TRAVEL THERE: CARLSON’S COUNTRY INN & SUITES IN OKLAHOMA CITY,OK
The primary reason we stopped in Oklahoma City was their art museum. We also wanted to visit Bricktown and the botanical gardens. All of these sites were downtown, but for a quick overnight stay I thought the downtown hotels were a little pricey. So we opted for the Country Inn & Suites on NW Expressway. Downtown was mere minutes away and the reviews sounded pretty good.
Can You Say Mustard?
Nancy the Navigator told us the Country Inn was nearby, so we started scanning the area for a sign of our hotel. There are several in the general area. To help Deb locate it I said, “It looked yellow in the picture.” Suddenly a mustard yellow tower with brown mustard trim came into sight. We’d found our accommodations. If you have an aversion to shades of mustard, stay away at all costs. You will see more variations of mustard yellow at this hotel than you ever imagined were possible.
However, if you just need a place to spend the night in OKC, then this is a great place to stay. We got the room with two queen beds for under $100 on Expedia. With the exception of the pervasive mustard yellow and some renovations, everything about the stay was fine.
Compact But Adequate
When we first arrived all we did was throw our luggage into the room and head back out to Bricktown. Registration had taken only seconds and they had plenty of luggage carts. Our room was right across from the elevator. We noticed the bathroom had been specially equipped for handicap access, which meant a roll-in shower with no bathtub. I can’t tell you whether it’s that way in all rooms or just the bargain room we got, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. It meant I wouldn’t be having my usual bubble bath, but I’m a big girl, so I could live without it.
The other thing we noticed was that the room was tight. The sitting area is completely separate from the sleeping area, which was nice, but there’s not much space. Not a problem for overnight, but I’d want more space if I were going to be there for several days with a companion.
When we got back from Bricktown we were exhausted and hit the sack pretty quickly. I woke up about five and decided to go ahead and write the article that had given me such a fit before we left. I dreaded fighting the log-in on the hotel’s wi-fi, which is usually a hassle, but I wanted to unburden myself from my perceived obligation. If you want to read about the exhibition I previewed, you can do that here. Being able to close the door and leave Deb sleeping peacefully while I puttered around made things easier and that wi-fi log-in? Piece of cake.
About the time I finished my article, Deb was up and about. We got ready and headed down for breakfast. Breakfast was great. The area set aside for the breakfast bar was actually quite nice. The buffet offered everything from make-it-yourself waffles to bacon and eggs to fruit and yogurt. I confess, I had the waffles. Deb opted for the protein. There was a baby who was making a lot of noise, but he was absolutely darling and it was happy noises, so we actually enjoyed him.
By nine we’d loaded up the car and headed downtown. Let the fun begin.
jane sadek 