Our style of travel can certainly make a body weary. Since many of our trips are designed to gather as much research as possible, we can find ourselves worn out by the end of each day. Fortunately, there is always a place nearby to lay our heads. In Marysville, Kansas we had planned an action-packed day of exploring. Working with Visit Marysville, we had secured a stay at the Trailhead Suites. Our itinerary had us busy until after sundown, but we just had to slip off and check this place out before dinner. Once we passed through the threshold, we found ourselves feeling at home.
We would like to thank Visit Marysville and Trailhead Suites for hosting our stay. Rest assured all opinions are our own.
Home Away From Home
Before our Marysville visit, we had been in email contact with our hosts. Nic and Sarah have a love for their community, which became apparent in their desire to incorporate the city’s history in their lodging. With it being just a few blocks from downtown, we had no trouble locating our lodging. In fact, it sits just about one block from the Marysville City Park. This was a perfect home base for spotting some of the town’s elusive black squirrels. Pulling up in front of the lodge, we could tell we would be feeling at home in Marysville.
A Tie That Binds
Trailhead Suites is made up of three separate room combinations. We had been assigned to the Railroad Suite, which gives a nod to the city’s tie with Union Pacific Railroad. Marysville’s success was aided by the railroad as it sat squarely on the main freight line between Hastings, Nebraska, and our hometown of Kansas City, Kansas. At one point, it was even home to the largest covered railroad stockyards in the world. These days there is still a huge amount of rail traffic, but the local bridges help keep traffic flowing.
Nature Is Near
Nic and Sarah have tried to make staying at their lodging as easy as possible. On the day of our arrival, they emailed me an access code for the front door lock. I punched in a few numbers, and voila, we were in our home away from home. Our first impressions were that the suite had an open and inviting appeal. The high ceilings and rich color choices give off a warm feeling. This didn’t feel like a hotel room, but more like walking into a new home. The use of real wood added to the natural feel and complimented the huge deck off the back of the house. We could imagine sitting out there with a cup of coffee watching the deer and squirrels play.
Unexpected Treasures
As we looked around our temporary home, we stumbled upon a couple of unexpected surprises. Just inside the front door hangs a dry erase board, which had a message from our hosts. This special touch really added to us feeling at home. We took an opportunity to leave them a thank you before we left the next day. Another surprise awaited us in the kitchen. A basket filled with Marysville goodies had been assembled by Michelle Whitesell, the Director of Visit Marysville. You can imagine the smiles that crossed our faces as we examined each of the treats inside. We loved all of the black squirrel references and you can bet the coffee mugs went directly to our collection at home.
Feeling at Home in Marysville
This type of treatment can quickly spoil even the most seasoned travel writers, but we were able to stay on point. In many cities we visit, the lodging is arranged at a hotel chain, but every once in a while we have this type of experience. Unfortunately, with our schedule being jam-packed with fun activities, we never have enough time to really enjoy our lodging. Trailhead Suites is certainly the kind of place where we could see spending a weekend getaway. The peaceful setting and inviting vibe offers a nice respite from the daily grind. We hope to return in the future to find ourselves once again feeling at home in Marysville.
