Friday, October 5, 2007

Who Knew?

Who knew that Columbus Day weekend and not Labor Day is actually the last hoorah of the summer in these parts?

I asked for today and Monday off and decided I'd go to the beach for a couple of days this weekend (just Friday and Saturday only.) I didn't realize Monday was Columbus Day (aka "a federal holiday") until after I asked for the time off, because we don't get that one as one of our nine company holidays. Still, I thought, "Bonus!"

I didn't bother booking a hotel reservation because it's now officially the "off season" at most East Coast beaches north of Virginia and I figured finding lodging in Rehoboth Beach would be easy-peasy: just drive up to the hotel/motel of my choice and get a room.

Boy, was I wrong! There is nothing. Nada. Not even the rat holes and dives have rooms. In fact, they've kicked out the rats to make room for the rooms they don't have. I finally found one room in a Lewes, but it's only for tonight and then tomorrow will be up in the air.

Lesson learned: Always check hotel availability before asking for time off. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that I find something tomorrow, otherwise, it's gonna be camping in the back of the car in the parking lot of WalMart!

4 comments:

J.M. Tewkesbury said...

Update...

Another lesson learned: Don't trust Orbitz to tell you the truth about availability. There are plenty of non-branded accommodations here in Rehoboth.

Oh, and if you make a reservation at the Heritage Inn & Golf Club in Lewes just know, it's not actually in Lewes. It's in Rehoboth on Route 1. Lewes is another 15 minutes down the road. Take about deceptive marketing...

Oh well. It's not this is some big, important vacation. I just wanted to get away for a couple of days and a roof over my head--whether it's in Lewes or in Rehoboth--is all that matters. For that, I'm content.

Anonymous said...

Hope you enjoyed. :)

Mike and I once went to Rehoboth for a three-day weekend, when we were extremely poor. We had reservations at a really cheap place... arrived to find hair on the pillows and bedsheets, and someone else's crap in the toilet. We left and drove around for an hour, trying to find another place we could afford. We found a great little place called the Dinner Bell Inn, just a couple of blocks from the beach. Ever heard of it? I think it's since closed, but I have fond memories.

J.M. Tewkesbury said...

Liz: Ick. I had an experience in San Francisco like that year's ago on business. And in Lexington, VA. In the latter case, there was some man's underwear hanging on the back of the door. Blech.

As it turns out, there were plenty of places to stay in Rehoboth after all. The Anchorage Hotel had a new set of rooms. And the Heritage Inn & Golf Club was nice, though the rooms were preternaturally large, which was odd. But both were clean and that's all I care about!

Next time I'm in Rehoboth, I'll see if I can find the Dinner Bell Inn. Sounds quaint!

Sister Mary Lisa said...

I'm glad you got your getaway. :)