Most memories sting when they're over. Some memories just live on rent-free in your head. Our stay at SugarMynt Gallery falls somewhere in between. Staying here, especially on Halloween, felt like one of those 'once-in-a-lifetime' moments you always hear about, and then when you're in the moment, you can't really process it. That sounds like hyperbole, but it's true. Blame it on the atmosphere, the neighborhood, the history, the hospitality, but all of the above just warranted an experience I'll remember forever. 10 years from now. 20 years from now. On my deathbed. Okay, maybe that's a little hyberbole.
Even so, our stay at SaraRose's was an experience I just never wanted to end. Staying behind the Myers' House on Halloween ... as a longtime fan, it felt like a bucket list moment. And one you know was a bucket list in the moment. But that's the thing about life, you can only just sit back and try to soak up every moment, and the stay was so pure, so imaginative, and so immersive, that it was almost too much to take in.
Again, apologies for the hyperbole, but I can only say this much: I've spent 20+ years obsessing over this franchise. I've had outstanding moments with my friends and colleagues, dissecting every facet of John Carpenter and Debra Hill's timeless creation. And yet, none of that holds a candle to the night we spent on Halloween, watching the film and sleeping behind the "house that started it all." That notion alone was priceless, but then you factor in the original artwork within SaraRose's gallery, the intricate details within the room, and the reality that feels like fiction ... it was overwhelming.
I'll leave you with an image: Before night's end, when I was a couple hours before dawn, I peered outside the back window. I could still hear giggling across the South Pasadena neighborhood, no doubt teens running around the iconic house. It was pure joy, and it was as palpable as a chilly air running through the eaves. I had to pinch myself, knowing where I was, and when.
SugarMynt offers that experience, and everyone is entitled to one good stay.