
Leaving home on a Stay-cation at our “Home-Away-From-Home” reconnects us with who we are when not gardening. The best little resort in the Biggest Little City of the West gives us space to breathe. And sometimes, that’s the very best kind of comfort there is.
More tomorrow.