A Six-State Bear
Aug. 20th, 2010 09:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
filkertomMichigan. Ohio. Pennsylvania. New York. Massachusetts. Connecticut.
(Sounds like the cast for a mid-80s Saturday morning cartoon.)
On trips for which I allot multiple driving days, I have a bad habit of starting later than I'd like. Part of this is my current Old Fat Guy physical limitation, and part of it is simple Whoops-I-Gotta Syndrome. And one thing to do became another thing to do became fighting with my damn internet connection (thank you so much, AT&T, no really, thank you so very fucking much) became two errands after I was out the door became just after 11:00 a.m. when I finally, officially began the trip for Pi-Con in Enfield, CT.
While it grew warm and humid eventually, it was neither so warm nor so humid as the worst days of this summer, and I started out on the Ohio Turnpike which is always a good thing. Well, actually, of course, I started out on the US-23, and Da Bear got his first countdown at the Michigan-Ohio state line. You know. "10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... OHIO!"
If you don't have children, try this. It is amazing how simple stuff like this makes a trip more fun. We also get excited when, while headed for Columbus, we start seeing the signs for the Olentangy Indian Caverns. You should see us at the gates of Dizzy Whirl.
Anyway. On to the Ohio Turnpike, a very fine road indeed. Unfortunately, part of the reason it's a very fine road is it is regularly maintained, and Hello Road Crew. Ah well. I can deal.
I had to deal a lot. Basically, every major road I traveled on yesterday was under construction. Finefinefine. That's why I have my iPod and Gatorade.
Instead of heading for Philly and parts southeast, this trip took me through Cleveland, up to Buffalo, and then over. The New York Thruway is a very good drive, I'll give you that one. Road's in great shape, the views are wonderful. But apparently bladders and gas tanks work differently in the Empire State, 'cause exits and service plazas are as rare as hen's teeth, and every once in awhile they mention oh yeah, the next service plaza doesn't have gas, hope you can go 75 miles.
Guys? This is no way to run an airline.
Yes, I know it's a road. Shut up.
Anyway. 8:30-ish, Canastota, NY, I saw a sign for a Super 8. As directed to by the signs, I asked the toll booth lady how to get there. She said left at the light, left at the third light, go six miles. Right near a Dunkin Donuts.
Interesting concept of "convenient to the freeway" ya got here.
It was actually left at the fourth light. I didn't find this out till later.
After running around like a crazy person for about twenty minutes, I made my way back to the exit area. Interesting landmark: Graziano's World Famous Restaurant and Inn. And a McDonald's. And a Days Inn. Right near a Dunkin Donuts.
Aha! Mickey D's has bathroom and WiFi. I used the Maps program on the iPod (surprisingly much easier and to the point than the iPod/iPhone version of Google Earth), nailed the Super 8, got the number. They were full up.
Called the Days Inn. Nobody answered.
I didn't try Graziano's. The parking lot was full, and they proudly boast "31 rooms!" And any place touting itself as "world famous", especially with its own built-in attraction (oooh! Boxing photos), isn't a cheap night's sleep.
While I was sorting all this out, Anne called. She was going to bed. I said good night, I'd give her a call in the morning, and got back on the road looking for a decent, cheap motel.
Half-hour between service plazas, not many exits. By the time I got to a potential crash zone, I was caffeinated and wide awake.
And I said to myself, "Self," I said, "let's see how far we can go. Every mile is a mile I don't have to drive in the morning."
More construction, some light rain, and the scariest fog I have ever driven through. Literally couldn't see thirty feet past the car. Thank goodness there was not a lot of traffic, 'cause I dropped it down to 20 mph and carefully crept forward until the road rose above the fog.
Long story short... I'm here. Thirteen hours on the road (and another hour and a half in the aforementioned judicious rest breaks). At 1:30 this morning, I got all the way through to the Holiday Inn in Enfield, CT, which was a Crowne Plaza until literally yesterday, they just finished up the conversion. One of the con people, the extra-helpful Jeff, got me checked in and schlepped stuff to my room, which is large enough to hold an RC-car rally. (I'd say "slot cars", but anybody under the age of 40 would blink in confusion at me.)
And there's an Uno Chicago Grill a few miles back up the freeway, so A Little Bear's Gonna Get Pizza. Which, as you all know, is a stuffed bear's secret power source. If the pizza should ever stop blinking... no, wait, that's Ultra Man.
Anyway. I'm gonna go back to sleep in a bit.
And my Bear will be cuddled beside me, glowing with the knowledge that, thanks to one long, glorious driving day, he is a Six-State Bear.
And how's your weekend looking?
(Sounds like the cast for a mid-80s Saturday morning cartoon.)
On trips for which I allot multiple driving days, I have a bad habit of starting later than I'd like. Part of this is my current Old Fat Guy physical limitation, and part of it is simple Whoops-I-Gotta Syndrome. And one thing to do became another thing to do became fighting with my damn internet connection (thank you so much, AT&T, no really, thank you so very fucking much) became two errands after I was out the door became just after 11:00 a.m. when I finally, officially began the trip for Pi-Con in Enfield, CT.
While it grew warm and humid eventually, it was neither so warm nor so humid as the worst days of this summer, and I started out on the Ohio Turnpike which is always a good thing. Well, actually, of course, I started out on the US-23, and Da Bear got his first countdown at the Michigan-Ohio state line. You know. "10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... OHIO!"
If you don't have children, try this. It is amazing how simple stuff like this makes a trip more fun. We also get excited when, while headed for Columbus, we start seeing the signs for the Olentangy Indian Caverns. You should see us at the gates of Dizzy Whirl.
Anyway. On to the Ohio Turnpike, a very fine road indeed. Unfortunately, part of the reason it's a very fine road is it is regularly maintained, and Hello Road Crew. Ah well. I can deal.
I had to deal a lot. Basically, every major road I traveled on yesterday was under construction. Finefinefine. That's why I have my iPod and Gatorade.
Instead of heading for Philly and parts southeast, this trip took me through Cleveland, up to Buffalo, and then over. The New York Thruway is a very good drive, I'll give you that one. Road's in great shape, the views are wonderful. But apparently bladders and gas tanks work differently in the Empire State, 'cause exits and service plazas are as rare as hen's teeth, and every once in awhile they mention oh yeah, the next service plaza doesn't have gas, hope you can go 75 miles.
Guys? This is no way to run an airline.
Yes, I know it's a road. Shut up.
Anyway. 8:30-ish, Canastota, NY, I saw a sign for a Super 8. As directed to by the signs, I asked the toll booth lady how to get there. She said left at the light, left at the third light, go six miles. Right near a Dunkin Donuts.
Interesting concept of "convenient to the freeway" ya got here.
It was actually left at the fourth light. I didn't find this out till later.
After running around like a crazy person for about twenty minutes, I made my way back to the exit area. Interesting landmark: Graziano's World Famous Restaurant and Inn. And a McDonald's. And a Days Inn. Right near a Dunkin Donuts.
Aha! Mickey D's has bathroom and WiFi. I used the Maps program on the iPod (surprisingly much easier and to the point than the iPod/iPhone version of Google Earth), nailed the Super 8, got the number. They were full up.
Called the Days Inn. Nobody answered.
I didn't try Graziano's. The parking lot was full, and they proudly boast "31 rooms!" And any place touting itself as "world famous", especially with its own built-in attraction (oooh! Boxing photos), isn't a cheap night's sleep.
While I was sorting all this out, Anne called. She was going to bed. I said good night, I'd give her a call in the morning, and got back on the road looking for a decent, cheap motel.
Half-hour between service plazas, not many exits. By the time I got to a potential crash zone, I was caffeinated and wide awake.
And I said to myself, "Self," I said, "let's see how far we can go. Every mile is a mile I don't have to drive in the morning."
More construction, some light rain, and the scariest fog I have ever driven through. Literally couldn't see thirty feet past the car. Thank goodness there was not a lot of traffic, 'cause I dropped it down to 20 mph and carefully crept forward until the road rose above the fog.
Long story short... I'm here. Thirteen hours on the road (and another hour and a half in the aforementioned judicious rest breaks). At 1:30 this morning, I got all the way through to the Holiday Inn in Enfield, CT, which was a Crowne Plaza until literally yesterday, they just finished up the conversion. One of the con people, the extra-helpful Jeff, got me checked in and schlepped stuff to my room, which is large enough to hold an RC-car rally. (I'd say "slot cars", but anybody under the age of 40 would blink in confusion at me.)
And there's an Uno Chicago Grill a few miles back up the freeway, so A Little Bear's Gonna Get Pizza. Which, as you all know, is a stuffed bear's secret power source. If the pizza should ever stop blinking... no, wait, that's Ultra Man.
Anyway. I'm gonna go back to sleep in a bit.
And my Bear will be cuddled beside me, glowing with the knowledge that, thanks to one long, glorious driving day, he is a Six-State Bear.
And how's your weekend looking?
