Days 21-22

Last night I stayed in the most wonderful hotel in the whole world. I remember having dreams when I was a little girl in which I was exploring a big house, and each room had some new kind of Candyland-esque adventure behind the door waiting for me. Well, that's what the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport, Oregon is like, only it satisfied not my inner 7-year-old with fluffy clouds and cotton candy mountains, but my current, nerdy English-major self: each room is themed like a famous author. Because I told her I was writing for a travel guide, the proprietress let me explore the other rooms that were uninhabited at the moment. I went on a spree through all four floors of the house, opening each door and marveling at its creative, unique decorations. Here are a few of the best.

The Tennessee Williams Room:The Tennessee Williams room had its own little glass menagerie, which tugged on the heartstrings in the little corner of my heart reserved for my senior thesis:
The Shakespeare room:
Complete with this fantastic little joke:
The sign above the sink says, "Out! Out damned spot!" so you can pretend to be murderess-turned-nutcase Lady MacBeth as you wash your hands! Fun for all ages. Here's the Emily Bronte Room:
My room was the Tolkien Room, and even though it was one of the less expensive because it doesn't have beach views, I think it's the coolest. This is what the door to the room looks like: Here's what it looks like behind the door:
And the whole room is very detailed, like the sink decorations:
And what I think is a map of Middle Earth sketched on the wall (forgive me, Lord of the Rings fanatics, for not knowing what this is for sure):One of my favorites was the Agatha Christie Room:

One room that I didn't get to go inside was the Edgar Allen Poe Room. It was closed because someone was staying there, news that suprised me. I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink in a room that's decorated with a raven "perched upon a bust of Pallas," a huge blade precariously dangling over the bed, and a false doorway that's been boarded up with bricks. I shared my feelings with the proprietress and she laughed and said, "Well, you turn the lights out to go to sleep, so you can't see all those things!"
...maybe. But I would still know that raven was there, looking at me, and quothing "Nevermore" at me.

Today I had a bit of a meltdown, as my allergies kicked in and my right eye started running and itching. Yuck. I also got a terrible headache as I drove, so I didn't even enjoy the cheese samples in Tillamook. When I arrived at the Old Wheeler Hotel in Wheeler, Oregon, I was in a terrible mood and just felt like passing out.

But then I entered the Bed and Breakfast, and my day changed. Maren and Winston, the proprietors, are absolutely adorable and so energetic about their little town. My room is just darling, and it has a bathtub. They hung a sign outside the door that says, "Welcome, Meghan!" That made me smile. I decided to get some more researching done, so I drove a mile down the road to the Nehalem Bay Winery. The woman there was friendly, and gave me a free tasting of sweet whites. I commented on how tasty the Riesling was, and she exclaimed, "Oh! Well, here, take a bottle!" I couldn't believe it. Now I have a 3-step plan for the rest of the afternoon:

1) Draw a bath.
2) Pour myself of glass of my free Riesling.

3) Take a bath and drink the Riesling.

There might be another step involved, such as watch one of the DVDs they have here, or curl up with a book. I haven't yet decided.