California Hotel Guide… vacation planning bliss

This all began when I was feeling stressed out at work. I’ve had too many 10-hour days (while only getting paid for 8). So, I decided that it was time to get away for a few blissful days. I knew I couldn’t be away from work for too long and so I’d have to make my trip local. Since I live in California, I thought I’d research hotels in California for a sunny getaway. To my surprise, while I was shopping, what did I run across? A CD about California hotels! I was jazzed. I thought that this could be the thing I was hoping for, so I snatched up Hotel California. In my trip planning, I wasn’t planning on seeing any eagles, but I noticed that they must be one of the sights that this CD was going to focus on since they were mentioned on the cover.

The photo on the CD is a classic mission-type building with palm trees and a backlit sunrise. It made me want to start planning my trip right away. The font on the CD cover looks like a neon sign that you’d see at a hotel. How cute!

Now, I did notice that the CD is a bit old. It says it’s from 1976, but I was hoping that the information was still up-to-date. Maybe that was naïve of me, but I was hopeful because the guy I bought it from said that it was one of the 10 most popular CDs that’ve ever been sold. I guess, in the interest of being helpful, I’ll name the contributors. Their names are Donald Henley, Joseph Walsh, Glen Frey, Donald Felder, and Randall Meisner.


The information on the index was a little perplexing to me. Maybe it would be best if I just quoted it for you:

Hotel California
New Kid in Town
Life in the Fast Lane
Wasted Time
Wasted Time (Reprise)
Victim of Love
Pretty Maids All in a Row
Try and Love Again
Last Resort

Some of it made sense to me. I expected Hotel California would be a listing of hotels in California, or an intro to the rest of the information. But when I listened to that track on the CD, it sounds like rock and roll. Hmm…Imagine that. I guess that’s imaginative, and since I like some creativity when I’m learning about something (even if it’s consumer information), I kept an open mind. It begins “On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair… Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air”…. (I wonder if we can say “colitas” on Epinions. It might be abuse. I’m sure the naughty-word filter would catch it.) Since I’m drug free (REALLY!) I had to look up “colitas” (although I had my suspicions). For an interesting answer about the word I’d recommend that you go to http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_001.html for the best (and most entertaining) answer to any questions you might have. I did enjoy the guitar and percussion work, though. But I was left ignorant about California hotels (although I was a little scared about the line that sounded familiar to me… “You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave!” [It kind of reminds me about how I feel about this site.] Maybe the next track would be more helpful…


I thought that New Kid in Town was going to cater to the traveler from out of state. Instead, there was something about somebody named Johnny who everybody loves. It had some really nice harmonies. But I don’t get its connection with hotels. Maybe Johnny needed someplace to stay…


The title of the next track Life in the Fast Lane sounded like it might be some advice about driving around on our crazy California freeways without getting a ticket. But it wasn’t. Apparently, there’s an expression about living in the fast lane that refers to doing some unsavory things. Don’t you just hate people who do things that are against the rules? It just upsets everything. People who break rules, show their tushes, or use sarcasm are just plain evil. (There’s even a bad word in it…dare I quote it? They say goshdarned! I’m sorry, I had to paraphrase for you because I know that sometimes children come to this website. (Just the other day I heard my nephew say "I'm gonna go look up Nickelodeon on Epinions before I turn on the TV.") I hope it’s okay that I used that word, but if not, and I get even one NH for cursing, I’ll come back and edit this or just delete it altogether, because I wouldn’t want anyone to be offended. I’m sure glad that we can edit our reviews. I wonder what made them decide to let us do that.)


Anyway, back to the review…….

At first I thought that Wasted Time might be either some suggestions to maximize the time you have for a vacation, or ideas for more relaxing trips without worrying about time. But then, when I saw Wasted Time (Reprise) I assumed they broke up the two topics. Both versions have very beautiful instrumentation. But it’s kind of sad. In fact, it might be one of the saddest, most haunting things I’ve ever heard. Here is a sample from it:

You never thought you'd be alone this far down the line
And I know what's been on your mind
You're afraid it's all been wasted time

I’m not sure how a commentary about love, loneliness, and the meaning of life helps one plan a trip in our state, but it must, or it wouldn’t be on this CD. And I guess that might explain the next few tracks.


At first I was confused, but then I figured that there must be some people who go on vacation looking for romantic interludes, and I thought the next topics might pertain to them. First, Victim of Love, I guessed was some advice about not becoming a victim in the search for romance. But it seems almost more angry than helpful. It talks about “dangerous boys”, “telling secrets”, and guns. Maybe it is a warning after all….

Next, the listing of Pretty Maids All in a Row kind of ticked me off. Being a woman of the 00s, I didn’t appreciate that only the needs of men were addressed, but then again, this CD is 25 years old. Maybe the rights of women weren’t a focus at that time. Again, I liked some of the harmonizing, but it wasn’t very helpful in travel planning or advice.

I did think it was strange that the next item on the list was Try and Love Again, when I realized that this must be a chapter providing resources for the more mature audience or for those who had had a previous relationship during travel. It seems a little more hopeful than the previous few sections, for example, saying “Well, it might take years to see through all these tears. Don't let go, when you find it you will know.” Maybe they’re talking about finding the right hotel when they say that. Finally getting to the main subject! It’s about time.


The last listing baffled me when I first saw it. Last Resort could be another bit of dating information (but I don’t think anyone should settle). Or it could be getting back to the more expected travel/hotel topic of relaxing resorts (but last resort?…as in eternal resort? …maybe they’re not that morbid). Instead it was sad and beautiful, and was about how everyone’s idea of paradise is different, and how when we don’t treat someplace properly, we may lose it. Hmm….another metaphor comes to mind.

It’s funny. There was no further mention of any eagles, and I did think it odd that a CD on travel in California went into such depth in the area of romance, but who knows. Overall, the information on hotels was pretty much useless, although I liked the music. Think I’ll stick with the auto club for my next trip…..


Maybe this CD is about more than just hotels in California. Maybe people do take themselves too seriously, so maybe we should all keep things in perspective and lighten up.