First, the motel....

So, the Palomino Motel is apparently the only dog-friendly place in Sanford, NC. And they've been dog-friendly forever, even when it really wasn't the thing to do. Dogs are allowed over the entire 17 acres, as well as inside the office. They can even be off-leash, as long as the owner is out with them. And, of course, the owner has to pick up after the dog. All they ask is that the dogs are confined if the owner leaves the room, because some of the house-keeping staff is scared of dogs.

Now for the weird part.....the brochure shows a pretty nice place, and talks about the attached restaurant and all the great golf packages they offer. So, on the way down, I'm actually worrying about getting Reyna down the elevator and through the lobby first thing in the morning for our "But Mommy, I REALLY gotta go!" trip. When we get to the motel, I look around, and realize you couldn't pay me to stay there without having a dog in the room. The place is in good condition, but still feels seedy. A few of the other women I spoke to agreed with me. The place rents rooms by the month, so there are people that just live there. I didn't actually see anyone who concerned me (of course, with Reyna along, very few people concern me), although I did see several people disappear beack into their rooms when they saw us walking around. And there was one room in particular that Reyna was very interested in. It just felt off. And after 3 and a half years working crime scenes, I pay attention to those feelings....

Overall, I wouldn't recommend it for the single woman traveling alone. But if you have company, or a large or noisy dog, its fine. And the hotel staff was very friendly...one office worker asked if I'd leave Reyna with her for a while....