So we finally arrived at our pit-stop in Cookeville, TN en route to Dallas for our Texas Road Trip as part of my 2012 New Year’s Resolution for more fearless, spontaneous travel. Call me crazy, but after working a 12 hour day on the set of Blue Bloods yesterday, I decided that a quick 3 hour nap was sufficient enough to be called “a good night’s sleep” before our 14 hour journey from NJ to Tennessee.
We hit the road around 1:15 am after several mini-arguments about our meeting location (girls..), and arrived here in Cookeville around 3 pm. Believe it or not, the ride was painless and flew by quickly, partially due to the fact that I am easily-amused by seeing hundreds of cattle grazing freely on the farms along I-81 and making the “honking gesture” as trucks passed us (100% response rate, by the way).
I saved my appetite for the Tennessee smoke-house BBQ pulled pork that I started craving weeks ago, and lunch at nearby Bobby Q’s hit the spot. However, after a combination of pigging out and limited sleep, I was delighted that getting to the hotel was a breeze, as it is located only a few hundred feet from 40-W, making it ideal location for us to continue our travels tomorrow.
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| Our lunch spot, Bobby Q’s, located only 3.4 miles away from Country Inn & Suites Cookeville, TN |
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| The pulled pork was absolutely mouth-watering and delicious, but I wasn’t too crazy about the two sides. I originally booked this hotel because I wanted to fully take advantage of Club Carlson’s awesome “Redeem Points. Earn Points” promotion that is ongoing until January 31. My registration with this promotion will make our stay tonight entirely a free once the 9,000 points are redeposited into my account – it doesn’t get better than that!
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Or does it? Not only has Club Carlson graced us with several amazing promotions in the past several months (Radisson’s Big Night Getaway & Redeem Points, Earn Points), but there have been some surprising changes to my itinerary that totally put the icing on the cake, winning my loyalty to Club Carlson.
It is very rare that a hotel loyalty program presents its members with so many opportunities to easily earn and redeem points for free nights. In my eyes, Club Carlson certainly takes the lead for the best loyalty promotions in 2012 so far. After all, if it weren’t for the “Redeem Points. Earn Points” promotion, who knows if this fun road trip would have even come to life. Thanks again, Club Carlson! :)
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The exterior of the Country Inn & Suites in Cookeville, TN (Category 1 Club Carlson Hotel).
Upon pulling in to the Country Inn & Suites, Cookeville, TN, I did notice that the sign read “Soon to be La Quinta Inn”. I wonder when that will happen?
Check-in was quick, and the lady at the front desk was extremely friendly. Having elite status with Club Carlson, I was hopeful for an upgraded room or suite, but I was happy with the room I was given. The lobby was cozy and definitely had a “country” feel, complete with a fire place, couches, and wooden decor. The breakfast room looked spacious, clean, and well-furnished.
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| The room was simplistically decorated, clean, and cozy. The beds were made with a standard comforter (not my favorite, down), but the sheets and pillows were fresh and soft – perfect for relaxing after a 14 hour drive! |
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| The desk was spacious with a nice leather chair and many outlets to plug in all of your gadgets. |
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| The dresser featured a mini-fridge and microwave inside the pull-out doors as well as a mini flat-screen TV. |
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| The bathroom was stocked with many towels, a hair dryer, and coffee machine (personally, I believe the coffee machine should have been somewhere in the room, not the bathroom, but I’m not a coffee person anyway so I never use the in-room coffee machines). |
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| The shower was clean with plenty of hot water. |
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| This cute towel animal was a nice touch! |
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| Bath toiletries included Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner & Vaseline Body Lotion |
So far so good! Hope your drive tomorrow goes just as smoothly :)
Wow, quite entertaining post! Look forward to tomorrow's post. Boom!
no pictures of cows??..was really looking forward to that…
I couldnt agree more….Club Carlson is the best hotel stay reward program out there!!!
Country Inn and Suites is our favorite hotel in Cookeville. It is soon to be converted to a La Quinta under the same competent ownership.