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Description:
The Best Western Tradewinds Courtyard Inn offers a friendly and comfortable atmosphere. Guests can enjoy hunting, fishing and skiing at Foss Lake and after a day of fun can relax at a leisurely meal at the Route 66 Restaurant. Come stay at the Best Western Tradewinds Courtyard Inn and let our friendly staff take care of your lodging needs. We are located on the historic Route 66. Wherever you are going, or wherever you have been, you will not find a warmer welcome than at the Best Western Tradewinds Courtyard Inn in Clinton. Across the street from the Best Western Tradewinds Courtyard Inn and its fine Route 66 Restaurant (be sure to try the catfish)!, you will see the Route 66 Museum. When you stop at the Best Western Tradewinds Courtyard Inn, be sure to ask about the days when the King stayed there. Click on Rooms to read the story.
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Overview:
THE KING AND THE GOLD CROWN... By William H. Skip Boyer When the King took to the open road, it was only natural that he stay at the sign of the Gold Crown. In Clinton, Okla., it made perfect sense then, and the occasional visits by Elvis and his entourage during the glory days of Route 66 have become part of the folklore of this western Oklahoma community. Dr. Walter S. Mason Jr., a native Oklahoman, remembers how it began. Mason is the owner of the Best Western Tradwinds Courtyard Inn--the sign of the Gold Crown--located at the Clinton junction of I-40 and old Route 66. "Back in the '60s," he recalls, "Elvis Presley stayed with us on four different occasions. He was traveling from Memphis to Las Vegas or Los Angeles and Clinton was a good overnight stopping place. His manager always handled the bookings and asked for the same rooms." That the undisputed King of Rock 'n Roll should choose the Best Western Tradewinds Courtyard Inn has never surprised the veteran hotelier. "He was always a very satisfied guest," Mason confirms in a tone that clearly indicates there should never have been any doubt. When the star visited, the routine was usually the same. Presley and his traveling crew would arrive about midnight and sleep most of the following day, ordering meals from room service. Elvis was almost as ellusive then as he is now. "We never actually saw him until his last visit," Mason admits. A housekeeper delivering meals to the Presley suite recognized the rock idol and, following her shift, "made a Paul Revere ride through the downtown area. It wasn't long before everyone in town knew who was occupying room 215 at the Trade Winds," Mason smiles. Elvis took the discovery in good spirits, and came out to mingle with the crowd that gathered. After playing ball with some children in the parking lot, he and his entourage loaded their mini-bus. "He drove away and never came back," says Mason, making Clinton, Okla., one of the few places on Earth where Elvis hasn't been spotted since his reported death. Guests at Mason's inn can still experience a echo of the King, however. The restaurant still serves steaks and catfish, German sausage and apple pie. And the King's rooms are still there, with a plate on the door of room 215 identifying the . "The suite still has many of the original furnishings from the times Elvis stayed with us," Mason says, "including the bed, vanity, daybed divan and bathroom furnishings." Clinton and the Best Western Tradwinds Courtyard Inn are still located in a perfect overnight stopping place for highway travelers, about 90 miles west of Oklahoma City on I-40 and a day's drive from many major Midwestern cities, including Kansas City and Houston, Little Rock and the booming new heart of country music, Branson, Mo. The nice thing about the location, Mason adds with a smile, is that you just never know who is going to drop by.
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Best Western Tradewinds Courtyard Inn
