no destinations

GenCon to North Platte

August 8, 2016

Miles Driven: 890

Parks Visited: 0

I shall admit up front that today’s blog will be a bit more of a visual montage since my brains are muddled after such a long drive. Really, I’ve got only three stories standing out in my mind.

A beautiful hotel room. I nearly cried when I walked into the room tonight. Some of you may know that when I arrived in Indy, I had my Roadtrip! nightmare. My confirmed hotel for GenCon had been cancelled the previous Friday (July 29^th) unbeknownst to me. Apparently, the hotel tried to charge the bill prior to my arrival, which they claimed was some sort of policy. The credit card denied the charge because the company seems to think my travels are continuously fraudulent unless I approve them. The hotel called me. I did not have cell service in South Dakota. They decided to leave a message on my home phone, which I hadn’t been checking. I mean who’s gonna leave me a message there? When I arrived the manager unceremoniously told me she’d cancelled the room and there was nothing to do about it. ‘Have a nice day.’

Luckily, or so I thought, the desk manager helped find me another room. As it turns out, I think I was the only GenCon person staying there – if it was even on the GenCon option list to begin with. It was billed as a suite, which I leapt at given how desperate I felt. The definition of suite came from the worn-out Jacuzzi tub replete with brass fixtures, a bed on a small pedestal, and mirrors everywhere. The tub was the highlight of the room simply because it worked. Here’s a small list of the things that did not really function:

- the ac fan had a continuous high-pitched whine

-the clock had a poltergeist-like static thing randomly coming through its speaker (even no radio or alarm was on)

-out of 3 outlets in the room, only half of the plugs worked

-the actual shower was so small you could only barely fit in it, let alone do any shower activities

-the shower door opened any time you shifted

-the toilet was not bolted down

-the tv had about 15 channels

So, yes, I cried when I opened the door to this La Quinta and found a desk, a comfy chair, a normal bed, a standard shower, fixtures that work, and I don’t have to spend every moment in the room looking at myself. Darn you, Whiskers, I could have really used your fame!

Corn. Miles. And. Miles. And. Miles. Of. Corn. I do not think that I was ever without picturesque acres of the waving staple the entire way from Indianapolis to North Platte. I’m serious! I can see some from my hotel window now. After the first farm, one begins to yearn for something different than the near ripe fields of green. In fact, I did cheer when I saw baby corn stalks. Who named this the corn ‘belt’? It’s not a belt! At the very least it’s a pantsuit complete with sensible shoes and matching accessories.

The Kearney Archway. This was, by far, the highlight of the day. Ok, maybe this room is. Still, it was a gloriously kitschy find, suggested to me by my parents. You can’t miss it. It spans I-80. For the low price of $15/adult, you can follow the history of The Lincoln Highway. This history spans the time from the emigrant trails to the railroad to the interstate system. It’s done in the best imitation-Disney presentation possible, I suspect. It took me only about 40 minutes and honestly, it really was fun.

So, it’s time for me to kick up my heels, eat some ramen and watch the Olympics. Tomorrow begins my real adventure across the West again.

Until tomorrow from Carhenge, Scotts Bluff, Chimney Rock, and Ft. Laramie…

Safe Travels!

Roadtrip! Daily Game

Current Status

Board Location: Nebraska

Happiness: Content (5)

Energy: Perky (4)

Souvenirs: 3

Money: $14

Daily Synopsis

Well, the epic road trip is halfway over. And already, my game passengers are asking, 'Are we there yet?'. Well, it was our longest driving day. I perhaps should have refilled the travel bar too, but I held off, in case I needed that additional dollar. I tried cheering everyone up at the Radon Health Spa, but I don't think anything will do. What we need are more beautiful sites to see. Luckily, we'll be back in the mix tomorrow.

Previous: Day 11 - Chamberlain to Morton

Next: Day 13 - Scotts Bluff & Fort Laramie