green

Icing

So the day started out promisingly - the weather looked good, and we planned to fly to El Paso today, then home tomorrow. T had a pretty strong headwind, so it was slow going, and by the time we hit Midland we were ready for lunch.

Unfortunately, the updated weather indicated there were icy conditions in and around El Paso and T decided it would be safer to stay put for the night (he elaborates on the decision here). So the nice people at the Avion FBO were able to quickly find us a room at the MCM Eleganté Hotel in Odessa, which they assure us is a “really nice hotel.”

I should probably preface things by saying we were extremely grateful for a) having a place to stay at the last minute on a holiday weekend, with b) complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport and within a 5 mile radius of the hotel, and c) a special FBO room rate to boot. I’m just thrilled to have a clean room with a comfortable bed and hot water in the shower.

The hotel’s Web site boasts they are “West Texas’ Only Four Star Hotel,” but the place has a strange feel to it. Kind of a weird mix of elegant and gaudy. For example, the lobby had large leather club chairs, Tiffany-style stained glass lighting, large aquaria with pretty fish, and lush green plants and poinsettias for the holidays. It also had Las Vegas casino carpeting, a stuffed tiger, and the fish tanks were decorated with ceramic gee-gaws and plastic tropical plants. There was a Starbucks coffee bar adjoining the lobby, but it was situated within what looked like a beauty supply store. The room was opulently furnished, but of the five light sources in the place only two worked (it later turned out that one lamp was merely unplugged, and after pulling the mattress away from the wall we located the needed outlet; we never did figure out what was wrong with the remaining two lamps).

After a nap and unwinding a bit, we checked out the hotel’s restaurant for a quick dinner. The dining room was largely empty, with three occupied tables and the hushed quiet of a library or convent. The mere act of walking in and speaking in conversational tones felt brash and boisterous; every head turned our way. After several minutes of waiting and spotting zero restaurant employees to seat us or tend to the already-seated customer–including one table who were still scanning the menu–we took this as an indicator of a potentially unpleasant dining experience and high-tailed it outta there.

Happily, the manager on duty directed us to a local Italian restaurant, Zucchi’s. Situated in a corner of a strip mall, it was a surprisingly cozy place with good atmosphere, including a pianist playing bluesy tunes on his Yamaha electronic keyboard. The service was friendly and the food decent (on the down side, the wine was dismal and they didn’t serve espresso), but the overall experience was enjoyable and superior to what likely would have felt like detention at the hotel restaurant.

Anyway, we’re turning in and hoping to get an early start tomorrow in hopes of getting home before things get too crazy with New Year’s revelers… wish us luck.

Lunch @ Cafe Rosa