Traveling

We spent this past weekend in Washington visiting family and a new baby (she's beautiful!). It was a quick trip, which always aggravates my fibromyalgia, but I am feeling much better today, after a good night's sleep in my own bed. I am so glad to have my travel version of the Cuddle Ewe, but it doesn't take the place of my full size one at home, which, of course, tops a luscious foam mattress.

If you have fibromyalgia or arthritis and are unfamiliar with the Cuddle Ewe wool mattress topper, you really should take a look at it (just google Cuddle Ewe). It's expensive, but I can't tell you what a difference it makes. The travel version comes in it's own carrying case, and I made a washable cover for mine out of a sheet. (The Cuddle Ewe itself is not washable.)

Beyond the problem of finding a comfortable bed, the chemical sensitivities are always an issue when traveling, particularly when it comes to lodging. I have great family members, who keep their homes safe enough for me to come stay, but motels are another matter. We knew we would have to stay in a motel at least one night on this trip, so I got on the phone well in advance to see what could be done to accommodate my needs.

Ideally, I like to stay in a place that advertises itself as fragrance-free or chemical-free. There are really quite a number of bed and breakfast inns that fit this description, but mostly in Canada or on the east coast of the U.S.

We were lucky this trip. We spent Friday night at the Post Falls, Idaho Sleep Inn. It is entirely non-smoking. The manager was familiar with chemical sensitivity and went out of his way to be accommodating. I called almost a week before our stay and made a reservation for a room which would not be used in the interim time period. The best part about the room was that it had a window, which I opened as soon as we arrived and left open a crack through the night. I ran into only two problems at this motel. They have an indoor swimming pool just down the hallway from the main lobby, so the lobby smelled slightly of chlorine. However, they had the lobby doors open to the outside, so that helped. The other problem I encountered was when I got out of the shower the next morning and grabbed a towel, which had a slight scent. (It goes without saying that I never use soap or any other personal care products supplied by a motel.) I will remember to bring my own towel next time.

On our way home Sunday night we got stuck in a snow storm and couldn't make it over the last pass to get home. So we stayed in the Best Western at exit 101 in Missoula, Montana. I had not called ahead on this one, so I was a little apprehensive, but it turned out to be a very positive experience. This motel is all non-smoking, and I couldn't smell anything at all when I walked into the lobby. Again, I asked for a room that had not been used for a few days, and then I went and looked at the room before paying for it. I sniffed the sheets and the towels and could smell, ahhh, nothing at all. This was the best motel room I have stayed in for a long time.

Of course, there's nothing quite like home sweet home, but it's nice to know that I can get away once in awhile.