"Motel Camping" in the Desert
Apr. 3rd, 2022 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerHigh Desert Weekend Trip-log #7
Palmdale, CA - Sun, 27 Mar, 2002. 8am
Years ago Hawk and I coined the term "motel camping". It has been an in-joke between us. "Are you thinking we'll go camping on this weekend trip?" one of us, usually Hawk, would ask the other. "I'm thinking 'motel camping'," the other, often I, would reply.
The euphemism was more tongue-in-cheek when we were younger. Camping, actual in-a-tent camping, was something we did more often. As we've grown older our backs aren't as happy about sleeping with only a few layers between us and the ground. Plus, we're better off financially now than we were in our 20s. Sleeping on a bed when we travel not only makes a big difference, it's a luxury we can afford.
Speaking of luxury, the hotel we've been staying at in Palmdale isn't exactly luxury. To be fair, it's a Holiday Inn. I didn't expect luxury; just serviceable comfort. Especially here in the Antelope Valley an hour northeast of Los Angeles, on the eastern edge of the Mojave Desert. Here even upper middle class seems 1%-ish.
The hotel definitely has a bed. A fairly nice one, too. Just not luxury. 😅
Though they did pull out the stops for us. They upgraded us to a suite.
That means in addition to the separate (small) sleeping room shown in the first picture, we had the large sitting area shown above. I got the complimentary upgrade because I'm a platinum elite with IHG. Last year IHG was (surprisingly) my go-to hotel chain.
I certainly appreciated the upgrade this time. The sofa was a great place to sit when I was relaxing yesterday evening. We haven't used the desk at all on this stay, but the extra space for doing work is a thing we always appreciate as Hawk often has to do a few hours of work on these weekend trips. Oh, and the suite has a balcony....
The view from the balcony, one of exurbs-meet-desert, isn't one to write home about. Though I guess it is a better view than the view out the window at the previous suite upgrade I caught at a Holiday Inn Express off the Las Vegas Strip. Even so, while I didn't spend time gazing at this view I did enjoy having a sliding glass door to open for fresh desert air last night and again this morning.
Motel camping is definitely the way to camp. 🤣
Palmdale, CA - Sun, 27 Mar, 2002. 8am
Years ago Hawk and I coined the term "motel camping". It has been an in-joke between us. "Are you thinking we'll go camping on this weekend trip?" one of us, usually Hawk, would ask the other. "I'm thinking 'motel camping'," the other, often I, would reply.
The euphemism was more tongue-in-cheek when we were younger. Camping, actual in-a-tent camping, was something we did more often. As we've grown older our backs aren't as happy about sleeping with only a few layers between us and the ground. Plus, we're better off financially now than we were in our 20s. Sleeping on a bed when we travel not only makes a big difference, it's a luxury we can afford.
Speaking of luxury, the hotel we've been staying at in Palmdale isn't exactly luxury. To be fair, it's a Holiday Inn. I didn't expect luxury; just serviceable comfort. Especially here in the Antelope Valley an hour northeast of Los Angeles, on the eastern edge of the Mojave Desert. Here even upper middle class seems 1%-ish.
The hotel definitely has a bed. A fairly nice one, too. Just not luxury. 😅
Though they did pull out the stops for us. They upgraded us to a suite.
That means in addition to the separate (small) sleeping room shown in the first picture, we had the large sitting area shown above. I got the complimentary upgrade because I'm a platinum elite with IHG. Last year IHG was (surprisingly) my go-to hotel chain.
I certainly appreciated the upgrade this time. The sofa was a great place to sit when I was relaxing yesterday evening. We haven't used the desk at all on this stay, but the extra space for doing work is a thing we always appreciate as Hawk often has to do a few hours of work on these weekend trips. Oh, and the suite has a balcony....
The view from the balcony, one of exurbs-meet-desert, isn't one to write home about. Though I guess it is a better view than the view out the window at the previous suite upgrade I caught at a Holiday Inn Express off the Las Vegas Strip. Even so, while I didn't spend time gazing at this view I did enjoy having a sliding glass door to open for fresh desert air last night and again this morning.
Motel camping is definitely the way to camp. 🤣
