With the change in route, I had to spend the weekend getting myself from the east side of Missouri to North Carolina. Only about 600-700 miles, but I broke the trip up into two parts.
First stop: Nashville.
Nashville was only about 200 miles from Sikeston, but it nibbled away at the drive I’d have on Saturday and Sunday.
I crossed the Mississippi via bridge and landed in Tennessee on the other side. I drove along, watching the farmland roll by. I was also keeping and eye on the odometer.
Not too long until 200,000 miles.
To put it in perspective, the Moon is about 240,000 miles from earth.
We’re getting closer.
Closer!
Only one more mile to go!
Bingo! 200,000 miles! What’s next?
Oh, yeah…keep on driving.
I had made a reservation in a place I found on some hotel booking site. The man who booked the room for me was very enthusiastic about the place, and he specifically talked up the advantages of the kitchen that each “suite” had.
Now, back when Dad and I would take Mom back to visit folks in Buffalo, we would stay at Residence Inn. That is kind of what I expected. A completely outfitted kitchen – pots, pans, dishes silverware and so on. The price should have been a giveaway.
Yes, there was a kitchen, but there was nothing in the kitchen.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing, unless you want to include the ice cube trays.
And the laundry basket in the closet.
Heck, they didn’t even provide coat hangers! I wish I could remember the name of this place so that I could warn you not to stay there. But, it was only for one night, and the bed was comfortable enough, as I remember.
Once at the hotel, I went in search of dinner.
I went to a pizzeria called Bellacino’s. The pizza was good, and I had leftovers.
Breakfast and lunch for the next day. My adventures in fine dining didn’t start until later in my trip.
The next day I was planning to tour something on my “Next Time” list: The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home.