Dixon emphasizes that the Iron Horse is not a biker hotel, but a boutique hotel that has special amenities and facilities for higher-end bikers. Dixon’s original plan was simply a nice hotel, but things have a way of insinuating themselves into one’s plans.
Right now Dixon is experiencing his share of challenges, but he’s also had Lady Luck riding pillion from time to time. The poured-aluminum wall sculptures were made by the free pour method. In plain English this means taking a bucket of molten aluminum and dumping it onto the floor. It’s left to cool and harden without any working whatsoever, and whatever it comes out is what’s hung on the wall. In the sample room I looked at, one of the free pour wall sculptures had prophetically taken on the shape of a horse’s head. Now is that karma, or what?
(The reason the sculptures are aluminum and not iron, which would be appropriate to fit the name of the hotel, is because of weight. The sculptures are made from recycled aluminum, polished to a brilliant patina, and displayed above the headboards of the beds in each room. I wouldn’t want a few hundred pounds of solid iron hanging over my head – I wouldn’t sleep a wink.)
Lady Luck was with him from the beginning as well, apparently. I thought Tim bought the building with the Harley market in mind, but it turns out the real progression was the opposite. He bought the property and then chose the name. After the name was chosen, it was discovered that the building’s century-old distinct carved capitals serendipitously resembled an “I” in the shape of a horse head, and an “H.” The icon was born and now subtly graces the facades of the hotel.
Dixon later learned of the plans for the Harley Museum. I’d say this wasn’t luck. I’d say it was clearly Dixon’s destiny, and he was simply going through the motions of doing something that was preordained by a higher being, most likely the as-yet-unnamed Motorcycle God. (Any ideas, readers?)
Motorcycle hotels, while not abundant, are present in many areas outside the US, especially in the area of the Alps, where there are countless roads to wander and ooh and aah at. I had occasion to drive from Germany to northeastern Italy a number of times, and on more than one occasion I drove south from Frankfurt and looped east around the Alps on my way to Aviano, which is near the Slovenian border, in the southern foothills of the Alps in northeastern Italy.
On my return trip to Germany, I continued northeast and came around through Austria, through the foothills on the northern side of the mountain range, making a complete loop around the Alps. On other trips I’d sometimes cross the Alps, for the really picturesque, gorgeous, postcard-perfect scenery. You’ll find an abundance of two-wheelers of all sizes and descriptions throughout Europe, Asia and South America, and you’ll find motorcycle hotels there, as well.
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