![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Rob and I were looking forward to some down time. We got the idea when O’ Brother was still in production, and we were both very much needing a shining beacon on the horizon to anticipate with excitement. So the plan was hatched that we were going to get a dog friendly hotel away from here, but not too far away, and just have a weekend of rest and relaxation. A whole weekend to do nothing but lie in a comfortable bed and swim in a pool.
At the time, our mattress at home was 15 years old and not really conducive to a good nights sleep. It was on our bucket list of things to do after paying off our credit cards to get a new one, but we just never got around to it. So over the years the thought of staying in a hotel room was always associated with getting a good nights sleep on a comfortable mattress.
Anyhoo, after a couple of failed attempts at securing a hotel on a free weekend(don’t try to book Santa Cruz on the weekend of spring break…it will not be cheap!) we finally settled on Watsonville for this weekend. While it’s not a destination city, Rob had a co-worker that was racing a car at the Ocean Speedway(formally Watsonville Speedway) last night so it seemed perfect. Grab the dogs, leave after work, get a hotel, and go see the races and then have a weekend of relaxation on a nice comfy bed.
Well, since we booked the room we finally bit the bullet and bought a new mattress last weekend. And let me tell you, that new mattress is a little slice of heaven. My back is no longer a mass of kinks and knots when I get out of bed in the morning. I have been loving going to bed every night this week.
Another key factor in this story is that we have never taken Shilo to a hotel. Romie and Pappy were both seasoned vets when it came to hotel living, but Shilo had never seen the inside of hotel room.
Having said all that we were still looking forward to getting away.
Friday turned out to be a crummy work day for both of us, so we were both already kind of walking on eggshells around each other when we got in the car to take off for Watsonville. I don’t know how to explain it other than there was just a bad overall vibe when we started out.
When we got to the hotel, we found a bunch of people just hanging out in the parking lot. I thought that was rather random and a bit worrisome, as well. There were like ten people just leaning on cars and chatting. Was this hotel a hang out for locals to get together on Friday nights? WTF?
We checked in and they did not have us booked as a pet room and that only added to my agitation – it was quickly worked out but it had already set me off a bit. We brought our suitcase into the room only to find two full beds instead of the king I had booked, but that wasn’t that big of a deal.
We set off with the dogs to Ocean Speedway. Since we didn’t know how Shilo would be left alone in the hotel room and knowing full well that she tends to whine a lot, we did not want to leave her behind and be kicked out of the hotel when we got back. We know she does fine in the car when we are not in it, so that was not a big deal.
The races were good, and we had fun. We ate french fries, corn dogs and chicken ca bobs and got much dirt flung in our faces. We ended up leaving before the last race because it was already ten, and it was freezing in the stands.
Back at the hotel we unpacked and ordered pizza from a local place the front desk clerk had recommended: Cassidy’s Pizza. We ordered up a Bacon Supreme Pizza and Garlic Twists, and it arrived fast, hot and delicious. By far the highlight of this trip.
We tried to turn on the air conditioner/heater but there was some weird error message on it, and it would not respond to any commands. We shrugged and walked away and then got in our PJ’s and set about relaxing. Too bad relax was not a word in Shilo’s vocabulary this weekend. Shilo is a country dog. She lives with us out here in Carmel Valley and the only kind of noises she is used to are crickets, birds and the river running through our backyard. She was most certainly NOT used to hearing car doors opening and closing, kids running outside the window and the general noises that were coming from our hotel neighbor in the room above us. She was NOT happy, and she was very vocal about it.
Finally, around midnight when most of the outside noise died down, and the air conditioner randomly started working, she was able to crawl under the covers with us and with the help of the TV and my white noise app on my phone in the background get to sleep.
At seven this morning I was jerked awake by her shrill high pitched bark as someone passed by our window. There would be no more sleeping. I got up turned on the TV and went to check out the continental breakfast. An English muffin and bowl of granola later, Shilo was still barking and growling at ever little noise. It was incredibly frustrating and nerve wracking. It was annoying to us, but we were also worried we were going to be asked to leave. It was also frazzling our nerves every time her high pitched squeal interrupted the silence. I felt very on edge and this was supposed to be a relaxing weekend!
A decision had to be made. We could either call it a bust, cut the weekend short and have a soothing Saturday at home or stay another night of misery and be a bundle of raw nerves when we go to my in-laws Sunday afternoon after we check out. The deciding factor would be whether or not the hotel would charge us for the whole stay. A quick call to the front desk told me that we would indeed be charged for two nights no matter what because I had booked a two night minimum stay(which I did not, I called and booked directly to the hotel there were no restrictions). I made up my mind as I hung up that it was still worth it to me. In fact if we stayed it would be like paying to be frustrated so screw that.
Rob told me to at least go use the pool since that was one of the relaxing factors I wanted to get out of the trip. So I changed into my swimsuit and hit the pool and jacuzzi for about 20 minutes until I had my fill, and then we packed up the car and headed to the lobby to check out.
The lady at the front desk asked if I was checking out and I told her I was though I was scheduled through Sunday. She said: “Oh, yes, I spoke with you on the phone.”
She proceeded to tell me that she would have to leave my reservation open, and I would be billed for the full two nights at check out time on Sunday. I said that I understood but could they at least waive the 20 dollar pet fee for Saturday since we were not actually having the dogs there another day. She said she would notate the account and as she was typing she advised me that she could not waive anything else, but I was welcome to speak with a manager when they got in if I wanted to try and get the second night charge removed. I sighed and told her it was fine. “Our dog was just stressed out and she shrieked all night, so we decided it was worth it to just go home.”
She paused in mid-type and looked up at me. “Awww. What kind of dog?”
I told her, and she excitedly told me she had a similar one, just six months old. “I’ll tell you what…” she said. “I’m going to go ahead and check you out and not charge you for tonight. Normally I would not be able to but since it wasn’t any problem with our property, and it’s for the health of your dog…” She let her voice drift off as she raised her eyebrows at me.
I nodded rapidly and told her how much I appreciated that. We then spent the next 10 minutes trading stories about our dogs and her sister’s dog as she checked me out and credited me for the Saturday night stay.
God bless dog lovers. At the end of the conversation, she gave me her name and told me if I was ever to come stay there again to call her directly and she would give me a good rate. 🙂
Once we were in the car and on the highway heading home I could literally feel the tension leaving both of our bodies. Our good humor came back, and we knew we made the right decision. This weekend just wasn’t in the cards for us. Shilo is not a traveling dog, and we know that now. We chalked it up to experience, and now we move on.
Another lesson? Our new mattress is way more comfortable than any hotel mattress, so maybe staycations are the way to go.
PS: You would never know this sweet sleeping girl sacked out next to me as I type was the trouble maker this weekend.
At the time, our mattress at home was 15 years old and not really conducive to a good nights sleep. It was on our bucket list of things to do after paying off our credit cards to get a new one, but we just never got around to it. So over the years the thought of staying in a hotel room was always associated with getting a good nights sleep on a comfortable mattress.
Anyhoo, after a couple of failed attempts at securing a hotel on a free weekend(don’t try to book Santa Cruz on the weekend of spring break…it will not be cheap!) we finally settled on Watsonville for this weekend. While it’s not a destination city, Rob had a co-worker that was racing a car at the Ocean Speedway(formally Watsonville Speedway) last night so it seemed perfect. Grab the dogs, leave after work, get a hotel, and go see the races and then have a weekend of relaxation on a nice comfy bed.
Well, since we booked the room we finally bit the bullet and bought a new mattress last weekend. And let me tell you, that new mattress is a little slice of heaven. My back is no longer a mass of kinks and knots when I get out of bed in the morning. I have been loving going to bed every night this week.
Another key factor in this story is that we have never taken Shilo to a hotel. Romie and Pappy were both seasoned vets when it came to hotel living, but Shilo had never seen the inside of hotel room.
Having said all that we were still looking forward to getting away.
Friday turned out to be a crummy work day for both of us, so we were both already kind of walking on eggshells around each other when we got in the car to take off for Watsonville. I don’t know how to explain it other than there was just a bad overall vibe when we started out.
When we got to the hotel, we found a bunch of people just hanging out in the parking lot. I thought that was rather random and a bit worrisome, as well. There were like ten people just leaning on cars and chatting. Was this hotel a hang out for locals to get together on Friday nights? WTF?
We checked in and they did not have us booked as a pet room and that only added to my agitation – it was quickly worked out but it had already set me off a bit. We brought our suitcase into the room only to find two full beds instead of the king I had booked, but that wasn’t that big of a deal.
We set off with the dogs to Ocean Speedway. Since we didn’t know how Shilo would be left alone in the hotel room and knowing full well that she tends to whine a lot, we did not want to leave her behind and be kicked out of the hotel when we got back. We know she does fine in the car when we are not in it, so that was not a big deal.
The races were good, and we had fun. We ate french fries, corn dogs and chicken ca bobs and got much dirt flung in our faces. We ended up leaving before the last race because it was already ten, and it was freezing in the stands.
Back at the hotel we unpacked and ordered pizza from a local place the front desk clerk had recommended: Cassidy’s Pizza. We ordered up a Bacon Supreme Pizza and Garlic Twists, and it arrived fast, hot and delicious. By far the highlight of this trip.
We tried to turn on the air conditioner/heater but there was some weird error message on it, and it would not respond to any commands. We shrugged and walked away and then got in our PJ’s and set about relaxing. Too bad relax was not a word in Shilo’s vocabulary this weekend. Shilo is a country dog. She lives with us out here in Carmel Valley and the only kind of noises she is used to are crickets, birds and the river running through our backyard. She was most certainly NOT used to hearing car doors opening and closing, kids running outside the window and the general noises that were coming from our hotel neighbor in the room above us. She was NOT happy, and she was very vocal about it.
Finally, around midnight when most of the outside noise died down, and the air conditioner randomly started working, she was able to crawl under the covers with us and with the help of the TV and my white noise app on my phone in the background get to sleep.
At seven this morning I was jerked awake by her shrill high pitched bark as someone passed by our window. There would be no more sleeping. I got up turned on the TV and went to check out the continental breakfast. An English muffin and bowl of granola later, Shilo was still barking and growling at ever little noise. It was incredibly frustrating and nerve wracking. It was annoying to us, but we were also worried we were going to be asked to leave. It was also frazzling our nerves every time her high pitched squeal interrupted the silence. I felt very on edge and this was supposed to be a relaxing weekend!
A decision had to be made. We could either call it a bust, cut the weekend short and have a soothing Saturday at home or stay another night of misery and be a bundle of raw nerves when we go to my in-laws Sunday afternoon after we check out. The deciding factor would be whether or not the hotel would charge us for the whole stay. A quick call to the front desk told me that we would indeed be charged for two nights no matter what because I had booked a two night minimum stay(which I did not, I called and booked directly to the hotel there were no restrictions). I made up my mind as I hung up that it was still worth it to me. In fact if we stayed it would be like paying to be frustrated so screw that.
Rob told me to at least go use the pool since that was one of the relaxing factors I wanted to get out of the trip. So I changed into my swimsuit and hit the pool and jacuzzi for about 20 minutes until I had my fill, and then we packed up the car and headed to the lobby to check out.
The lady at the front desk asked if I was checking out and I told her I was though I was scheduled through Sunday. She said: “Oh, yes, I spoke with you on the phone.”
She proceeded to tell me that she would have to leave my reservation open, and I would be billed for the full two nights at check out time on Sunday. I said that I understood but could they at least waive the 20 dollar pet fee for Saturday since we were not actually having the dogs there another day. She said she would notate the account and as she was typing she advised me that she could not waive anything else, but I was welcome to speak with a manager when they got in if I wanted to try and get the second night charge removed. I sighed and told her it was fine. “Our dog was just stressed out and she shrieked all night, so we decided it was worth it to just go home.”
She paused in mid-type and looked up at me. “Awww. What kind of dog?”
I told her, and she excitedly told me she had a similar one, just six months old. “I’ll tell you what…” she said. “I’m going to go ahead and check you out and not charge you for tonight. Normally I would not be able to but since it wasn’t any problem with our property, and it’s for the health of your dog…” She let her voice drift off as she raised her eyebrows at me.
I nodded rapidly and told her how much I appreciated that. We then spent the next 10 minutes trading stories about our dogs and her sister’s dog as she checked me out and credited me for the Saturday night stay.
God bless dog lovers. At the end of the conversation, she gave me her name and told me if I was ever to come stay there again to call her directly and she would give me a good rate. 🙂
Once we were in the car and on the highway heading home I could literally feel the tension leaving both of our bodies. Our good humor came back, and we knew we made the right decision. This weekend just wasn’t in the cards for us. Shilo is not a traveling dog, and we know that now. We chalked it up to experience, and now we move on.
Another lesson? Our new mattress is way more comfortable than any hotel mattress, so maybe staycations are the way to go.
PS: You would never know this sweet sleeping girl sacked out next to me as I type was the trouble maker this weekend.
