At least once a year, we go home. For Carol, home is rural Fairfield, Illinois. And while I have a very special attachment for Fairfield, my hometown will always be Bethalto, Illinois.
For the third year in a row, Carol was the travel planner and we tried to make it into more of a pilgrimage instead of a road trip. Looking back, she succeeded and I have many special memories from this eight-day jaunt.
We started by going to Dallas where Carol has always wanted to do Nieman Marcus at Christmas. I, on the other hand, was more partial to hunkering down at Walt Garrison’s bar in downtown Big D. We did both…but I liked Walt’s better. I have simple tastes and found the peanuts and Coors on draught to be the high point of stop one.
Stop two was the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas and an appointment at the Quapaw Bath House for a soak and a rub. I often describe massages as the second best physical experience available to a man. I enjoyed the experience; Carol felt it was not as good as the previous year’s reservation at the hotel. I suspect she will refine next year’s “tub’n’rub” leg of the trip.
We stopped next in Cape Girardeau, Missouri where the heir to the Dreith fortune, Andrew, is the assistant manager of the Enterprise Rental Car office in Rush Limbaugh’s hometown. In fact, Andy says he leased a car to El Rushbo only a few days before as the broadcaster jetted into town to visit family for the holidays. Andy says he rolled up to a private jet at the local airport, a door on the plane opened….someone came out and signed for the car….and then raced back into the jet where the door closed. No Limbaugh sighting to report.
Andy took us to a Japanese eatery where the chef threw a lot of knives, Saki, rice and meat before serving us a very memorable meal.
Next, off to the big surprise of the trip-----West Baden Springs Hotel, near French Lick, Indiana. We were there to visit Carol’s brother, who lives nearby. But the restored 1904 hotel resort was utterly remarkable. The architecture….the luxury…the food…..it was the most opulent one night stay ever. If you ever get to eastern Indiana, do yourself a favor and book a night at West Baden. You will never forget it and you won’t regret it.
We got to spend time with Lexa, Carol’s (and I claim her too) grandchild. It was awesome. Carol’s folks hosted the family get-together on Christmas Eve and we went to the midnight service at Fairfield’s First United Methodist Church. Rev. Doug Rorex is the gold standard when it comes to special services. We miss him.
On Christmas day we went to Bethalto and spent time with Mom and my sister’s family. The food is always great….but it gets in the way of the main event. After the meal….we stay at the table and entertain one another. This year we were able to entertain the newest prospective member of the family…..Andy’s fiancé, Alicia Oehler. Lots of the discussion is the upcoming wedding over the Labor Day weekend at Bethalto’s Zion Lutheran Church. This will be a party!
The day-after-Christmas is always reserved for the old man….my Dad. He was in rare form with some memorable analysis of the Tiger Woods soap opera and other matters that require his unique multi-racial take on society.
We headed home and stayed south, going through Arkansas again to avoid bad weather.
I was so happy to get back to Texas….but I miss my family. It is hard to put into words. I’m so happy to see them….but I am so happy to return to Snyder. It’s complicated.
We will now spend the week preparing for a very simply observation of New Year’s. Time to reflect on a very good year….and pray for God’s blessings for 2010.
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