June 13, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. The Swiss Inn.

How on earth can they possibly stay in business with the amount they charge for a room? The room was large, with enough space for two comfortable chairs and a desk, along with a king sized bed and two side tables and reading lamps. In addition to the full bath with shower, a sink and vanity was installed just outside the bathroom in it's own little corner, with bright light for make up. To top it off, the room had been newly decorated with new drapes, bedspread and carpet. The best thing was the TV, as last night was the final game of the hockey playoff between Pittsburgh and Detroit and Ken wanted to watch. We were delighted to be staying in this very clean room with this new large flat screen TV, and expected no less from The Swiss Inn.

The true story is that we just got lucky. Leaving Jackson at 6:30 a.m.. we commented to each other that we should stop driving by 4::00. But the day was fine for driving, so when the hour for stopping arrived, we just kept going, until finally, around 5:30, we suddenly were feeling very fatigued and wanted to stop at the first motel we could find. Abingdon in Southern Virginia was the next town and we discovered that the town was very crowded with the traffic blocked in every direction. A big wedding was being held on the 13TH, and the worst, or best, was The Garden Tour was being held on the same day, so every motel and hotel was full, except the beautiful 'Martha Washington Inn'. It must be some fancy garden tour to attract so many people to town. The Inn was fancy and expensive. Their cheapest room was $250. a night. Now this Inn was beautiful, but I had been in my same clothes all day and did not wish to unpack my suitcase, so all I had in my backpack was a clean T shirt, toothbrush and clean underwear. Under different circumstances, Ken and I would have loved to check into the old and gracious mansion, but not yesterday. So we drove out of Abingdon up to the next exit, which was 19, where we found all those motels full. On we drove to the next exit that offered motels. We were delighted to see The Swiss Inn sign, so we left the highway, found the Swiss Inn and tried to check in.

The Swiss Inn did not look fancy. When I entered the office, I found it empty, and pushed the button to summon the receptionist, which I was instructed to do. After five minutes, a young lady carrying a baby appeared, both looking bright and cheery, but definitely not Swiss. If we were not so tired I would have left, which would have been a shame, because the room turned out to have everything we needed, in addition to a continental breakfast. But the best part was the cost. She charged me $49. for the night. We were pleased with the price, and even more pleased with the cleanliness and the decor. Now how do they make money charging these rates? I will never know.