#5- Tallahasse's Holiday Inn!

1/31/2014

A Very Grand Holiday Inn

This is my last nostalgic entry, before the blog switches focus to the quirky places Don and I have discovered recently! This hotel memory is a silly one, from my teen years.

The memory is from 1970, when a brand new Holiday Inn opened on Tennessee Street in Tallahassee. My friend Ginnie and I were in 8th grade. A time when most girls were focusing on boys, makeup and popularity. Ginnie and I were focussed on a spiffy 12-story hotel.

Ginnie & Me

Ginnie and I knew the first thing we had to do was to convince our parents (and the hotel manager) that two 13-year-old girls should be allowed to rent a hotel room... for the fun of it.

The fact that our parents said yes, tells a lot about how tame (or nerdy) we were

The Big Night

On a sunny Saturday, Ginnie and I checked into our 11th floor room and unloaded our bags filled with snacks, teen magazines, games, candy and cigarettes for photo ops. Ginnie had a Poloroid. We also packed some formalwear for our buffet dinner in the rooftop lounge. I posed with a glass of milk in front of the dazzling drapes.

The drapes didn't stay closed long. And lucky for us the windows opened up, so we could spend a lot of time waving and yoohoo-ing to the people on the sidewalk far below.

At one point, a group of "boys" passed below and hollered up. They said they had our room number, which meant Ginnie and I freaked and moved our supply of entertainment into the bathroom where we stayed put, until the knocking stopped.

Morning Entertainment

The next morning we ordered room service for breakfast and perfected a few gymnastic stunts using the two double beds as trampolines. Ginnie found the bible in the drawer and made me pose studiously.I

In the elevator heading down to check out, we did one more "jump test" to see if we could detect the floor "falling".

The fine postcard above,(with an X on our window) has not been tossed after all these years. I love the goofy image with palm trees and mountains. I Googled recently and see the property is now owned by Sheraton and doesn't look too bad. I might have to return to try out my trampoline skills as an adult!

3 Comments

Jennifer

1/31/2014 11:49:21 pm

I never heard the bit about the boys before. You must have kept it hush-hush for years. Love the postcard!

Adam Levin link

3/31/2026 08:37:02 am

This is such a fun and wonderfully nostalgic story—it captures that carefree, slightly mischievous teenage energy so perfectly.

There’s something so charming about what felt “exciting” back then… not parties or drama, but a brand new hotel and the idea of having your *own room* for a night. Honestly, that kind of innocence makes the whole memory even better.

The little details really make it come alive—the Polaroid photos, dressing up for dinner, waving out the window like you owned the place. And then of course… the sudden panic when those boys showed up 😂 straight from confidence to “hide in the bathroom immediately!”

And the next morning? Room service and bed-jumping gymnastics—absolute perfection.

It’s also sweet that you still have the postcard all these years later. Those small keepsakes end up holding entire stories inside them.

Part of me hopes you *do* go back someday… though maybe skip the elevator jump test this time 😄

Jessica link

3/31/2026 08:37:28 am

There’s something really special about the way certain memories stick—not because they were life-changing, but because they were *perfectly yours*.

What stands out here isn’t just the hotel—it’s the sense of independence, even if it was just for one night. Being 13, having your own space, making your own fun… that’s a kind of freedom that feels huge at that age.

It’s also funny how what felt glamorous then—buffet dinners, posing with drinks, dressing up—takes on a whole new kind of charm looking back. Not silly at all, just pure imagination and joy.

And that moment of panic? Almost like a tiny coming-of-age scene tucked into the night—realizing the world outside your little adventure bubble isn’t entirely under your control.

These kinds of memories don’t fade because they’re tied to a feeling: excitement, curiosity, a bit of bravery.

Honestly, it doesn’t sound goofy—it sounds like the beginning of a lifelong love for exploring places in your own unique way.

#5- Tallahasse's Holiday Inn!

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