The Lodge at Detroit Lake
This past weekend, the owners of The Lodge at Detroit Lake graciously hosted my family in one of their newly remodeled rooms. In the past, Detroit was always a place I passed through – not a place I stayed.Through the generosity of the Lodge, my eyes have now been opened to a whole world of nearby fun. With more family adventures than will fit in just one blog post… I’ll start by telling you about our lodging for Saturday night:
I’m a gal that can hike, canoe, swim, and get dirty without issue. But at the end of the day, I want a hot shower, a soft bed, a warm meal, and air conditioning. The Lodge at Detroit Lake provided all these things…. and a flat screen TV. That’s my kind of weekend trip to the great outdoors!
Here are a few pictures of our stay in Room #2. The granite countertops, the carefully chosen light fixtures, the (heavenly) soft comforter, and the lodge pole pine furniture all made our small room feel both cozy and upscale. It served our needs perfectly.
Here are a few pictures of our stay in Room #2. The granite countertops, the carefully chosen light fixtures, the (heavenly) soft comforter, and the lodge pole pine furniture all made our small room feel both cozy and upscale. It served our needs perfectly.
Formerly the Detroit Lake Motel, this property has eight newly renovated rooms that are comfortable, clean and remodeled with an eye for design. A handful of older rooms are also available at the Lodge, but are slated for demolition in the coming years so as to make room for a new addition. This mix of lovely accommodations and potential development sparked many conversations between me and my husband as we could easily picture the Lodge as a hub of development and activity in the town of Detroit. Years from now, we’ll be able to say we stayed at the Lodge just before it sky-rocked to the top of the list for best vacation spots in Oregon.
Here’s the scoop of the lovely and the potentially lovely rooms that await future visitors:
Here’s the scoop of the lovely and the potentially lovely rooms that await future visitors:
Lovely: It’s the details that win over this guest. The Lodge provides soap, conditioner and shampoo in the bathroom which (like many hotels) simplifies my packing, but unlike other places the dispensers here do not rely on teeny-tiny plastic bottles or unnecessary packaging. This is a small issue, but one that certainly warms my eco-friendly heart. On-demand water heaters also made my heart shine green.
Potential: Pets are allowed in all rooms (with the exception of #4 and #8). This will be welcome news to my neighbors who travel with their dogs, but for me it inspires a twinge of worry about the wear and tear that will occur in the rooms as the years go by. The stone /tile floors will clean-up nicely, but I hope wet-dog-on-blanket will not cause issues with the current décor. As I’m not a pet owner (and so have a greater sensitivity on the issue), I may plan on reserving room #4 or #8 in the future.
Lovely: Each remodeled room offers a small porch area – complete with engraved bench. We saw many families on these porches (in both the evening and morning) as there was plenty of additional room for lawn chairs so that all could gather 'round. The greater courtyard at the Lodge included several picnic tables, grills (bring your own charcoal), and a hose for spraying down dirty gear, feet, and/or children.
The view from our porch.
Potential: The current courtyard contains a-whole-lot-of gravel. I think this is because of the coming renovations - which would later be followed by landscaping. I can easily imagine trees and shrubs turning this space into a lovely oasis reflecting the careful planning and design of the room interiors. Such a courtyard, added to the tree lined skyline of Detroit, would make for a perfect backdrop for the end of the day.
Lovely: The location of the Lodge is ideal for families such as ours. Staying in Detroit for the night decreased our car-time and increased our canoe-hike-swim time. In the evening, we were able to walk from the Lodge to several nearby restaurants, as well as the local grocery store. Sammy’s Pizza was on-site to provide that warm meal I need at the end of a long day. Fast, hot, and made to order; we enjoyed our pizza in the air conditioned comfort of our motel room.
Potential: The city of Detroit doesn’t have any sidewalks and so doesn’t rank high on my list of particularly pedestrian friendly towns. However, the main road in front of the lodge is wide enough to allow for future development of trees, sidewalks, and businesses. I think of Sisters, Silverton, or Dunsmuir, California and think such places pale in comparison to the potential Detroit holds.
Overall, my family gives The Lodge at Detroit Lake a standing ovation for hospitality and comfort. Our one night stay made for a fun summer weekend and I can easily imagine us staying at the Lodge during a winter weekend, so as to extend our snow play.
I’ll post soon about the canoeing, swimming and hiking we enjoyed during our visit. My husband and I have already talked about inviting several family friends on our next visit to Detroit. Would you like to meet us at the Lodge?
Overall, my family gives The Lodge at Detroit Lake a standing ovation for hospitality and comfort. Our one night stay made for a fun summer weekend and I can easily imagine us staying at the Lodge during a winter weekend, so as to extend our snow play.
I’ll post soon about the canoeing, swimming and hiking we enjoyed during our visit. My husband and I have already talked about inviting several family friends on our next visit to Detroit. Would you like to meet us at the Lodge?