Arrival!

Kate in the "University Hotel" Lobby in Auburn Alabama

Kate and I arrived at the hotel after quite a bit of traveling and we were amazed by how attractive everything was. The lobby had a number of extremely comfortable leather couches. The lighting was nicely done, but not too bright. Everything reminded me of an area that one could chill out and drink whiskey with the good old boys. While we were waiting for our room, the desk attendant informed me of the fact that the hotel was actually owned by the university. I was a bit surprised by this; never before had I heard of a university owning and operating a hotel. It is likely that the actual operation is contracted out, but I still thought it was still an interesting arrangement.

Really Cool Clock Tower

After settling a bit into the hotel, Kate and I decided to walk around the town of Auburn. The first building we noticed was their beautiful clock tower. A bright spotlight illuminated the clock, letting everyone know what time it is. Unfortunately, my cell phone camera does not due justice to this beautiful piece of architecture.

Kate eating at Jimmy John's Sub Shop

I was originally attracted to Jimmy John's in an attempt to eat at the most Southern sounding restaurant possible. The subs were really good! Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of my actual sub, but it was tasty. At $5.94 I think it was comparable to Subway's non-daily special. I was particularly amused by a sign they had up.

Sign at Jimmy John's in Auburn Alabama

Kate in front of the Clock Tower

Other than Jimmy John's and many bars, everything else was closed by the time we arrived (about 10:00 p.m.) Most of Auburn's buildings were brick and very old looking, but well kept. The lack of nightclubs was a little odd to me; I saw about seven bars and no place to dance. Perhaps in such a college town bars are preferred to most people, or perhaps I just missed it if one was present.