How I spent my fall vacation (long w/Cliffs notes)

Frightened Inmate #2

Friday morning we load up the van with suitcases and kids, stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a few last minute things and we're off! We missed heavy Atlanta traffic by leaving later in the morning and successfully made it to TN before the wind and rain started. Slowed down some for that, but we're still making good time. We only stopped twice in the 8 hr. trip up there. That's a new family record. Normally I would have expected at least 4 stops from my crew.

We arrived in Marion (pop. 14,500) and find out that the bed and breakfast that we're staying at is the Pittsburgh (pop. 600), but even then it's not is Pittsburgh, it's out in the country. My parents had picked out this place on the recommendation of a guest they had at their own bed & breakfast.

We got there before my parents did and Jim, one of the owners of the B&B, pulled up on his 3-wheeler to greet us. Apparently Jim doesn’t believe in personal hygiene. Nappy hair and teeth, didn’t look like he’d taken a shower yet this week.

I introduced myself and he showed me where to park and which cabin I would be staying in. I pulled up beside the outhouse that was closest to our cabin and said a silent prayer that the cabin actually had indoor plumbing.

A quick tour of the cabin revealed that Jim was quite the handyman. He’d manage to salvage an 1850’s log cabin and move it onto his property, add some ramshackle piece of a shed to it to create a kitchen and bathroom and pick up enough fixtures at local garage sales to furnish the kitchen with mismatched appliances. One of the real highlights was the stereophonic system that he had installed; a dual phonograph and 8-track player.

About the time my crew gets uploaded and moved in, my parents arrived. It was good to seem them again. It had been almost three years since I’d seem them last. They were looking pretty good, just a little older, but no worse for the wear.

Jim showed them their cabin and I tagged along for the tour. I was a little bit nicer. A least their fixtures matched for the most part and it looked like someone had bothered to clean their bathroom this month.

Everyone settled in and stretched their legs and we went out to eat and a local Mexican place that was pretty good.

After we got back from eating, I drove out a running route. There are no street lights in this particular part of rural southern IL, so I was going to have to wait until the sun came up to go running.

Off to bed early for everyone.

Saturday morning I got up at 6:00 AM and put on my shorts and a singlet and headed out the door. BBBBRRR! I had to be in the low 50’s, much colder than I’m used to running in and I didn’t bring anything warmer to wear. I headed out at a quick pace to try to keep from freezing to death. I guess that don’t have leash laws in the country either because every dog I saw was running free. Two BIG OL’ dogs came up to greet me first. Turns out that they were just interested in checking out who was passing by and not working the guard dog shift.

Next to no traffic and 4 miles later and I was done. Not a drop of sweat on me, that’s quite a different feeling that what I’m used to. I took a quick shower in my parents cabin to help relieve congestion in ours (plus, theirs was nicer Wink

).

Breakfast was served and it turns out that the lady that cooks for this B&B can’t cook. The pan of eggs was burnt on the bottom and undercooked on top. The muffins were burnt too. We just smiled and ate it anyway.

We attended a ‘blue grass festival’ later in the morning and had some BBQ while we were there.

We just sat and talked the rest of the day because there wasn’t anything else to do around Marion.

Sunday morning I didn’t run because I needed a rest day from running. Breakfast was better on Sunday because less of the food was cooked. More fruits and cereals, so it’s pretty hard to screw that up. We sat around and talked with my parents as the kids packed up their things and loaded the van. After a quick lunch, we said our good-byes and headed back to GA.

A little rain at the beginning of the trip and then clear skies and no traffic all the way back home. Only stopped three times on the return trip and still made it in 8 hrs. even.

It’s nice to be back home that’s for sure. I don’t think I’ll be spending too many more vacations in any more cabins in the future.

Cliffs notes :: Nice to see my parents again, but the place where we stayed was a complete dump and if I were the one paying for it, we’d have packed up and spent our time somewhere else.

Adjunct

for your parents

but nice to get away
great story about the dogs

Member

I'll forget that you visited 'wal-mart' just this one time PH Mad

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Sorry about the dump...did you bring any 8-tracks along with you on the trip? I always have a couple in my first-aid kit in my car...cuz, you never know...

If you're not going to Chicago or say, Rockford, you can be rest assured that Illinois is an armpit. Congratulation on surviving!

joel

Frightened Inmate #2

Member

terrain=nice

culture y pizaazz=nada

crazy cat lady

So, by my calculations you had to have driven through Kentucky on the way, no? Where did you go (I-75?) and how was it?

I miss the bluegrass Sad

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Besides the accomodations it sounds like it was good to see your parents again! Glad to hear it!

Frightened Inmate #2

Member

okay, you had to make that up. If you didn't I'm cancelling my vacation and I am so going to be there!

Frightened Inmate #2

crazy cat lady

Member

Frightened Inmate #2

crazy cat lady

Member

Did anyone start playing the dueling banjos?

Frightened Inmate #2

How I spent my fall vacation (long w/Cliffs notes)

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