A Non-Sequitur

 

July 13:  A Non-sequitur

Miles 260-284

AuGres: We are out of that orange room as early as possible. It's an easy and uneventful ride, wishing we were not on the highway, but in the trees on a trail.  When we rejoin US 23 at Standish, we see the North Shore of the Saginaw Bay is swampy and marshy. There are no roads and no trails going through it. Every so often a road goes straight south to the Bay, but the water –and water life-- is not visually present.

We have made a reservation at a new hotel intriguingly named Lonesome Dove.

Talk about a non sequitur.

The whole place is a paean to Larry McMurtry's book about a Texas cattle drive in the 19th century. It is extremely well done.  The whole place is full of memorabilia from the book and the movie. There are maps recounting the imagined trail from Texas to Montana. There are displays with Robert Duvall's autograph, Tommy Lee Jones’ costume.  The wallpaper sports historic brands. The decor is full on Westernalia.  There's even a real cowhide on our bed in the big beautifully appointed room.  All the details are right--down to the stirrup embellished coasters.

The staff is friendly; the restaurant has good food; and the prices are reasonable. But there's not--- people staying in the hotel.

So much so that the young woman who checked us in is also serving as a housekeeper. The friendly outgoing innkeeper who wrote me personally about us bringing a dog greets us in the lobby and mentions that his wife is coming to work the hotel that night.

When we leave the next morning, and the restaurant and bar are closed, the place is like a ghost town. I wander the halls to find a staff person to get some coffee-- especially branded with the Lonesome Dove imagery.

We loved it and would happily return, but wonder if it could possibly be paying for itself, much less chipping away at what must have been huge construction and furnishing costs.  We hope so--- but wonder.