Scraping Frost to Sweating Bullets

The trip to Bountiful (aka Minneapolis) is over. I’ve returned home full of ambitions for the upcoming months, admonishments to myself do better with Dad and admiration (if not outright adoration) for my Twin Cities and Madison friends.

Travel Tips and Observations - If you’re on a road trip and making reservations only a couple of hours in advance and on a budget, the best way to get a good hotel rate is to pick up one of those throw-away papers at a rest stop. Call ahead, tell them you have a coupon and make the reservation. I use La Quinta a lot and this method got me a much better price on a room than calling the LQ Rewards line or making the reservation on the internet. I was never quite sure where I would land for the evening; this method provided me with the most travel flexibility.

A hostess tip: When I come into your restaurant, don’t say .. “Just one?” or “How many in your party?” There is one of me and I’m not to be pitied. Just say hello and get me a table with some light so I can read. (Notice I have a book in my hand and there is no one else with me.) I like the quiet time.

Do you ever look at other drivers as you pass them or they pass you? Do you try to see what the truckers look like? Well, I can tell you that for most of my trip. the faces behind the wheel were plug ugly. No hirsute scenery worth woofing over. Some people have been skinny-dipping in the shallow end of the gene pool with their cousins; more and more results are driving :)

Stats - Temperature when I left Madison on Tuesday morning (after scraping frost off of the windows) - 27 degrees F. Temperature when I arrived home in Brenham yesterday at 4:30pm - 89 degrees F.

Final Trip Odometer Reading - 3,078 miles between October 10 - October 25.

A Surprise! - I stopped for lunch yesterday in Dallas at the Blackeyed Pea on Cedar Springs. At 12:30pm each day they do a random drawing for a free lunch. My table won. I had my chicken tenders, smashed potatoes, glazed carrots, apple cobbler and vanilla ice cream for free! It only cost me a $3 tip. YAY! (The savings were certainly welcome at the end of two weeks on the road:)

Thanks to everyone for their words of support, their kindness and affection. You made this journey a memorable one. I’ve made some decisions (besides singing to Sirius for 3000 miles). Stay tuned ....

Scraping Frost to Sweating Bullets

The trip to Bountiful (aka Minneapolis) is over. I’ve returned home full of ambitions for the upcoming months, admonishments to myself do better with Dad and admiration (if not outright adoration) for my Twin Cities and Madison friends.

Travel Tips and Observations - If you’re on a road trip and making reservations only a couple of hours in advance and on a budget, the best way to get a good hotel rate is to pick up one of those throw-away papers at a rest stop. Call ahead, tell them you have a coupon and make the reservation. I use La Quinta a lot and this method got me a much better price on a room than calling the LQ Rewards line or making the reservation on the internet. I was never quite sure where I would land for the evening; this method provided me with the most travel flexibility.

A hostess tip: When I come into your restaurant, don’t say .. “Just one?” or “How many in your party?” There is one of me and I’m not to be pitied. Just say hello and get me a table with some light so I can read. (Notice I have a book in my hand and there is no one else with me.) I like the quiet time.

Do you ever look at other drivers as you pass them or they pass you? Do you try to see what the truckers look like? Well, I can tell you that for most of my trip. the faces behind the wheel were plug ugly. No hirsute scenery worth woofing over. Some people have been skinny-dipping in the shallow end of the gene pool with their cousins; more and more results are driving :)

Stats - Temperature when I left Madison on Tuesday morning (after scraping frost off of the windows) - 27 degrees F. Temperature when I arrived home in Brenham yesterday at 4:30pm - 89 degrees F.

Final Trip Odometer Reading - 3,078 miles between October 10 - October 25.

A Surprise! - I stopped for lunch yesterday in Dallas at the Blackeyed Pea on Cedar Springs. At 12:30pm each day they do a random drawing for a free lunch. My table won. I had my chicken tenders, smashed potatoes, glazed carrots, apple cobbler and vanilla ice cream for free! It only cost me a $3 tip. YAY! (The savings were certainly welcome at the end of two weeks on the road:)

Thanks to everyone for their words of support, their kindness and affection. You made this journey a memorable one. I’ve made some decisions (besides singing to Sirius for 3000 miles). Stay tuned ....