- Mary Oliver
On a fog-laden, quiet Saturday morning, my friend and I ventured out far and wide, the whole 2 minutes it took to drive downtown. We had a plan in place - to be touristy in our own town, at least for the morning. The Terrace Hotel is a charming 1924 building downtown, with history of being one of the first year-round hotels open in Florida. Most hotels would close for the summer, since there was no air conditioning. It was a full-service luxury hotel, and still holds the charm of such history.
When you step inside, from the doors that open up to Main Street, you feel transported in time and place. Emily and I remarked at how we felt we were no longer in Lakeland. There was a classy sense surrounding us, with the high wood-etched ceilings, huge glass lanterns hanging, original 1924 tile floors, and big french windows letting in so much lovely light. Here is where Frank Sinatra, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Henry Ford have stayed, long ago.
Being that I was with a fellow friend who loves all things old, restored, historic, and meaningful, we took some pictures and talked about the beauty of certain elements before being seated at our table by the windows.
Classic white tablecloths and dishes greeted us. You cannot go wrong with classic white. We ordered breakfast, coffee, and juice, and delighted in being tourists in our town as we chatted with our waitress about the hotel. We ate delicious breakfast food and talked about our common agreement on how old things are better, especially when kept as original as possible. We wandered around the hotel when we finally finished our leisurely breakfast, before walking down to the farmer's market.
What a lovely morning we had, and it was literally just a few minutes from where we each live. Get out there and explore your own town. There is charm and history waiting for you.
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