American Staycation
I chose not to celebrate or acknowledge July 4th, 2020 and doubt I ever will again. My own independence day in America was spent in what I do hate to confess, within the confines of one of the many capitalist hotel chains in the country. Proud? No. Desperate, yes I was.
Fireworks have never been my thing, the loudness is rude and unbearable, sure the sparks get me the first second and then I’m quite over it once all the popping begins. Now that I have a dog it’s even more reason to despise this wicked noise pollution of a national holiday. Along with my full support of everyone who protested for Black Lives Matter and for the first time learning what Juneteenth was about, I decided that 4th of July offered nothing to celebrate. I can read the room like the best of them.
Weeks before I had researched hotels that would be open and I had a list of requirements:
Cleanliness and on that note, I knew that somehow it would have to be one of the bigger chain hotels, because they can afford around the clock hospitality/cleaning staff. I’m a boutique hotel girl until the day I die, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, I couldn’t take chances.
Away from the city, far from the sound of fireworks.
Dog friendly.
I even went so far as to research reviews on the quality of the hotel robes. If I was going to experience a true hotel staycation, I needed all the way comforts.
I called down to the front desk for a hairdryer and coffee machine that came with the accoutrements of complimentary tea and coffee bags. Pre-quarantine these would be readily available inside the room, but for health safety precautions these were sent up upon request. It took a few minutes to unwrap the cellophanes, but well worth it for my germaphobic sanity.
Pool closed until further notice. Try 2021.
If you are staycationing at a hotel during the quarantine, most do not offer room service. This is for obvious reasons, the less human interaction there is with your food the better. Although I was truly aching to have a quintessential room service breakfast, you know for the ‘gram. They did have the hotel bar and grill restaurant open for pick-up orders. Yet, I wasn’t too anxious to spend $38 on burgers and fries for myself when I instead bought that exact dinner off-site at a nearby establishment (total spent $15). Then I got the 10pm sweet snack attack and made myself go down for a slice of cheesecake with raspberry sauce. The price was okay, the taste was not.
I always travel with my crystals, especially when staying at hotels. No bad energy here. It was also during a Full Moon.
It turned out to be exactly what I needed. A quiet respite away from the insanity of ignorant people not wearing masks, the booming discourse of illegal and legal fireworks. And my dog Leroy was pleased enough. He even got a hamburger patty on this special non-holiday. We both slept like babies.
*Photos by DNAMAG
