Today I started heading home from Meghan’s house. I chose to wait because of the weather – snow and rain on at least two of the three mountain passes I have to cross and today is supposed to be drier for the two I am mostly concerned with.

It’s been a bit of a bittersweet day. I am ready to get home, but ironically it was two years ago today that I was driving home this very same route through Montana and got the news my mom had died. I had just checked into my room in Missoula late at night when the call came.

Perhaps this is why I did not sleep worth a damn last night. Lying in bed trying to go to sleep I realized that today was “that” day and I will be in the same spot on the same day exactly two years later. Meghan had been working on some entries in my mom’s genealogy stuff last night before bed and she did not sleep either. Between these things and what we had to do this past week it all finally caught up with me. A bit of a rough morning but it’s okay.

I was hoping to push all the way home but I left very late morning (not in THAT big of a hurry) and had a leisurely start to the day. I got to Ellensburg and had earlier booked a queen suite at the Best Western Plus (was the cheapest they had…) and I gotta say that I have stayed in a few of these hotels now and they are consistently nice, clean and well-run. I recommend this chain along with Holiday Inn Express so you KNOW that means I know what I am talking about. Hahaha. This hotel has, get this, a 24 hour pool, warm (!) tub, and the breakfast room is open for juices, coffee, and fresh fruits all night plus breakfast in the morning. Hell of a bargain for the price. And, just like Holiday Inn Express…fresh-baked cookies in the lobby.

I really think I am through with the cheap hotel chains now. I am treating myself a little better when I am out on the road. I am going to stay with the American classics we all grew up knowing and staying in. Sure, it may be a few more dollars but I think it is money well-spent to have a very nice room when you are being a road warrior. I still tend to get carried away with trying to “get someplace” but am getting better at slowing the pace down. I still need to work on it more though!