A first in almost 25 years

[gillumhouse]

I just texted a reservation that since they had not contacted us and were now out of our check-in hours, the Gillum House was cancelling their reservation. I almost never take a reservation without a credit card number, but did last night. He said he was paying cash. I have a contractor waiting to come tomorrow to put up my gutters and I am not going to keep him waiting for some yahoo to show and say what time is breakfast. Would be surprised if they arrived - I tried to call and it went to voice-mail. So I cancelled THEM! Not sitting up all night waiting for a no-show. It is SO liberating!!

 

[Morticia]

Yes, it is liberating.

 

[Arks]

Sometimes I'm the reservation Nazi, and I'm very content with that! I just don't understand why people don't plan ahead like I do. When I know I'm traveling, I book my accommodations as soon as possible.

The WORST are the people who fly in to our little municipal airport. Wealthy people in private planes, who feel entitled to special treatment. They ALWAYS arrive about dark and start looking for a room. Never plan ahead. I'm always happy to turn them down and let them enjoy the local fleabag motel.

 

[JimBoone]

Sometimes I'm the reservation Nazi, and I'm very content with that! I just don't understand why people don't plan ahead like I do. When I know I'm traveling, I book my accommodations as soon as possible.

The WORST are the people who fly in to our little municipal airport. Wealthy people in private planes, who feel entitled to special treatment. They ALWAYS arrive about dark and start looking for a room. Never plan ahead. I'm always happy to turn them down and let them enjoy the local fleabag motel.

Arks, I'm afraid you wouldn't approve of me. No problem on that wealthy part, just ain't going to happen, but on those rare occasions when we travelled for fun there was no plan other than a general direction, stopping when we got tired or found something interesting, and yes, I've visited a few of those motels along the way.

 

[gillumhouse]

Back in the day, when we traveled with the 2-legged animals, we drove until Himself was willing to stop. There were a FEW times we had reservations - when the destination was a tourist area like Williamsburg. Once we had to drive another 100 miles to find a place (only place available at original stop was the local "by-the-hour" which I recognized by the rate) and not stopping in Albany (as I wanted to) got us the lovely opportunity to sleep in the Jeep with 4 kids & luggage.

 

[Arks]

Once we had to drive another 100 miles to find a place (only place available at original stop was the local "by-the-hour" which I recognized by the rate)...

It used to be common to stop when you're tired and find a place. I learned my lesson when I arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland one afternoon only to find there was a huge music festival in town and there wasn't a place in town to stay. We had to ride a bus about an hour each way to a place we finally found outside of town. No fun to lose 2 hours of vacation time each time you want to go into downtown.

Since then, I ALWAYS reserve in advance. It's so easy now to research and book online. Do it in advance, from the comfort of your home, and it's done. With GPS you just go directly to your accommodation. No worries. Unless you're an aloof private airplane owner who thinks he can just arrive in a small town at 8 p.m. and there will be no problem finding a room.

I also remember MANY times in the old days when I'd arrive at a hotel where I'd made a reservation and they'd frown and look in their books and say, no, sorry, we don't have you on the list. I even had it happen once on an airplane flight. But haven't had that happen in a long time. The computer databases are really reliable now, thank goodness!

 

[JimBoone]

Since then, I ALWAYS reserve in advance. It's so easy now to research and book online. Do it in advance, from the comfort of your home, and it's done. With GPS you just go directly to your accommodation. No worries. I also remember MANY times in the old days when I'd arrive at a hotel where I'd made a reservation and they'd frown and look in their books and say, no, sorry, we don't have you on the list.

Arks some of us aren't as organized, although today electronics help. Best to say I'm not well travelled. Between jobs in 1965 I withdrew my $100 life savings, borrowed dad's gas card and we made our first trip from coastal Georgia to the North Carolina mountains, at that time anyway it never seemed an issue to find a place for the night.

1969 the plan was to visit Maxine's sister in Michigan, bought a new VW bus and left out a few mornings later at 3-4AM, sitting at the dealer in Asheville for the first oil change when he opened that morning, 9-10PM stopped at the Shady Rest Motel in Mason Ohio. Youth was nice, I only remember one questionable stop in the 70's, some vehicle issues delayed us and supper was a bucket of KFC is a somewhat seedy motel, it got rowdy in the wee hours and we ran for home.

More recent years, I did plan ahead at least in route going to a funeral service but some trips are still colorful. 2018 we went to son's house in East Tennessee to take him to purchase a truck near Oklahoma City, various delays, we left Knoxville about 5PM and stopped in Arkansas around 3AM for a few hours rest, mom and I took longer on the return trip, but kids had to be at work Monday. March 2020 found me in Georgia rebuilding a rental house for our daughter when it seemed things were reaching a point where we should run for home, no lodging stay on that trip home, but with fast food closed for COVID the only restroom for mom was a crowded Dollar General, that was a fun parking lot with a truck and trailer.