Day 91: The Most Disgusting Motel I Have Ever Seen!

I didn't go to sleep until about 3am because as I was falling asleep, I suddenly remembered that I needed to buy my Greyhound ticket ASAP or I would be forced to pay almost double. So I bought a greyhound ticket to Los Angeles... So it's official... I will soon be in the least bike friendly city in North America. But before I do that... I will spend some time in possibly the most bike friendly city in the USA. Portland.

Showered. Ate Breakfast. Packed Up. Checked Out. Rode to Kinkos. Printed out a set of maps and started out on the STP (Seattle to Portland) route.

The ride was very nice, even though it was still drizzling today. Today had the highest concentration of cyclists on the road since... Ever... I probably saw over a hundred cyclists. As I passed them and they would see my 'loaded' touring bike, an envious smile would creep across their face. It made me feel good about what I was doing. It's probably not healthy to measure the worth of your endeavors by the jealous grins of onlookers... but yeah... what can I say... it made me feel good. Like external validation that I was making a great decision. Not that I need it... I'm really happy... especially today. The only downside to the crowded bike lanes, is that on two occasions I did not realize that I was being tailed by a group of cyclists. I was singing along to the VIOLENT FEMMES, and doing my best to impersonate the singers nasal, effeminate whine. Those cyclists did NOT look at me with envy. No... their expression was something more approaching disgust.

The riding was fantastic today. I bought some really cheap glasses/goggles(?) at a gas station. They look kind of ridiculous, but I'm OK with it... I think that since they hang around my neck... I won't lose this pair.

Running tally:

HEADPHONES 7 PAIR GLASSES 4 PAIR HATS 3 HATS GLOVES 3 PAIR

I really like this route. It's not too difficult, but not boring either. The highways occasionally got too busy for my tastes, but it was Sunday so it definitely could have been a lot worse. There's no better feeling than riding with the flow of traffic through a major city, but there's nothing worse than trying not to get run over by traffic in the prolonged stretch of exurbia that surrounds every major city.

My plan was to stop for the day in YELM, WA... as it had a lone motel I could crash at for probably very cheap. I called ahead and found out that it was booked up. How is that possible? It was a Sunday with very little importance! And if this motel is consistently booked up, then why can't the bustling metropolis of Yelm erect a 2nd motel? The nearest motel after Yelm was too far to reach today, and the nearest one on this side of Yelm was really close... which makes today much shorter than I would like. Ugh... I shipped off my camping gear yesterday, and now this is my first lodging snag of the entire trip. Murphy's Law, right?

So I stopped short in Spanaway and found the only motel in town...

THE MOST DISGUSTING MOTEL I HAVE EVER SEEN!

I've stayed in a $16 motel in Vegas with doors that would not lock, and a TV that only got porn stations. This place is worse. The Redwood Motel in Spanaway, WA is to be avoided.

Over the phone I was informed by the sternest woman in the world that the motel would NOT have Wifi. I met her in person and she is just as severe. I get to my room, and the door is wide open, there are flies buzzing about, the room consists of a mattress on the floor in the corner without any bedding. There is graffiti on the walls inside the room and the bathroom door appears to have been ripped off the hinges? I timidly approach the woman and ask her if 'I' am supposed to make the bed? She rolls her eyes and tells me that she'll take care of it, if I leave and come back in 15 minutes. I ask if I can put my bike in the room, but she won't have any part of that. She says that she doesn't want me blaming her if anything goes missing from my bags, so I CANNOT leave my bike in the room I paid for.

I go over to SUBWAY and the two girls that work there are way too young to be so flirtatious. They are really too forward... After 10 minutes of conversation, they ask if I am eating the sandwich in store, because they will sit with me while I eat it. I tell them that 'no' I am not eating this sandwich in the store.

'Then why did you set up your laptop?'...

Damn. The Brunette one is observant.

'Um... I was just letting it download emails while I had the sandwich made.' Her observational skills are no match for my cunning.

'So... you're just gonna go and eat this sandwich somewhere else? Why not eat it here?'

'Um... I need to get moving before the sun sets'...

As I pedaled back to the motel, I wondered if the brunette would realize that I was heading 'the wrong direction' from my declared route. Also, it occurs to me that if I want any soda later tonight, I would need to pass right by this same Subway and risk a second exposure to these sirens. I must wait and get soda under the cover of night.

I check the room for bugs and get a little more comfortable when I can't find any. The TV only gets the most useless channels. QVC, Spanish Channel, PBS... etc.

Ugh... today was some great riding, and I wish I had the camping gear so I could keep going. I was trying to listen to all the essential David Bowie albums by sundown. Oh well... I think the sun is supposed to come out tomorrow that'd be pretty neat it's been over a week since I've seen it. Tomorrow will be a long day to make up for such a short day today. I didn't take any pictures today... Nothing just really stood out.

PS - I know it's a Redford film, but does it seem like LION FOR LAMBS is Tom Cruise trying to endear himself to the American LEFT again after a disastrous last year? ...'YES OR NO!?!'