the beginning

So. Maine.

Well here I am. It's been a little less than 72 hours since my arrival and there are a couple of things of note about Maine that I would like to share:

1. Entering a highway involves a "yield" sign. This is throwing me off far more than it really should, which is now making me question my driving abilities.

2. The Arby's down the street serves lobster rolls. I am excited about the supposed abundance of lobster to be enjoyed over the next year. However, Arby's?! Lobster from a fast-food restaurant, let alone one that doesn't specialize in seafood, is not appealing. One-way ticket to the emergency room? Check.

The Trip:

I left Oxford, OH, my home for the past 6 years bright and early (6:45am) Saturday, July 17. This was to be an almost 1100 mile trip to be split over two days. Google maps and my GPS greatly disagreed over the estimated time to get here (via the same route), the former suggesting 18 hours, the latter 16. I decided that 16 was the more accurate estimate. Yes, I realize me believing this to be true would not make it so, but it just seemed so much more manageable. I decided I would drive for about 10 hours, stop wherever that left me, and continue on with the next 6 hours on Sunday.

Saturday's drive was pretty uneventful. It took almost 5 hours for me to exit Ohio, which made me seriously question my "16-hour trip." I stopped 6 hours in (about 430+ miles), all due to my car's spectacular gas mileage... and she still had 4 gallons in her! My choice of stopping locale, however, was a poor one. I stopped at what appeared to be the mecca of Niagara Falls information, which translates into everyone and their mother stopping to chow down on McDonalds and pick up tour brochures. Back on the road I figured that because I was making good time and it was so effing hot out I could stop at the falls. The amount of traffic heading there quickly squelched that plan. On we go.

300-some miles later, around 5:15 (I've made it past my 10-hour goal!), I decide it's time to stop for the night. So I start looking for a place to stay. And look. And look. And look. Over an hour goes by and still nothing. Beautiful New York scenery, but no hotels. Then I cross into Massachusetts. Seriously?! At this point I considered just going the whole way, another 5-ish hours. But reason (or exhaustion) (or my drained iPod) won over, and 40 miles later there was an exit. Holiday Inn Express. $140? This trip is on a budget. Next. Econo Lodge. $80 with AAA? Sold. That room was quite the sight... and, um, smell. But a bed is a bed and a shower a shower. There was some initial annoyance at the TV not working, but all in all, it gave me a place to sleep. And a place to watch Goblin on SyFy. Typical Saturday night... though without the presence of my fellow movie-mockers.

[Sunday's travel and arrival to be continued later.]