Rainy Pennsylvania

If you imagine one of those old movies where they move a little cartoon car across a map, you can move my little car to the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. But my car's not so little... the rental car woman this morning upgraded me to a premium car, without even asking. I'm not quite sure why -- I was a bit discombobulated when I walked in because my street was closed due to subway construction so I had to schlepp my bags to First Avenue, then get a cab and I wasn't going that far, but the street closure made it a roundabout route. I had a great driver who actually thought I overtipped him but I was just grateful that he cheerfully put this giant suitcase in and out of the trunk.

So she upgraded me. While I was waiting for my car, this older Australian couple was returning theirs. This was their first trip to the US and they came to New York and then drove to the Great Smokey Mountains -- it just sounded like an odd combination. I always wonder what people think of this country -- they appeared to love it and love their time in Tennessee.

I have decided that with Mapquest and Google Maps, you need to add an hour for every three hours they say. Has anyone ever made it in the amount of time they say? I couldn't have stopped for more than 30 minutes total -- didn't even have to get gas, and it was more like seven hours, not five.

I was thinking that I don't think they allow for any kind of traffic -- there was a long jam up where everyone had to get into one lane and it took forever, and then you drive for miles on the one lane and there's not a worker or machine in sight. Drove in and out of a few bad thunderstorms, and it's raining here now.

When I get to Wisconsin, I am staying for the week in a Microtel. I had never stayed in one, just thought of it as a chain -- but when I was making a hotel reservation for tonight and tomorrow night, I found a good rate at a Microtel.

Well... DUH ON ME about the hotel. When I pulled up, it looks fine; it looks like any other medium grade chain hotel. The lobby is annoyingly decorated with cheap USA-type decorations, as if they are left over from a July 4th party... still didn't think anything of it, or the name... Continental breakfast area looks the same... Go to my room, am pulling my huge bag, juggling my purse, the room key, still holding the car keys, have to go to the toilet and I gasp. The room is TINY.

I had to laugh because the MICRO in Microtel didn't connect in my brain. Just never thought about why the chain is named this. Bear in mind that I think it's small based on someone used to NYC apartments! It's small. Actually it's sort of cozy, like a room on a boat with a place for everything and everything in its place. If this was your room on a cruise ship, you'd think "Wow, it's not that small."

The TV is on top of the closet which is more like a double locker. But it's very clean, very new, very sparkly and I thought if I had to give up new, clean or size, I would gladly give up size. And it's all mine for $62. And the cable includes both
Travel Channel and Animal Planet so I can watch Whale Wars and my ghost program. Now, that's living!