As my wife Deb and I have traveled around the country, we’ve stayed with friends, in daring motels, and once in a windowless, converted shipping container, which fortunately had a ventilation system. It’s all worth it for the cause.
Last night in Davis, California — closest place with a hotel to our recent target-city of Winters — we enlarged our experience by staying in a place while, unannounced in its online literature, it was in the middle of being demolished/ improved. The arrow points to our strategically positioned room.
![](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/2014/03/AggieInn2/c4f6fde2c.png)
Fortunately, if there had been some emergency in the night, quick access to a dive for safety was just outside our door. All we had to do was leap.
![](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/2014/03/AggieInn3/277080cf0.png)
Ah well. On the other hand, a few miles away the agricultural scenery around Winters was of surpassing beauty. These are nut trees.
![](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/2014/03/Winters9/aeac3b19c.png)
More about the place and its people tomorrow. If you want tips on where not to stay in Davis, come to us.