...starting section.
You may be familiar with the Dixie Chopper line of lawn mowers. They're kinda the "hotrods" of mowers. I mean, if you're gonna do it, do it up, right? I've never ridden a "high performance" mower, and I'm sure I don't know what I'm missing. Anyway, this is all relevant, because at 4I7 (four india seven) is an FBO called Dixie Chopper Air. The company runs its executive business center right there at the airport, and there's a restaurant, lounge, pilot shop, and even a hotel right there IN the FBO! At $3.47, their price on fuel was among the cheapest in the country. Sign me up. This was perfect. I could stop, fuel up on the cheap, crash in the hotel for just 50 bucks, and I don't need to worry about ground transportation -- no need to leave the premises. Sweet!
I rolled into Dixie Chopper Air around 6pm central, and when I casually inquired if they had any overnight hangar space available (expecting the answer to be, "Yes, but it costs umpty dollars per night."), the guy working there was kind enough to offer me a spot in their hangar...and since I was staying at their hotel the hangar would be free! I pulled the plane into the sparkling clean hangar, where it spent the night tucked in alongside a nice biz jet...a Dixie Chopper company airplane. I checked into my room, which was basically a suite. This "hotel" right there in the FBO was fantastic. The room was spacious to say the least, had basically a living area and office area and a good sized bathroom. Plus, wireless (and wired) broadband internet. All for 50 bucks! And when I realized I left my laptop power supply in the plane, it wasn't like I had to get a cab or take a rental car back to the airport. I just walked downstairs to the hangar. This place kicks ***...way cheaper, way more convenient than a comparable alternative, and it's a heck of a lot nicer to boot. I will definitely stop there again. Highly recommended!
Flying into French Lick and getting a pick up from the old hotel used to be pretty nice. Since they renovated, I don't know if they've become astronomical in price for food like I've heard the rooms are priced. Pretty country down there, quite a few things to do in that area.
RCR- Fulton County has a couple places to eat via grass taxiway
BAK- Columbus has a diner for breakfast and lunch in the main terminal
3I1- Elwood has a drivein/fly in diner on the westside