We visited my mom in Mahtomedi, and then spent the night at the Water Street Inn in Stillwater. Husband had done some homework on the computer before we left, and discovered that we could have a room with a four poster bed, a hot tub and a fireplace for $89/night. We decided we would give it a try.
I was a bit uncertain when we walked into the lobby. I was expecting elegance, and there was some elegant furniture there, but what I noticed first was what looked like dark curtains hanging on all of the walls behind the desks. It turned out to be a drapery design on the wallpaper, but I did not think it at all pretty, or elegant. The design of the front desk and other work areas also did not make for an elegant lobby. No inviting fireplace or comfy chairs to say, "Come here and set a spell." It felt creepy.
Our room was on the third floor. We walked up the enclosed staircase, which looked like the original staircase of the building. The stairwell was filled with artificial plants, and crowned by a square, domed skylight which was apparently only recently uncovered, though it was original to the building. That explained why it looked dirty, and in need of repair. The halls had the smell of old wood, and as we approached our room, we smelled popcorn. I thought of my sensitivity to odors with trepidation. When we opened the door, we were surprised to find the bed in the anteroom. This is what it looked like. Very elegant. I loved the picture centered low to the bed, and the beautiful furniture. The marble tabletops and table cloth were also rich touches. The wallpaper was beautiful, although the border along the ceiling (not shown) did not fit rest of the décor.
A short hall connected the bathroom, and then a very spacious lounge with the fireplace, a large-screen television which we did not use, a desk, sofa, coffee pot, hot tub, and patio, which opened onto the St. Croix River and the old bridge.
The wallpaper was absolutely gorgeous. The carpet not so much. Again, it did not seem to match the time period. Otherwise, we were one of only a handful of guests that night, so after dinner at the Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter, we had a very quiet night. No doors slamming, no televisions too loud, and no voices.
Because there were only a handful of guests the next morning, we got to choose our breakfast off of the restaurant menu instead of going through a breakfast buffet. I had the Irish Toast, a creamier version of French Toast. Arthur had eggs, hash browns, bacon and some sausage, which he enjoyed very much. The hash browns were nice and greasy, as he likes them!
The Water Street Inn is right in the heart of historic Stillwater, so we were able to walk to the shops. The downside of visiting Stillwater in the off season is that some of our favorite stores were closed. We did do a few antique shops, and a book shop. We purchased nothing, but I did see a book about the Peterkins at one shop, which made me want to sit down and read on the spot. Instead I waited until we got home, and looked it up on the internet. I was able to find a hardbound edition of The Peterkin Papers for .99 cents plush shipping, so I lucked out. That is my next read after I finish the 18th chronicle of Brother Cadfael, The Summer of the Danes.
Since then my life has been crazy busy between the girls, my February stint at the food shelf, and my work as fraternal secretary for our Catholic United Financial Council. The latter brought three activities in close succession, the fish fry, the newsletter, the holy hour for vocations, and a few member funerals. Makes me feel like I am working full time.
