The perfect hotel room:

Is on the ground floor OR not far from the elevator AND has incredible insulation, and reasonably close to the ice machine

(The exception to this rule is when we are in England or Scotland, in some spooky quaint place, then I don't mind a wander.)

Has a room large enough to easily fit two double/queen beds - the second bed is heaven for our stuff all in one place

Has two nightstands with lights or light controls - we both read, I often have to use a chair for my water

A table and TWO chairs and light - hate the tiny desk and one chair when there are two of us

Wifi in the rooms, real porcelain coffee cups and glass drinking glasses.

The bathroom sink in the bathroom. It's nice to access the sink when the bathroom is occupied, but it is a pain to get ready, too

A real bathroom counter and large mirror so we aren't both peering into the same tiny space

A coffee pot is mandatory, microwave and refrig optional. I do NOT do public before coffee.

Alarm, TV and closed caption. Yup, getting old and deaf.

Hair dryer is mandatory (unless I know there isn't one,) extra thick towels are super great.

Good hot shower with plenty of pressure. A bad shower has and will kill a hotel for us.

A thick terry robe is heaven and rare.

Closet and iron, a nice touch is you are even going out to a fancier dinner.

I think this was a trip where we actually ran away. We had Tahoe as a general destination since I had never been there (honestly, never, or at least that I remember) and it was over a hundred degrees at home. I can't think of a better excuse.

We stopped for burgers, a blackberry shake and a sundae at the best hamburger spot in Jamestown. We must have had the "OMG, it's O'Anne & O'Dave" bumper sticker on the car still because my notes indicate we got alot of stares. Or, it could have been that we are a very smoochy couple, which my fifteen year old daughter complains about regularly. I fell asleep after that and woke up in Bear Valley.

We checked into the Star Lake Motel, room #5. This is an OLD place, quaint as all get out, almost individual cabins in a fifties style. We noticed the porch light was upside down, but it seemed to be just right just like it was. The owners were a kick, Margie and Otto, an older couple living behind the lobby and most helpful, supplying us with ice and sharing their personal hair dryer with me.

The evening was spent quietly 'at home' as David's tummy was acting up a bit, but the room was a delight and totally comfy.

Sunday including visiting the casinos where I played Black Jack, watched David play craps without understanding a single thing that was going on. That lasted about an hour, so it off to make fun of things in the local stores, ending up with an Indian embroidered dress for me and the inevitable tee shirt for John, earrings for Jena. We had breakfast in Bountiful (notice we gambled and then ate breakfast? Decadency starts easily, heh?) and got stuck in some pretty hefty trafftic leaving Tahoe. A stop in Jackson resulted in an amber bracelet, a Guerrero mask for David and two more Indian dresses. Somewhere in here we found "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul" and antique rose patterened candleholders for Jena.

It was still over a hundred degrees when we returned to the valley at five in the evening!

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