A while back I blogged about the unfortunate situation surrounding the Purple Hotel, a local landmark just north of Chicago which was facing demolition. That situation still hasn’t been resolved, although the hotel is closed. Yesterday, I heard of another landmark hotel which is slated for destruction.

The Brickyard Crossing Inn was built in 1963 alongside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 96-room hotel was the first hotel in the immediate area. For many years, simply getting a room at the BCI during the month of May was nearly impossible.

The hotel had many significant moments. The Beatles stayed there once and created a traffic jam as word spread. Paul Newman filmed part of his movie Winning at the hotel. After winning the inaugural Brickyard 400, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon celebrated his win by ordering pizza in his room there.

In the early days of the BCI, NASCAR (like most professional sports) wasn’t nearly the mega-bucks business that it is today. Most of the drivers and race officials stayed at the BCI. Now, drivers have posh vans for their living needs while they are at the track.

The BCI (like the Purple Hotel) simply has become outdated. Unfortunately, it is so outdated that the cost to bring it up to speed (pun intended) is too much. The problems are twofold: form and function. Upgrading would require too much capital investment as opposed to simply building something else.

Larry Foyt (son of legendary driver AJ Foyt) stayed at the BCI in recent years, but he brought in his own high-definition television. He reportedly joked that the BCI’s TV wasn’t compatible with his Xbox.

Sadly, it really wasn’t a joke. Things like in-room high-definition TVs are now the norm, even at mid-range hotels. That’s really just one small component.

This closure will not affect the main building of Brickyard Crossing, which houses the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course, Golf Shop, the Flag Room pub, a restaurant and conference room space. For these, it will be business as usual.

There is talk of a new, world-class hotel rising in its place. Perhaps there will even be a shuttle service or some sort of easy connection to downtown Indianapolis. The only sure thing is that the space will not remain vacant for long.

I have nothing against big, luxurious hotels. Many of them are fine supporters of Global Traveler magazine. I have even stayed at some. However, I can’t help but feel that something is lost when a place like this closes.

I don’t know what the answer is. I support Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest” theory. No hotel can stay in business if it lacks so much to compete.

Maybe things like this simply pull me back to a simpler time in life. I remember hotels advertising air-conditioning and free TV. Imagine a hotel promoting just that today! Even Bed and Breakfasts have those two “luxuries.”

Soon the BCI will be gone but hopefully not forgotten. Maybe the lesson for me is to appreciate other such places now.

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

The New Year is a time for celebration and a time to start over anew. Last year was an eventful year for me, filled with new jobs, a new home and lots of travel. While 2008 had me bouncing around from place to place and job to job, I am definitely ready to be settled in for 2009. Well, not completely settled because that would get a little boring, but I am excited to be in one place with one great job!

The New Year is also a time for New Year’s resolutions. Most people vow to work out more and lose weight, but that is not always easy. With a busy work schedule it is almost impossible to get to the gym. At least, that is the excuse I use! This year I have decided to forgo the whole New Year’s resolution thing and work on just being myself. I am going to try to go on more runs and I want to start my own jewelry line, but I am not calling them resolutions. I am calling them plans. That way I won’t be disappointed if I don’t follow through with them. But to all of you who are making resolutions, good luck!

May your New Year be filled with good health and good fun!

-Jackie Adam, advertising and editorial coordinator

Global Traveler will be celebrating its fifth year of publishing with the February issue. It truly marks a milestone for the company; a company that weathered probably more than most companies of comparable size have had to endure. 12/28, yesterday, marked the date that the fledgling Global Traveler was sued by a competitive title, simply to keep us down and make us spend money. If you have yet to be sued, you must try it — as they say, you’re nobody until you have been sued!

Fortunately, all lawyer jokes aside, we had some great attorneys that took on a company 100 times our size and made them cry momma! Not that it did not cause many sleepless nights — but those early mornings were well used to keep Global Traveler ticking in the beginning stages. Ask Alex about the emails at 4 a.m.!

I must send many kudos to Alexandra Young and Lisa Matte. They helped me keep the company rolling and kept my spirits up during those days.

Once we brushed the riff raff from our back — and won the frivolous lawsuit that it was — it was smooth sailing ahead. Well, sort of. But, the last couple of years have really seen Global Traveler grow — from 10 issues a year to 12 with five bonus editions in 2008. We have surpassed all of the competition, on every level, and it is gratifying to see what a wonderful publication GT has become.

Like all companies, we are expecting a challenging year, but we are in a good position compared to others in the marketplace — including the one that “served us” on 12/28/04!

-Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

I woke up this morning to the sound of palm fronds rustling in the breeze and a view of the blue Pacific just beyond the red-tile roofs and white stucco of our resort complex. To think that less than 24 hours ago I was gazing upon slush-clogged streets and low, gray clouds! We arrived last night here after dark, and a chill wind was blowing at the time, so to wake up to this summery view and 60-degree temperatures makes it seem even more as if I have been dropped into some wonderful dream.

We are staying at the La Paloma Tennis Club and Resort complex where our time-share vacation plan has a number of condos. Located in Rosarito in northern Baja California, it is about 25 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border. While certainly not as trendy as Cabo San Lucas and likely not quite as warm, this place is a heavenly oasis after the past year of hustle and bustle I’ve experienced. We have several pools and hot tubs to choose from, tennis courts, sauna, spa facilities, FREE WiFi in our apartment, a gym and beautifully landscaped grounds.  For me, though, the best thing about this place is our west-facing balcony, giving me a quiet, sheltered, sunny spot from which to gaze out on the ocean and read (or not). Shortly, I will be watching the sun set and enjoying the fact that I don’t have to do anything or be anywhere by any particular time–for a whole week.

I have decided that I will not even consider any New Year’s resolutions until after we return north next weekend. In the meantime, I have made a few vacation resolutions: I will not put on make-up unless we go out to dinner (or unless my husband or daughter refuse to be seen with me, but they’re not likely to make a fuss–if they know what’s good for them!); I will read at least two books (GT’s editor in chief Lisa Matte and associate editor Jan Hecht gave me some great recommendations which found their way onto my Christmas list and under the tree); I will eat whatever I want whenever I want without thinking (too much) about the consequences; I will try to learn and use at least three new Spanish words or phrases a day; and beyond booking a massage and a facial, I will not schedule my days with places to go or things to do, but I will definitely, maybe, get out and do something each day–if I feel like it.

Now excuse me, but the sunset is not going to wait.

Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Over the last few days I have been witness to the tail-end of the great snow event in the Pacific Northwest, an apocalyptic phenomenon one Seattle radio show host has drolly dubbed “Snowmageddon 2008.” While a large portion of the country has experienced below-normal temperatures and snow at this same time, for most the inclement weather was either short-lived or not beyond what is normally experienced at this time of year. However, nearly two weeks of snow, ice and sub-freezing temperatures in the normally temperate west side of the Cascades is highly unusual, and the citizens here haven’t seen a similar such event in forty years.

Both Portland and Seattle international airports saw massive delays and cancellations, some due to the fact that both ran out of de-icer for the planes. Portland’s normally efficient light-rail system saw portions of the lines shut down due to ice on the tracks, and many bus lines in the major cities were not able to run at all due to broken chains, icy and unplowed streets and steep terrain. On top of all that, there are very few snowplows in this part of the country, where a large fleet is not economically reasonable because it is so rarely needed. Usually snowfall here is light and disappears in warm rains after a day or two at most. And, with the busy holiday travel and shopping season, such a major weather event could not have come at a worse time.

When we drove into the City of Roses (now the city of rutted ice, abandoned vehicles and snow-clogged streets) two days ago, we were surprised to see that even parts of major highways and arterials had obviously never enjoyed the services of a plow, although sanding trucks had attacked some areas. After a few days of temperatures in the forties and nights above freezing, the snow and ice are rapidly melting away, and soon things will be back to normal.  Now The Oregonian’s editorial pages are filled with commentary and letters to the editor decrying the pathetic official response to the traffic troubles and calling for studies and reviews . . . and more than a few heads. Realistically, though, after a few weeks of such noise, the realities of the current economic situation and the rarity of the past weeks’ weather will mean that the 30-year old plows will likely not be replaced or the fleet increased any time soon. The memories of those who lived through the mess will focus on their pioneer-like perseverance through the worst of it, and everyone will go back to grumbling about the rain and winter gloom.

And me, lucky me, will be blissfully reliving my week in Mexico!

 Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader