Friday's 5: Reasons I Wish I Were Still There

Last week I wrote about five great places to getaway that are still close to home (assuming, of course, that your home is in central North Carolina). This week, I'm wishing I were at any of those places.

Why? Because this is my kitchen today:

Note the boxes of new cabinets filling the dining room
and the hole in the floor with insulation spilling out.
Guess who's eating out for the next week (or more)?

Specifically, here are five reasons why I wish I were still at the King's Daughters Inn in Durham:

1. The beautiful, cushy bed. I love the way posh hotels make the beds with a fitted sheet, top sheet, duvet and a second top sheet. Everything feels all velvety crisp and expensively snuggly.

2. The turn-down service. How lovely to come back from dinner and find my newly fluffed bed (see #1) with two glasses of port and two locally handmade chocolates on the side table. Perfect ending to a wonderful day.

3. The Mac/TV combo. We don't have a television in our bedroom at home -- both of us prefer it that way. So it's a total luxury to sit in our hotel bed and watch TV. Even better? Having a wireless Mac connected to the TV so that we can watch last week's "Community" episode from nbc.com.

4. The homemade granola. The inn's tasty breakfast included eggs, bacon, grits, pancakes and an assortment of fruit, muffins and cereal. But the best part was the homemade granola that I took back to our room to have with yogurt later in the morning.

5. The soft robe. Yes, I have my own bathrobe at home -- it's pink flannel and I really like it. But there's something special about a smooth, white hotel robe after a hot shower that didn't include interruptions from any small children.

What's your favorite special touch that makes staying at a hotel or inn absolutely perfect?
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