Traveling Details

I miss Holiday Inn's "Great Sign"

For the first time since April, 2017, I'm getting ready to hit the road.

This could lead to a full breakdown of the breakdown that has been life since then, but we will ignore that for now.

Despite assertions that I "do whatever I want," I can assure you I truly don't.

Like traveling. I truly love to travel. Driving, of course, being my favorite. People think I'm nuts when I say I'll jump on a bus for a road game, or drive to some far-off place to call a game, only to have to drive back home.

But I love it.

When I plan the trip, I obsess.

Such it is that we'll be hitting the road soon to go to North Carolina to officially welcome Kelly into the Hatfields...er...McCoys....um...our family. Kelly and my niece Laura will marry in early September just outside of Chapel Hill.

There's an irony to this, by the way. Kelly works for NC State, and you don't dare even mention the University of North Carolina without him glaring. If you don't know, UNC is located in...where?...Chapel Hill.

We'll be staying in Durham that night, home of "The DOOKIES." (Duke University, for those who don't know).

So as this trip has come together, I have worked to figure out our game plan. What day do we leave? What route will I use going south? North?

Where are we going to stay (besides Durham)?

My niece Kristy is going to host us for the first two nights when we get there, but then we (me, mom, Sean) are getting displaced for a party two nights before the wedding*.

*I have another name for the party. Just saying.

So I began to agonize. Did I mention we need to stay within striking distance of Fayetteville because my mom has to have dialysis treatment at a to-be-determined time on Saturday?

So I dug around.

Marriott...

Hilton...

IHG (Holiday Inn)...

I went through Trip Advisor. Trivago. Kayak. Even Airbnb (and I was really tempted).

I looked at every scenario.

Looks nice...good price...decent size room...remember, we have Sean...need at least two queen beds, if not a sleeper sofa.

Price, of course, matters. But so does a pool. And it's got be clean. Sort of common sense. Free breakfast is nice but not necessary (good lord, there are TEN Waffle Houses around Fayetteville!).

I tried to tell myself it's. Just. One. Night. I argued with myself to just live for once and get something nice.

I had decided. Towneplace Suites by Marriott. It looked like it had everything we needed. It is on Skibo Road, which is a main thoroughfare with lots of commerce for a Friday night. We could grab dinner at Golden Corral (my god, Sean loves that stuff) then walk around 2nd & Charles. Then jump in the pool and call it a night. Perfect.

Not.

I had waited too long.

Soon, the Fairfield Inn that I looked at had jumped in price to where I was potentially dropping $150.

The agony continued. Kristy, finally, rescued me with a quick word and an "Uncle. You're staying at the Comfort Inn."

She booked it.

We can almost walk to Waffle House from it.

So now...do I skip the New Jersey Turnpike and the tolls? Avoid DC totally? Go out through Pennsylvania and pick up 95 near Fredericksburg...

I do love it. Promise.

* This, incidentally, will serve (for now) as our anniversary post. Shockingly, I've kept this address of the "Information Superhighway" (remember that?) for 12 years. Here's post number one, from August 17, 2006.