Guiding the SmartBeetle through Mississippi

Day 2 & 3: Corning, NY to Traverse City, MI

March 8, 2000

12:01a: still tooling down NY17 west towards Erie, PA. Getting sleepy, but i'm changing the CD's, so maybe a little singing will keep me going. It would be nice to sleep in my old bed tomorrow morning.

2:25a: Got out, jogged around the bug, little bit of web modification...second wind (or maybe third). keep on truckin.

3:40a: Northwestern tip of Pennsylvania. Finally made it across New York!...Waterford/Erie...I'm so tired I can't even sing. Rodeway Inn is booked up - over to Motel 6. I hope they shut the light off.

5:20a: Bed


9:30a: Up and at 'em. 3 S's and I'm headed to Bob Evans for a giant breakfast. I woke up with a flash - i wonder if
placing postcards next to bathroom mirrors would be effective.
motel 6 in new york

10:30a: on the road again, headed west to Ohio and then north into Michigan. should arrive around 4pm. I have a bone to pick with 3Com about their CellularGSM PCCard. Now that their customer service is finally open! My first thought - who is john galt?

foot out window on warm drive through Ohio12:30p: Eighth call to 3Com tech support. they keep hanging up on me and i keep pulling over when i get full signal
and calling them.  BOYCOTT 3COM - this company is garbage. i hope the Palm IPO spinoff stock deal tanks them

2:20p: Ohio is by far the best ride so far. smooth roads, 77 degrees, sunshine and few cars. i could drive happy back and forth on this stretch of I-90 all month long.

Stopped in Cleveland to check out the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - and Brown's Stadium! 550 miles as the crow flies from Boston

smartbeetle mimics rock and roll hall of fame - cleveland

550 miles to Harpoon Brewery in Boston

3:39p: 1000 Miles! Just south of Detroit - only about 10,000 to go!

5:48p: Destination - Flint, Michigan. Made famous by a little known movie - Roger & Me. i am quite surprised at how quiet the road has been.

9:30p: arrived in Traverse City, MI. Resort town on Lake Michigan. A lot has changed since i lived here in the summer of '93.
there are a lot more fast food restaurants....sign o' the times i guess. is this the symbol of a booming economy? junk food abundance?

Checked into the Bay Shore Resort with a view of a thunder storm on the bay. Food and drink at U&I - apparently it is not "Biker Friendly".

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Music of the day

  • Sister Hazel
  • REM: Green
  • Bare Naked Ladies: Stunt
  • XTC: Apple Venus
  • Replacements: Don't Tell a Soul
  • Echo & the Bunnymen: The Game
  • Oldie but a goodie heard on small town college station - Alphaville: Forever Youn

Ballast Update

  • 5th and 6th quart of H2O gone. Stopped stopping on the side of highways and started relief at rest areas - the bathhouses of the 21st centruy. I am leaving postcards in their displays :)