SANTA MONICA ABODE: If a house has been standing for over a century, it has Stories. And it earns its Stories -- capital S, of course -- through years of weathering architectural trends, changes to its structures, and a number of tenants, people who both love on a house and a few who probably do not. But for an older house to get a full-on second life, complete with a location move, is a much rarer thing indeed. Such is the case with the Channel Road Inn, which began its life back in 1910. The Frank T. Kegley-designed casa was sold and moved in the late '70s, and languished in the 1980s, with demolition looking like a real possibility. And then, a happy twist: "some hometown champions" put some TLC -- make that a lot of TLC -- into the structure, and the Channel Road Inn debuted in 1988.
WHICH MEANS... it is now marking its 25th anniversary. The wonderful thing about 25th anniversaries is that a) a property's continuing success feels pretty dang solid and b) guests tend to get discounts and reward themed to the "25" idea. And so it is the case with the Channel Road Inn: Four Sisters, which owns the bed & breakfast, is giving guests 25% off on Sunday through Thursday stays in December, save holidays. There are some 15 rooms in all, some with fireplaces, and that century-old feel? Yep, the inn has been updated, but that vintage vibe reigns.
THINGS THAT CARRY ON: Making a mid-week getaway to re-spark and re-energize is nice, but we do like the idea of doing so in a place that was basically left to ruin, or nearly. It's a dramatic comparison, we know, but consider during your Channel Road Inn getaway how things can come back with a little TLC. Yep, we're being symbolic, but why not? There are connections to be made in what we care for and how we care for 'em (and that includes ourselves and our own R&R time).
