Bathrooms. I like 'em; it's part of the whole adventure!

Capri

Rome

I've told you before that I love bathrooms. They fascinate me. Beautiful ones with dressing rooms, quirky bathrooms in hotels, dingy bathrooms in dive bars or on the road - they all have character and help provide that little something that contributes to your experience outside of your home. It helps define a place and perhaps - a person.

Where are your favorite bathrooms? One of mine is at Dry Creek Saloon at Mt. Bonnell. The whole place is rickety and of course, perfect for a slasher film where teenagers are hanging out having a good time at night. There's a pool table on the street level. Old windows around the pool table open up to soft air and tree branches, through which you can see a sloped hill that would eventually get you down to Lake Travis. Above the main floor of the bar is the rooftop "patio" with mismatched furniture like old plastic bucket seats for school desks. Back down the wooden stairwell outside and down a few more cement steps that lead from the main floor of the bar and you'll find the bathrooms. I always make whoever I'm with check 'em out as I comment "How awesome is this?!" Not everyone gets why I'm fascinated with the bathrooms, which are more like outhouses. Sometimes I just like old, uncared for stuff. If I go somewhere and wouldn't necessarily want to go back often, still, I can always find something to love just about anywhere I go. And I happen to like the non-chalant vibe of this place. These bathrooms certainly represent the unadorned decor and I don't give a hoot attitude of the owner. Leave it to Mike, though, to get him talking a little bit and maybe even a slight grum"hmph" and a nod for a pseudo-laugh. 

Famous Hotels in Dallas and Sicily

This was our room at The Hotel Adolphus in Dallas. The hotel is a wonderful historic hotel with beautiful antiques in various sitting areas for afternoon tea or just relaxing. The artwork is amazing - women draped in delicate and colorful garments, flanked by tigers, for example.

Don't Touch the Comforter! My love of hotels and motels of all kinds can be traced back to my first experiences in the late 70's.

Vinyl chairs at the Hotel Havana, San Antonio

As far back as I can remember, I've always loved traveling and I've always loved hotels. My earliest memories of traveling are when we lived in Detroit and would take road trips to visit our family in Cleveland. While my sister and I were sleeping my parents would pack us up in the car in the middle of the night and hit the road. My mom said this made things a little easier with toddlers and the quiet of the night. Plus, my mom was a night owl until pretty recently and used to do everything at night - clean, move furniture, go to the grocery store, and whatever else. I was a night owl through college, of course, and for many years afterwards -- and did the same things my mom did, just add alcohol.