There’s no hotel entrance at The Retreat. No driveway to pull into, lobby to cross or elevator waiting behind a pair of doors.
You park along South Pine Street in downtown McCormick, gather what you brought with you and head inside the Gable Building. From there, about twenty steps lead to the second floor.
At the top, the stairs open into the shared hallway. The Retreat is the second apartment door, reached by following the hall a little farther in. Beyond it, at the far end of the hallway, a small bookshelf library sits just before the shared laundry area.
The smart lock clicks, the door opens, and the walk up gives way to the reason you made it: a place to put down your bags and stay awhile.
The first few minutes are usually simple. A suitcase finds a corner. The thermostat gets adjusted. A phone connects to the Wi-Fi. The kitchen light comes on, a cabinet or two gets opened, and the flex room waits to become a workspace or simply a little more room to spread out.
The next morning, you make the trip in reverse. Down the hall, past the bookshelf, down the stairs and back onto South Pine Street. Main Street is just around the corner, close enough for coffee, the library or a walk through downtown without moving the car.
Then, at the end of the day, you walk back up.
The first time, everything along the way is unfamiliar. After a few days, the smart lock, the hallway and the turn toward the door require no thought at all.
The first walk up is an arrival. Every one after that is simply the way home.