I have been immersed in the Great River Road guide book project for a good year now. It’s time for a minor course correction. Rather than waiting until I have every chapter done and putting out a single book, I am going to push hard to finish three chapters now that are close to being done and publish them as individual booklet things, each available for download, too, naturally. In theory this will help keep the guides timely, or at least more timely than waiting until the whole book is done.
To get the chapters finished, though, I need to finish a part of the research that I have not been excited about – visiting and reviewing motels, hotels, inns, guesthouse, bed and breakfasts, etc. I’ve been putting this off until closer to publication date to get the most current info, plus, well, I just didn’t really want to do it. So, this past week I have been on the road visiting as many places as possible. Truth is, it’s not as bad a process as I expected.
My basic philosophy about what to visit and include in the book: chain motels/hotels can take care of themselves; they don’t need my help. I am looking for independent operators – mom and pop motels, bed and breakfasts, small inns. I am also looking to include a range of price options, even if some places might have a somewhat shady reputation. I figure if you tend to stay in cheap motels, like I usually do, you know that you get what you pay for, and sometimes you get a little bit extra something, too.
When I make my visit, I tell them up front that I am writing a travel guide and would like to ask them a few questions about their place. I confirm contact info, prices, amenities, and ask to see a room. If I don’t get to see a room, it is very unlikely they will be included in the book. Most places have been very accommodating; some have been a little suspicious (“What will it cost to be included in your book?” – nothing. I’m not doing that kind of book.); a few were totally uninterested, which is fine with me – it saves me time.
By the end of the week, I had visited 24 places, which doesn’t really sound like that much to me now. But, many of those visits were to B&Bs, which took longer to visit because the conversation was always good. I don’t think I ever got out of a B&B in less than 30 minutes. One of the best experiences was in Savanna, Illinois, where one of the B&B owners was also the town’s mayor. (Hi, Bill!) We had an enlightening chat about the town. I look forward to going back.
Today’s Bad Decision: Thinking that ‘brunch’ meant some combination of breakfast and lunch. Silly me. I saved my appetite for a big Mother’s Day brunch, salivating over the thought of sausage gravy and biscuits, omelets, bacon, and whatever breakfast-y goodness the buffet gods could cook up. Instead, when I got my first look at the food, I was confused. I saw mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, fried chicken, turkey, ham… Wait. Where are the eggs? What about the biscuits and gravy? Nowhere to be found. This was not brunch, this was linner or dunch, but definitively not brunch. You can’t have brunch without the breakfast part! Crushed, I took a few small servings and slumped back to my table. I was not happy. You know, I might have been able to cope if the food had been more, um, flavorful or different or interesting. Don’t’ get me wrong – it was not bad, just common, uninteresting, bland; not what I expect for a Mother’s Day buffet. Very small town Midwest. Very disappointing. And not worth $15.
© Dean Klinkenberg, 2008
