Category Archives: Lodging

Roadway Inn and Suites, Spearfish, SD

August 13, 2016 Linda

Roadway Inn and Suites, 2275 E Colorado Blvd, Spearfish, SD 57783

I really liked this hotel. It isn’t super nice, but it is exactly what you need. We stayed here on a trip to everywhere. It was our first stop on a trip out west. If you are looking for a place with a pool and hot tub this one is pretty nice.

The rooms are fairly basic. You get a bed and a seating area. I believe the pillows were a normal size. Something that I never thought would be a concern, but we have all encountered the tiny pillows some hotels have these days.

The coffee in the room is Arabica coffee which is really important. 100% Arabica, I cannot stress how important this is in coffee.

You get a free breakfast. The eating area is extremely small, but you can always take it back to your room. The gravy for the biscuits and gravy was really good. The biscuits were a bit dense, but tasted okay. They also had cereal.

The best part about staying at this hotel was the Perkins across the street. With your hotel key you can get a free desert. Perkins deserts are really good so this was a great perk. I am not sure if they have it all of the time, but if they do it might be the best reason to stay at this hotel.

It isn’t the Four Seasons, but it is clean, up to date, the food is okay, and it is a good area to stay in. If you need a place in Spearfish, SD I suggest this one.

Lodging, Travel

Mountain View Lodge, Hill City, SD

July 24, 2016 Linda

Mountain View Lodge, 12654 US-16, Hill City, SD 57745

The best part about Mountain View Lodge is the view. If you take a moment and look closely you will see what I mean. OK, I will tell you, it is the Dairy Twist across the street. Best food in the area. OK, everything else that you can see is pretty sweet as well.

The lodge offers WiFi which helps when you are trying to plan your trip. Our room came with two beds and a chair. We slept well. I liked the fact that the bed away from the window had shelves on either side for your glasses and phone and such.

The bathroom was nice. the sink was outside which makes two people getting ready in the morning so much easier. The A/C unit was a bit loud, but if that is the worst thing you can find in a place I call it a pretty good place.

Outside there were chairs so that you could sit and take in the view. There were also grills available.

The free breakfast in the morning left a lot to be desired. The had juice and cereal and oatmeal, but I am still not sure how you were supposed to actual make the oatmeal. We ended up going into Hill City and having a really good breakfast at Hill City Cafe.

We stayed here so that we could drive to Custer State Park and walk to lost cabin, but we got lost and ended up closer to Harney Peak than we intended.

Mountain View Lodge really is a pretty great location. You can hit a lot of tourist places from this starting point. The place itself is well maintained.

If you are looking for a place to stay in the black hills area I would highly suggest Mountain View Lodge and Cabins. Particularly if it is close to anything you plan on specifically doing while in the black hills. It is close to Mount Rushmore. You could go check out Jewel Cave. There are just so many great things to do in the area. They are all a little drive, but not too far.

Book a room. You will not be disappointed unless you expect a good breakfast.

Lodging, Parks, Sights, Travel

Wild River State Park, Center City, MN

July 24, 2016 Linda

Wild River State Park, 39797 Park Trail, Center City, MN 55012

We decided to go camping, spur of the moment, and this is the park that had an opening. It was the 3rd of July, the day was clear, and we were off on an adventure.

We packed our camping gear and headed northeast. The park is right along the St. Croix River. Do not use the GSP system to find the entrance. It will lead you astray.

As we checked in we were told that there had been black bears seen in the park and that we would need to hang our food from a tree. They gave us a safety sheet and sold us a rope. Now if you are out camping and they tell you there are bears, black bears are the ones you want. They generally avoid people, they scare easily, and they are not going to hunt you. They will steal your food if they can. We were armed with our information, our rope, and a can of bear spray.

We were told that we could pick up dead wood and us it for our camp fire. We had a hand saw with us to cut up the wood which was super convenient. I was glad that there was plenty of dead wood in the area because we had the last campsite on the trail. This was a hiking campsite which all of the ones along the military trail were.

We parked as close as we could. The road leads right up to the river with a perfect place to launch a boat into the St. Croix. The trail was an old military road so it is nice and wide. We marched our two full backpacks and the tent all the way to the end of the trail. The trail itself seemed perfect for horses. In fact everything about this park seemed ideal for horses.

There are stables right next to the entrance of the park for the avid rider who wants their horse close to a great riding trail. There are horse camp sites. Most have electricity. Overall this place has a ton of campsites and most of them you can drive to and car camp. There are even six cabins. Some have electricity and some do not.

Even with all of the stuff that we brought the hike down to our campsite wasn’t terrible. There was a picnic table at the perfect spot so that we could rest a moment before finishing the hike. I didn’t get a lot of pictures along the way, but the campsite was amazing.

We were right on the St. Croix River. You could watch boats travelling up and down the river. The boaters were so joyous with the 4th being the next day. There was a little tree that provided us some welcome shade.

The campsite had a fire pit with a grate for cooking. There was a picnic table and a couple of spots to choose from for the tent. We picked the spot under the tree. The tent went up and then we were off to find firewood.

There were dead trees all over so picking out a few to drag back to the campsite was easy. I cut up the firewood with my handsaw. Some of the wood burned extremely fast.

The bathroom, the vault toilet, was just a little further down the path and had a privacy wall. Don’t forget the bear spray and toilet paper because you might need them.

We made mac chili in a bag which was pretty good. We brought snacks, but we only ate the cashew nuts for fear of drawing in the bears with our jerky. All of the trash went into a plastic bag and that went into my sleeping bag carrying pouch along with the other food we brought so that we could hang it all from a tree.

We setup some music and enjoyed the view of the river and the fire and as it got dark the stars. You never get to see the stars in the city. We could hear fireworks going off all around us, but none of them were visible to us. Instead we were treated to a show from the fireflies in the area.

As we finally settled in for the night all we could think about were the bears. This was my second camping trip as an adult and lets just say I have yet to have a great night in a tent, ever. Every rustle outside sounded like it could be the bear coming to get us. Something kept eating grass really close to our tent and it was so loud. All of the noises were probably squirrels, rabbits, or something else completely harmless, but we didn’t sleep and couldn’t just pack up and go home.

We got up the next day, completely fine. Our food bag was still in the tree where we left it. Nothing came into our tent and ate us. I still have no idea what was eating grass near us. We packed everything up and hiked back to our car so that we could go home and sleep.

If we could have slept instead of being paranoid and feeding off of each others paranoia I think the whole trip would have been great. I loved the campsite. The trail would have been better suited for a horse. I have no idea how the rest of the trails are, but from what I saw I would only want to enjoy this one on horseback.

I wouldn’t necessary be opposed to camping here again, but then again I do not like worrying about bears. I loved that the site was far from the next campsite. We couldn’t even hear them. I assume the bears have been seen near the other sites where more people would be cooking and possibly dropping food. If I could have slept the camping experience would have been great.

If you do not fear black bears I highly recommend camping here. If you have a horse I highly recommend riding through this park. If you are looking for a good hike, go somewhere else.

Lodging, Travel

Microtel, Rochester, MN

July 23, 2016 Linda

Microtel, 4210 Highway 52 North, Rochester, MN 55901

This was my first stay at a Microtel. This particular location seemed fairly new. The rates are good and you get just what you need.

A micro room has exactly enough for up to two people in it. It reminds me of a tiny house in the way everything is perfectly placed and how well space is utilized. The first thing you will notice is how small the room is. The bathroom is immediately inside just off to the side. It comes with all of the standard items.

There is only one bed, a seating area in the window and a small desk area in front of the bed. It is spaced just right so that you can move around, but there isn’t a lot of room to spread out.

I liked the pillows. They were not stupid small like some chains give you. The television was up in the corner just above the closet. There was even a fridge under the desk. It really did have everything that you would need.

If I was travelling alone or a business person this place would be perfect and possibly my first choice, always. With two of us it worked pretty well.

The breakfast. You get a free breakfast and they had waffles. Yum, I was so full. It was one of the best breakfasts that I have had at a hotel in a really long time.

Try it.

Lodging, Restaurant, Travel

Little America, Little America, WY

July 2, 2016 Linda

Little America, I-80, Little America, WY 82929

The greatest place on Earth, or in America, or maybe I was really tired at this point in the drive. We were driving to SLC from Cody, WY and along I-80 we kept seeing these signs for Little America. The big draw was the really cheap cones for the family traveler and everything you could possibly want for the truck driver. We pulled off to get out of the road construction and because the signs really made it seem like Little America was a magical place.

The “town” Little America seems to consist of a hotel, a gas station, and fuel center with a repair shop. It was clearly built with a comprehension idea in mind. If you are in a car you go left. If you are in a truck you go right.

We went inside to eat at the restaurant/convenience store. They have burgers and fries and corn dogs and of course cones. They cook the burgers all of the way through. I didn’t think the food was the best, but it was okay. I heard the corn dog was good. Everyone who stopped in to get a cone looked overjoyed.

The rest of the convenience store is amazing. There are souvenirs like shirts and hats. There are things like pickled quail eggs. It really did seem like a magical place.

The bathrooms where incredible. I literally almost walked back out to make sure I was still in a convenience store. You walk in and there is an upscale sitting area where you can wait for whoever else went in with you. Each stall is its own little room. Everything about it was really nice.

There are hotels that you can stay in at Little America. You get a discount if you eat at the convenience store and get a room. It is really a travel paradise, not a destination, but a great place to stay or stop along the way.

The entire design was beautiful.

Lodging, Travel

Fairfield Inn & Suites, Salt Lake City South, UT

July 2, 2016 Linda

Fairfield Inn & Suites, 594 W 4500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84123

If you are looking for a place to stay in Salt Lake City the Fairfield Inn & Suites is neither the best or the worst place to stay. This particular location is a little sketchy. Not sure if that translates to bad. No one should really be walking around the area unless they are intending to go to the hotel which may actually be a good thing. it is really close to 80 so it is easy to get wherever it is that you are going.

If I was coming to the area to shop I would choose a better location closer to the shopping areas and food. If I was a business person who didn’t really care and just wanted a good room I would choose this hotel although there are ones closer to the airport.

The rooms are nice, but the walls are thin. I could hear the woman next to us talking on a phone. She may have been a particularly loud individual, but it worries you when you are hoping to get a good night sleep.

I liked the bed and the sheets. I didn’t have any issues sleeping here. The bathrooms were very nice, really top of the line. Everything seemed pretty new.

The lobby has a little store with expensive food if you get a craving. It is convenient and that makes up for the prices.

In the morning they give you the standard breakfast that you get everywhere these days. I honestly am not sure if it was good or not. It wasn’t bad. The juice was good. I really liked the eating area. It was large and everything was really nice. It felt like it was designed for businessmen in mind. Overall I would say better than the average for what it was.

If you are on a business trip I would say yes stay here. If you are on vacation there are much better choices in the area.

The view from our room was nice, even on the first floor.

Lodging, Travel

Holiday Inn Express, Wisconsin Dells, WI

July 2, 2016 Linda

Holiday Inn Express, 1033 Wisconsin Dells Parkway South, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53913

As far as middle of the road hotels go Holiday Inn Express is fairly nice. If you have children this one would be the place to be. I even overheard a small child tell his mother that he didn’t want to leave while I was there.

My favorite part about the bed was that the pillows weren’t those stupid tiny pillows a lot of the hotels have gone towards. They were normal and plenty of them. The bathroom was fine. The sink was outside which is nice with two people or more in the room.

The room comes with all the standard things that you will need or want. You can make coffee, and yes that is a keurig machine. There is a microwave, a fridge, and a television.

There are two pool areas for the children and a game room. The inside one has a castle. The outdoor one wasn’t available at the time of year that we were there, but it looked amazing.

As a child I am not sure I would need anything else, but then outside of your hotel are lots of great places to go see too. The food in the area is amazing with Monk’s Bar and Grill just down the street and Macs in the downtown area. Plus water slides and all sorts of places to visit including Devil’s Lake just a short drive away with its trails and picnic areas.

They serve you breakfast at the hotel with the standard mass produced junk that you get at all hotels these days. They do a good job of making it and they make a ton of it, but it is Sysco and don’t think otherwise. The dinning hall was chaos and it wasn’t even peak season when we were there.

Overall I slept well in this hotel and that is the most important thing. If you need a place to stay in the Dells I would recommend this one.

Lodging, Parks, Travel

William O’Brien State Park, St. Croix, MN – Camping

May 3, 2016 Linda 1 Comment

William O’Brien State Park, 16821 O’Brien Trail N, Marine on St Croix, MN 55047

The last day of April 2016, the weather looks as if it might rain, but it doesn’t smell like it. We head out with a car load of stuff for our car camping trip.

Driving into the park we sign in and get our site tag. We made reservations online. The process is simple. We drive past all of the cabins and campsites with electricity until we find our simple sight. This particular park has bathrooms everywhere so just pick a site where you like.

We setup our tent and head out for a nice walk. A trail starts a little ways up the road, or if you keep going down the road you will meet the trail. The main trail is a large loop with a few offshoot loops.

The camp site has a spot for your car, a place for your tent, a picnic table, and a fire pit. You can purchase wood at the entrance. Bring something to light it and some skills to get it going.

When you return from your walk have fun around the campfire. Use the grate to cook yourself a meal. Make yourself some marshmallows. Enjoy the evening.

Our trip was a bit cold. Make sure you bring a good enough sleeping bag or extra sheets. The nice part about car camping is that you can drive in plenty of supplies. Take advantage of it.

The site was nice. The trails were convenient, yet far enough away that people do not randomly walk through your site. There is some group camping closer to the middle of the park.

Lodging

Jailhouse Inn, Preston, MN

April 27, 2016 Linda

Jailhouse Inn, 109 Houston St NW, Preston, MN 55965

Spending the night in jail is not necessarily the worst thing that could happen to you. Well, as long as your stay is in Preston at the Jailhouse Inn.

The inn is an old court house with actual jail cells that were converted into a single room. The old courtroom is another room. You can stay in the old living quarters of the sheriff. Some rooms are a bit more special than others and harder to rent.

We stayed in the Sun Room. I had plenty of windows. Some of the rooms on the second floor have access to a balcony that you can sit on and rock away.

You can check in between 3-6. There are a lot of great bike paths around this area. You can also go hiking or fishing or golfing or check out the Amish community. Trout seems to be the fish off choice in the area.

We went hiking in Forestville State Park. It isn’t for the easing going hiker. You can go a short while on an easy path, but most of the paths seem to be horse trails and they go up and down the hillside.

In another part of the park you can see Mystery Cave. If you are lucky you might even see a few bats. The bats are very small. The cave is a constant 48 degrees so bring a jacket.

At the end of the stay or each morning you will receive a wonderful breakfast. The eating area is downstairs. There are plenty of tables for you and your friends. They serve fresh fruit and a platter with hot food. We ended up getting an cheesy omelet and herb potatoes and ham. It was delicious and very pretty.

Lodging, Travel

Afton State Park Lodging

November 14, 2015 Linda 1 Comment

Afton State Park – a great place to stay if you like camping, cabins, or yurts – website and information

If you are looking for an outdoor adventure Afton State Park has something to offer you. Sometimes you want to take advantage of both the trails and just sitting around with friends. That is where staying at a campsite or renting a cabin or yurt comes into play.

Afton State park has both individual campsites for yourself or you and a friend and group sites in case you want to bring the whole family or multiple friends. Each site is out of the way enough that you don’t feel like someone else will stumble into it (I only stumbled into a group campsite once I swear). Most of the individual campsites are up the hill where a lot of the 200 yarders dare not tread. They are out of the way yet close to the main section of Afton alps.

The cabins are all along the same little road and located a bit further south. Only other cabin renters and yurt renters should venture into the area. You get a parking spot or two right by the cabin so if you do not want to walk too far you can always drive from the cabin to the main area.

There are a couple of yurts just past the cabins. They are setback and you will need to walk a short distance from your vehicle, but there is a little red wagon (ok it’s black) at the yurt for you to use.
What is a yurt you ask? A yurt is a round building made of wood and covered in a canvas. At the top there is a skylight which allows a ton of light into the yurt during the day. When the sun is out there is no place to hide; I mean it allows a ton of natural light into the room brightening up your day.
There is also a wood stove in the yurt to keep you warm, but you will need to add fire to it often as it is small. Something to keep in mind if renting in the winter.

The yurts can hold a ton of people. They come with 2 bunk beds and a futon bed. There is even a kitchen table in the middle. Bring your own bedding and pillow.

You can have a campfire. Make sure you put it out completely before you leave. Minnesota has some strange rule against alcohol in parks. If you plan on drinking understand you cannot be rowdy, you cannot be obvious, and you may need to hide it and act sober like a teenager at a kegger. The bathrooms are outhouses, but they are clean. There are also places to get drinking water from a spigot. What they do not have are showers. I considered sitting under the spigot, but decided against it. The best part about staying at Afton State Park is being able to get up and go straight out for a nice long hike.

If you are looking for a place to setup camp and sleep close to nature I would highly suggest Afton State Park. More for the close assess to great hiking trails than anything else, but also because the accommodations are well maintained.

Dilettante Requiem of Chaos

Category Archives: Lodging

Roadway Inn and Suites, Spearfish, SD

Wild River State Park, Center City, MN

Microtel, Rochester, MN

Little America, Little America, WY

Fairfield Inn & Suites, Salt Lake City South, UT

Holiday Inn Express, Wisconsin Dells, WI

William O’Brien State Park, St. Croix, MN – Camping

Jailhouse Inn, Preston, MN

Afton State Park Lodging

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