Grand Rapids MI - Clarion

I had been preparing for a week or more, assembling stuff to take, organizing and packing, preparing the house, etc. , and was getting tired of it all, and just wanted to get on with it.  Friday night I left a few too many things to finish up.  I set my new phone alarm for 5 am.

I heard the alarm, sprang up and got dressed and started to do the final things - closing and locking windows.  I put out Katya and Rajah's food and water dispensers.  I may have changed the litter box.  Oh, and worst of all, I had to set the timers.  Unfortunately, some of the outlets were no longer easily accessible, other lights didn't work.  I set up two, but I am not sure they will work properly.  I finished eating breakfast and washing dishes.  I had taken the food in the refrigerator bag to the car and only had an armful of stuff - and myself = left to take out to the car.  I looked at the time:  4;15 am.  Somehow, I had gotten up too early.  I did a couple of extra things and tried to go back to sleep for an hour or so.  I may have slept - not really sure.

Then I was up and out and arrived at Kara's at 7:03 am.  She finished up a few more things and we were off around 7:18 am or 7:30ish.  I drove along the Thruway to Buffalo and beyond to to the PA state line.  We stopped at a rest stop somewhere around Rochester or Syracuse and then we had to stop in PA I think to put some oil in the car.  Then I wanted to stretch my legs and we stopped off the highway on a side street under a tree and two vehicles came by to do u-turns.  We stopped again - somewhere around Cleveland around 2 pm to have a picnic lunch at a highway rest stop - with picnic tables.   Along the way we listened to the local radio stations - Kara criticized my driving during the morning up to lunch when we switched over.  Then I got to criticize hers.  Otherwise we kept commenting how the roadside scenery resembled New York.  Finally on our way to Grand Rapids, missing Battle Creek somehow, we took some zig zags onto back roads and saw some real Michigan countryside.  It was rural with farms - quite a few of them.  There were fields of corn, soybeans and something low and green - I thought maybe alfalfa.  I took a few photos of corn and soybeans.  We were both amazed by the houses and yards - so well kept up.  Hardly a derelict place and the lawns were immaculate - large and lush and green like golf courses or astro turf.  We need to go in search of some because we missed taking photos.

As we approached Grand Rapids - our chosen destination because we plan to go to a garden here - we started to look for a hotel.  We got off the highway and checked Waze to see what was n ear.  We tried the Red Roof but they were sold out.   The desk clerk recommended the Clarion and we we called them.  Supposedly one room wasleft at $235.  Seemed pricey but Kara wanted to take it so we did.

The room has nice big beds with really comfy pillows.  It does have wifi and some breakfast items including coffee.  Otherwise - it is smelly, can't open the window, the bath mat was wet.  The lighting is inadequate for me, the walls are thin and there were no coffee cup lids.  It is kind of shabby too.  But it is a roof - although it is not raining and not expected to for the week.

Now it is morning....we have some time before the garden opens at 11 am, but I need to organize myself.  Kara and I both have headaches - maybe dehydration.  She is working on getting my bluetooth to work so she can play her music. 

On to a new day of our road trip!!    Oh, I got a lot of birthday messages and tried to respond to them but I have a hard time with the phone keyboard and typos.