Home Away From Home (Away From Home)
Fayette County Bureau of Tourism
We had our first hotel experience of the tour yesterday in Fayette, which is in northeast Iowa. We're staying at an AmericInn, a chain with which I was not familiar. I'm pleased to say that it's quite nice - certainly much nicer than our apartments in Indianola.
We had our first hotel experience of the tour
yesterday in Fayette, which is in northeast Iowa. We're staying at an AmericInn,
a chain with which I was not familiar. I'm pleased to say that it's quite nice -
certainly much nicer than our apartments in Indianola. There's an indoor pool
and jacuzzi, and more importantly, Wi-Fi access in the lobby. The hotel is
decorated in a quasi-lodge motif, with a burning fireplace in the foyer and bold
wooden furniture in the dining area. A prominent notice at the front desk warns
guests that the cleaning of game and fish is strictly prohibited on its
premises.
The experience of being "on the road" with a group reminds me of things I saw years ago when I worked for the Cubs. On a few occasions, I was lucky enough to tag along with the team on road trips. I went with the them to places like San Diego, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. That's in contrast to now, when my itinerary includes places like Sioux City, Dubuque, and Cedar Rapids.
Naturally, I realize fully that comparing the travel standards of a Major League Baseball team to the standards of a regional opera company is a pursuit that can only end in disappointment. As delightfully adequate as the AmericInn is, I can't supress my vivid memories of the Turkish bathrobe I got to use when I stayed with the Cubs at the Ritz-Carlton in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Ritz sits next to a Houston's Steakhouse; the AmericInn is neighbors with a Blimpie and a Citgo.
It's all a tradeoff: creature comfort for creative comfort. The old cliché about suffering for one's art may contain an ounce (or ton) of truth, after all. The lot of a musician is a life filled wth compromises and sacrifices. We may be smack in the middle of what outsiders might call "nowhere," but we're here plying our craft and getting paid to do the things for which we trained so diligently. The comfort in that reality is something that no four-star hotel or terrycloth robe can provide.
The experience of being "on the road" with a group reminds me of things I saw years ago when I worked for the Cubs. On a few occasions, I was lucky enough to tag along with the team on road trips. I went with the them to places like San Diego, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. That's in contrast to now, when my itinerary includes places like Sioux City, Dubuque, and Cedar Rapids.
Naturally, I realize fully that comparing the travel standards of a Major League Baseball team to the standards of a regional opera company is a pursuit that can only end in disappointment. As delightfully adequate as the AmericInn is, I can't supress my vivid memories of the Turkish bathrobe I got to use when I stayed with the Cubs at the Ritz-Carlton in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Ritz sits next to a Houston's Steakhouse; the AmericInn is neighbors with a Blimpie and a Citgo.
It's all a tradeoff: creature comfort for creative comfort. The old cliché about suffering for one's art may contain an ounce (or ton) of truth, after all. The lot of a musician is a life filled wth compromises and sacrifices. We may be smack in the middle of what outsiders might call "nowhere," but we're here plying our craft and getting paid to do the things for which we trained so diligently. The comfort in that reality is something that no four-star hotel or terrycloth robe can provide.
Posted: Tue - February 15, 2005 at 10:48 PM
Quick Links
Calendar
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
Categories
Archives
XML/RSS Feed
Statistics
Total entries in this blog:
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Mar 23, 2005 10:43 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Mar 23, 2005 10:43 PM