Arguably the greatest vacation we ever took was a Caribbean cruise. What an amazing week. The most beautiful islands, incredible food, so much fun and some good friends too. Not to mention a week alone with my wife. It was fantastic and I'd love to do it every year, but that's just not realistic. We may not be able to take a dream vacation whenever we want, but that doesn't mean we can't take some smaller, and lets be frank, cheaper, getaways. I wanted to share with you some of mine and Jade's favorite short term/weekend getaways that you might like to check out sometime. I'll start with the closest and go to the farthest.
The Stone Fort Inn in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This bed and breakfast is only a two hour drive from Pulaski, but it transports you to a whole other world. Located in downtown Chattanooga, and right between Miller Park, the riverfront, the Warehouse District and the Chattanooga Choo Choo, is this former bank turned hotel. Ironically, it is owned by a ninety year old woman whose grandfather was a dentist in Pulaski long ago. Our favorite room has a king sized antique bed, fireplace, private balcony with a hot tub, a claw foot tub in the bathroom and a French shower. What tops it off is the gourmet breakfast that is hands down the best breakfast I have ever eaten anywhere! The most fun part is it is served by an elderly gentleman named Claiborne who sings the menu to you each morning. We have spent several absolutely refreshing, wonderful weekends here, and go every chance we get.
The Seagrove Motel in Seaside, Florida. This motel is practically a time machine. It is located in the sleepy little town of Seagrove Beach/Seaside, halfway between Panama City and Destin, Florida. You may recognize the name of this town, as it was the town where the movie The Truman Show was filmed. In the movie it was meant to depict a perfect paradise, Norman Rockwell of a town, and it is. The most beautiful houses you can imagine, a picturesque town square, everything you could need within walking distance and all of this right beside the sea. Paradise. The Seagrove Motel is nothing fancy, but it looks like something right out of the 1950's, and I mean that in the nostalgic sense, not the old and outdated sense. There are maybe half a dozen bungalows facing the gulf, sitting atop a grassy bluff, complete with built in grills and hammocks. There is also a villa with an all glass front, that is set apart from the rest of the rooms. There are no condos here, no go cart tracks, miniature golf or night clubs. Just a quiet little village on the ocean. Every time we go I expect to stumble across Ernest Hemingway writing in a seaside cafe.
Place d'Armes in New Orleans, Louisiana. I have saved the best for last. This place is magic. It is in the heart of the French Quarter and surrounded by some amazing and historical places. Place d'Armes was formerly a weapons storage during the Civil War and one of the first public schools in America before that. The building was built in the 1700's and is located directly across the street from the Saint Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. It is one block from Cafe du Monde (beignets and chicory coffee for breakfast every morning). It is on the same street as the Pontalba building, Americas first apartment building. Around the corner is Tujagues, the second oldest continually operational restaurant in America. A hundred feet away is Royal Street with its countless antique shops. There are two dozen other restaurants and interesting places within walking distance, but its the hotel itself that is the true gem. Brick porticoes, archways, wrought iron balconies, flowered inner courtyards with fountains and pools. Seagrove Villa transports you to the 1950's, but Place d'Armes takes you all the way back to the 1700's. This is my favorite place in the world to stay. Next time you need to get away, try one of these three places, just be sure to take me with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment