Historic Beachside Hotel in Florida The Casa Maria was our second stop on our southeastern road trip. Don and I were excited when we pulled up to the Spanish Mediterranean hotel from 1925. The awning and palms, stucco and tile, looked inviting. Little Lobby Once inside, the hotel had a homey feel. There was no grand lobby, just a corner office for checking in. I wonder what the interior looked like in 1925, when Florida was in the height of its land boom and this hotel was bustling. Hall of Photos I could get a little bit of an idea about the hotel's past by studying all the old photos in the halls. Jacksonville Beach must have been quite the place with boardwalk and carnival rides. In Back Just off the lobby there were doors to the patio area. I could see strings of lights and a wooden walkway leading to the beach. Palms and Stucco The courtyard on the ocean side, looked fairly impressive with some outdoor seating. The wind was pretty fierce on that January afternoon, so the buildings did a good job of blocking the wind. To the Beach The afternoon light was glowing on the surf. I took a quick walk out toward the beach. Pool Anyone? I didn't see a pool, but evidently there was one in the past. I liked this old postcard image of the colorful umbrellas. There were probably a few swim caps in that pool. Heading Up Don and I asked for a room with a view, but turned down the $40.00 upgrade. Our check in host said she could give us a partial view, so we headed up the stairs, happy. Corner Room - 208 It's hard to get too much of a view, with a 2-story building, but at least we had more than one window. Corner rooms are always a perk. The side window even had a side view of the beach. However, the aged window screen was so loose and wavy, that I had a hard time seeing the view! Amusing. Curious Set Up The bed with unusual frame, was squeezed in next to one bedside table. There was some extra space outside of the bathroom, with a sink built into a dresser. I liked that. But there was no chair and the TV was on an awkwardly low table, beside a dusty bible. Making Do So we helped ourselves to one of the chairs in the hall and brought it into our room. Then I made a luggage rack out of a wobbly ironing board. The bathroom at least had good light from a window. Exploring The north end of the building showed the entrance to the restaurant. Event Space Once inside, we discovered a nice dining area with wood beams and white tablecloths. Unfortunately, there was no dining for us. The area is now an event space, so just took the stairs on up a few levels, where food was available. The Penthouse Lounge From a distance you can see the covered stairs, leading up to the Penthouse Lounge. The third floor was added in later years and in recent years has become a popular gathering place for locals. Too Cold on Deck! The outdoor deck had a great view of the beach and pier. The photo doesn't reveal how fiercely that wind was whipping. We opted to stay in the indoor bar and enjoyed drinks and appetizers, where we still had a decent view. Tempted by the View I kept looking out at the view and finally could not sit any longer. I just grabbed the camera and headed down the staircase, from the outdoor terrace. Bridge to the Beach I headed down the wooden walkway, away from hotel. Haunted? The further away I got, the more the hotel looked its age. It made me think more about the famous people who stayed in the early years, from Al Capone to Charlie Chaplin. The Colorful Days I wanted to see all the people who romped in the waves over the years... in all the various styles from the modest 1920's to the bikini days. But instead, I saw this lovely old hotel, with the sun sinking behind. Quiet Beach There were no sunbathers on a cold January day, but I did spot some brave souls with surfboards. What a a lovely spot this hotel has held, for over 90 years. Morning In the morning I finished studying the last of the old photos in the hallways. Then, we headed towards the lobby bar, where a complimentary breakfast awaited. Determined to make use of our little beach hotel's location, we moved outside with our coffee and rolls. What's Notable? We enjoyed a night in 23-room Old Florida Hotel, right on the Atlantic. It was not squeezed in between tall resort buildings, but stood alone with all its history. I guess it just amazes me that this sweet hotel has managed to hold onto its spot, without being overly renovated and remodeled. Our room was dated and imperfect, but I was okay with that. I love a hotel that puts a spotlight on its past. CM did that well!
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A Night at the Depot I sort of moaned and chuckled, when I took this photo of the L & N Depot, built in 1912. There was no way to get a picture without that ridiculous wall of windows behind. Don and I have stayed at a few train station hotels. We love the history and we also like the train sounds, that often come with a stay. We decided to go for a night at the Pensacola Grand Hotel, even though we knew we wouldn't be staying in the historic station itself. Grand Hotel We spotted the modern building, as we approached the heart of the old city. The depot was squeezed in, between the towering hotel and a tangle of raised highway. I laughed. Nearly a Century Ago The setting for the station was very different, a century ago. The Louisville & Nashville passenger depot was a hopping place, with a lovely park nearby. The park is gone, but at least the ocean hasn't moved. An Odd Connection When we arrived on a Thursday afternoon, the brick and stucco station looked lovely. The connected hotel (once a Crown Plaza Hotel) looked less charming, but the price was cheaper than the Holiday Inn Express. Approaching We parked on the street for free and headed towards the entrance. I studied the green doors, imagining the people who passed through, until the depot's closing in 1979. Depot Lobby Once inside, I was relieved to see glimpses of the past. I could imagine the old depot. Details The original floors were covered with wood and numerous tile designs. I loved the snowflake design best. I spotted marble baseboards and white marble, framing a sweet pair of stained glass windows. Green! The big focus in the depot lobby was a Chinese jade table and a long, drop cast solid bronze light... about 3 feet in diameter. Neither of these green pieces was original to the depot, but they were old and curious. Stepping into the Future To check in, we had to pass out of the old station and into the modern hotel lobby. I looked back towards the doorway and realized that is where passengers once stepped outside, towards the tracks. The threshold tile was a reminder of the past depot. The antique clock above the doors, was brought in during the renovation years. Room 1115 At check in I asked if we could have a room with a view. The very serious check in woman insisted, "Oh you're going to like your room." I knew from reviews that rooms were dated, so I didn't expect luxury. However the size of the room, plus our view, kept us happy. Highways, RR Tracks and Ocean We didn't fret over the old Mr. Coffee maker and the "vintage" TV. We had a ball with our corner room, which was basically all floor to ceiling windows! I was totally entertained looking towards the ocean. I was like a little kid watching cars and trucks and trains, below. Exploring Old Luckily our 15-story hotel had an elevator, but I loved the stairs in the 2-story station best. I found more marble and dark wood. New Stuff I shouldn't be a hotel snob, but I did sort of roll my eyes when I saw the fountain and library, at the north end of the new building. I love a hotel library, but this one did not lure me to sit a spell. I had no desire to sit on one of those parlor chairs and read any of their encyclopedia sets! Library of Rejected Books? Dine & Drink The Lobby Bar looked curious... ...but it was closed. Restaurant 1912 and Cavu Club It was early when Don and I started thinking about dinner. We had 2 options in the train station. The restaurant looked too quiet and formal, when the doors opened at 5. The bar looked more welcoming. Navy Focus As we entered, the beautiful stained glass over the bar caught my eye. I hate bar TVs, so I was happy to realize the blue and white glow, was really an illuminated Navy symbol of some kind. In corner filled with Navy Aviation photography, a jeweled ceiling dome glowed. Don and I had a nice chat with our very friendly bartender, while we split a mighty good club sandwich. It was a cozy atmosphere, but the antiques weren't original to the station and the Navy focus was more about airplanes than trains. I wanted more train focus! Morning at the Station In the morning I found the Fitness Room, hidden in an upstairs corner of the old station. I walked through the heavy door, with glass transom. I spent a while on a treadmill, while peering out an old window with a marble sill. That pleased me. On my way back to the room, I found a lounge in the station that I hadn't seen before. The walls were covered with black and white photos of Pensacola and the L & N Depot, in past decades. That pleased me more.
What's Notable? Honestly, my expectations had been low. I knew we weren't going to have the "old hotel" experience that we love, while staying at modern hotel with dated decor. But Don and I enjoyed the station and our sprawling room with the views. I finally got to see my vintage train depot photos to help me imagine the past. It was a great stay for $116. The Old Spanish City in Florida We were pretty excited about staying overnight in a city that was established in 1565. Our inn was pretty new compared to that. It was built as a home, in 1914. Finding Our Way In There was a lively crowd drinking on the sidewalk patio and veranda when we arrived. It wasn't too obvious that this was a hotel. Don and I made our way past a few servers, carrying martinis and then found the front door. Once inside, a staircase greeted us. It felt like we'd just intruded into someone's home. We cut to the left and found ourselves in a living room... sort of. Check-In at the Window This must have been a lovely house back in the day. However, I'm pretty sure the original owners wouldn't have had a framed photo of Marilyn Monroe above the fireplace. We headed towards the glowing window, where we checked in and got our key to room 5. I was excited to be in the Main House, since the inn has expanded and spread to some other buildings. Tini Martini Bar We peeked into the Martini Bar, because our night included a 15-dollar voucher for the bar... which gets you about 1 drink. The cozy bar was pretty empty, because everyone wanted to sit outside. If we'd stayed in, we could have viewed the nude woman or the colorful dancing couple. Outside View We chose instead to sit outside. The veranda was the perfect spot to sip our martinis, with a view of the bay. And as evening progressed, we got to gaze over the flaming torches and keep an eye on the boats and the draw bridge. As the sun lowered, the clouds changed to pink and the beautiful homes across the water began to glow. Occasionally, we got to watch a carriage load up with passengers. I wish we'd had time for a carriage tour of the ancient city, still lit with Christmas lights. About Those Martinis Don and I each ordered one martini that came in its own shaker. That's not unusual. There wasn't any unusually fancy, 2-handed shaking by our server, either. What was unusual was that instead of metal lids, the shakers came with rubbery plastic caps, like you'd see on the bottom of your grandpa's cane. Now, I'm sure those things get sanitized well, but the dingy color kind of creeped me out. Glad they took those off the table. People Watching Sitting on the veranda allowed us to watch the bay, street and sidewalk. It was a busy 3-day weekend, so there was lots to watch. Most intriguing of all, was the couple, with three Maltese pups seated below us. I finally got so curious about this traveling family, that I just had to go down and chat. They turned out to be very lovely people from Sarasota and these were rescue dogs, not show dogs. All 5 were kind enough to pose. What About the Room? I'm spending a lot of time talking about the porch and view, but we did have a room. It was in the back part of the building. You had to step out the back door to get to our little porch. Our door had a Christmas wreath a plaque with the name, Gonzalez Sanchez. I wonder if Mr. Sanchez was a very small man? Our Teenie Tiny Room Cozy! That's how I will describe our room. I already had decided I liked the name of the Tini Martini Bar. I didn't realize we were going to be given the teeniest of rooms as well! The bed was teeny, but it was soft and comfy and there was a cleverly built set of teeny lamp holders, since there was no room for bedside tables. Not Complaining We really didn't mind our small room. We had chosen the most economical room we could find and we weren't going to spend much time in it anyway. Clean and Cozy There was a decent bathroom and shower and a nice sitting area, so not complaints. Well, maybe one teeny complaint. Even though I slept well, I suddenly woke around 1:30 am, to the sound of rumbling and breaking glass. Evidently, when the Tini Martini Lounge closes, someone has the job of making a few trips to the dumpster. Those rolling trash cans aren't so bad, but the dumping of bottles is quite a jolt in the night! Lots of Christmas Going On I have to go back once again to my focus on the front. The front of Casablanca was just plain festive. The decorations might have seemed oddly over the top, if the entire city of St. Augustine wasn't lit with twinkly lights in January. I loved it. So Many Lights And look at the tree in the center of the two balconies? I wonder if it would be strange to return to this place in another season. Would the inn look a little sad or ill? Luckily it all seemed fun and festive. Morning It was back to the veranda one more time in the morning, to use our 25-dollar brunch voucher that came with our stay. We had coffee instead of martinis and our table was lit with sunshine instead of Christmas lights. I studied the clipboard with brunch options and chose a delicious Veggie-Benedict with avocado and sunflower seeds. The toasty potatoes were perfectly seasoned. Service was a bit slow, but the food was worth waiting for. What's Notable? We stayed in a lovely old house, right in the midst of a beautiful historic city. I wish the young staff had been able to fill me in on the history of the old house. It would have been fun to have learned some old house/hotel secrets, but I guess that wasn't the notable part of our stay. So what's notable? I might remember the teeny room, but mostly I'll recall the festive front with porches and torches and the incredible view!
Vilano Beach, FL I found this motel on the internet and fell in love with the sign! About That Sign After we arrived, the owner, Earl gave us some history about the motel and sign. The motel opened in 1951, but there was no neon sign with bunnies and top hats. The bunny sign went up in the late 1990's when the motel was used for filming a TV series called, "Safe Harbor". The show was about a family living in a motel, in the fictional town of Magic Beach, Florida. One of the family members happened to be a magician. Gotta Love Flamingos A motel sign with bunnies may be a first for me. But I'm guessing this is not my first stay at a Florida motel with a few flamingos. There were flamingos near the doors and high above the roof, glowing at night. Room 106 I liked having flamingos on both sides of the door, but I also liked all the accent colors. Mint doors, pink-orange triangle shapes, stripes... The chairs didn't quite blend with the color and style, but I'm willing to ignore that. Inside Once inside 106, we found lots more color. The room murals were evidently done many years ago and have been touched up by art students over the years. Luckily I didn't go to sleep thinking about the 2 pirates waving their flag and sword right above my head. Only in the morning did I chuckle at the thought. Magic Window I love it that this art deco beauty of a motel was renovated in recent years, preserving some Fun Florida details. The green and pink tiled bathroom was pretty awesome. There were porcelain soap and toothbrush holders mounted on the tile wall. A china seashell held our soaps. But what was with that Magic Window? It was frosted, so I couldn't see through, to figure it out. At least the frosted glass meant no one could see us... or could they? I kept feeling like that window might have magic powers. Was it like Alice's looking glass or the famous, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall? Earl promised me it was just a window to some room with a furnace or something. Hmmm? The View We had a spiffy table and chair set, beside a big picture window, with a view of the parking lot. But with some positive thinking, I could practically see the ocean... just past that taller building. Art Deco...Nautical...? The lower half of the building was once the motel's restaurant. The owner of the motel in the 1970's added the second floor at his wife's request. A Better View Earl showed us the second floor room, with a shark mural and a balcony. But the view the wife had once requested, was blocked by a newer complex... built by the same husband, trying to please his wife. That just makes no sense. What to do? The weather was chilly and breezy, or we could have lounged beside the almost kidney shaped pool. Wandering the 'Hood Instead, we decided to wander a bit and see what was within walking distance. Heading east from the motel, we found a pavilion and a sandy beach with lots of families. Heading west, we found a pier, which had once been the bridge over the bay. The closing of the bridge is what caused the many of the old motels and motor courts to close down. Evening In truth, we didn't find enough to keep us entertained. We drove over the bay to St. Augustine, which was hopping on Saturday night. When we returned later that night, we found something else hopping! 3 neon bunnies (and one in the hat) were looking mighty festive on our motel sign! What's Notable? We had a stay in a retro Florida motel with a memorable neon sign. The place is family owned and in walking distance of beach and pier. There was even a continental breakfast with "MeTV" showing a "Gilligan's Island" episode as we ate breakfast. Pretty fun stay for less than 100!
Lots of Blue There's a lot of blue sky and blue water in Florida! And they used a lot of blue, when they renovated this 1950's motel in 2009. Front View It doesn't look like the old motor courts and motels I remember from when I lived in Florida as a kid. But this 196-room boutique hotel had a nice mix of styles. Bohemian-Modern Lobby The huge lobby had lots of sitting areas, all very bohemian-modern. Or maybe should say, it seemed a little Sixties-Snobby. That term I just made up from watching Jerry Lewis movies as a kid. All the snooty, sophisticated characters who were mean to Jerry lived in modern penthouses with lots of super mod decor! Furniture Memories I grew up in a house with antiques, so the only modern furniture I owned was the lovely "marble" swivel coffee table, that went into my dollhouse. That "Petite Princess" brand of toy furniture looked a lot like some of the stuff I saw in the lobby... which was luckily pretty empty. It was October and no spring break crowds! Two-Story Motel As we passed through the lobby into the courtyard, I began to see signs of the old motel look. More wonderful blue! We had a first level motel room on the courtyard. Rooms with Patios Closer to the pool, we saw rooms that may have been original from the fifties. They had grassy patios and hammocks. Quiet Pool The patio rooms were just steps from the lovely pool. It was peaceful on that evening in October, but as we wandered through the tidy rows of lounge chairs I was reminded of how un-peaceful it might be with a spring break crowd. Closer to the beach and "shack-bar" there was a handy little platform, holding some sort of creepy mattresses...for lounging, or whatever. I don't think I'd want a poolside room in March or April. Our Groovy Room! I'm pretty sure this is the first surfer-style room I have on my Notable Nights list! One wall was covered with a colorful surfing mural. The green wall figures lured us towards the dandy chair with mod fabric. The window had Venetian blinds and drapes with groovy green fabric. The view looked out on our courtyard, which actually had some lovely trees and landscaping. Pink Tile & Surf Board I love old tile in bathrooms, especially when a soap dish and toothbrush holder are incorporated! Was that color a flesh tone? Pink, I hope. I've never had a surfboard in the room. I have a feeling that was not to be borrowed like a hotel towels. But it was tempting, since I could hear the gulls and surf through open windows! By the Beach This looks like a boarded up shack in the photo, but the PCI Bar, was indeed open. There was a small crowd seated on stools at the bar. We decided to pass on the PCI Bar, in order to catch the sunset. Ahhh! Again, I'm focussing on the peaceful images. My sunset with dunes photo does not reveal the huge beach nearby. There were volley ball nets and sunburned tourists... This is the scene I choose to remember. Night I'm glad we got to see the lush grounds in the day, with the wonderful trees. I love palms, but these giant beasts were so festive, especially at night when the lanterns (hanging from the branches) were glowing! Later that evening, Don and I enjoyed some drinks and appetizers at the restaurant/bar attached to the lobby. It was a treat to enjoy the laid back atmosphere without throbbing music and "kids" who would have called us Gram and Gramps. But I wouldn't mind a glimpse of that scene just for fun. What's Notable? We stayed at a retro, beach motel with a clean & fun facelift. The place is pretty large, so there wasn't a cozy welcome, but that's okay. I'm not itching to revisit, since we may have lucked out. I wouldn't want to return and find the place filled with partiers. But then again, I might have more interesting stories to tell.
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Ninety Notable
Nights My New Year's Resolution for 2014 was to start documenting some of the memorable overnights I've had in some very odd and curious motels and hotels. Like the adventures in my Dining Blog, I have learned to enjoy the surprises that happen when you step out of the comfort zone, far away from the well-known chains. I began with a few entries recalling my very first home away from home memories from my youth. Then, I started sharing about some of the quirky and unforgettable motels, hotels and inns that my husband and I have discovered in recent years. The best part about this challenge was making some lists with Don and getting on the road in search of new overnight adventures. I gave myself a 2-year goal to write up 90 stories and the goal was met. Now we just keep on adding! Archives
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