MONDAY 4 MAY
- Bill is going into work late, so I don't have to rush to get ready. Still, it takes time to get everything together.
- Say good bye to his family in the morning, then follow him into Madison.
- Have a walk around this delightful student town. It's a beautiful day. I'm sure that in my casual clothes, I blend right in with the students -- they'll assume I'm just one of them.
- Bill buys me a latte from a cozy non-chain coffee shop, and then we say goodbye. (The last time was in 1984.)
- It's only 150 miles to Chicago.
- I forgot about the tolls. I'm running dangerously short of change. Some of the toll road exits say 'No attendant', which means that you must have coins.
- Fortunately, the ones I pass through are always manned.
- (The Prius had an E-Z Pass electronic toll pass when I first rented it, but when I surrendered the car in South Carolina and then retrieved it, this had been removed by Hertz.)
- I return to the Chicago O'Hare Garden Hotel, from where I started this voyage.
- There's a Prius in the car park, with the Michigan license plate 'END WAR' and an astonishing array of anti-war, anti-imperialism stickers on the bumper. 'Who would Jesus bomb?' 'War is terrorism with a bigger budget.' It takes courage to drive around like this.
- I go to say hello to the manager of the hotel, in her office (I had given her a copy of my book last time.) Mary says: 'I loved your book. I gave it to my mother -- she loved it. Then my sister read it -- she loved it. Now my other sister's reading it.'
- Huh -- they could have bought their own copies!
- Shave, shower, change in a hurry and head to Oak Park, to the Frank Lloyd Wright architected Unity Temple.
- Rev Alan Taylor is there and takes me to dinner.
- The audience appreciate my talk -- I have woven anecdotes from my US odyssey into the narrative.
- Return to hotel and feel a wave of exhaustion.
TUESDAY 5 MAY
- Awake and go straight to Mac's Diner, for my traditional American breakfast, including the giant hash brown.
- Return to hotel and carefully empty contents of Prius into room. The Prius was like one giant suitcase I lived out of.
- In room, pack everything into just two suitcases.
- So many people gave me copies of books on this trip. Books are heavy!
- Say good bye to Mary, depart hotel and drive to Hertz Rental Return at Chicago O'Hare Airport.
- Decline to have the car checked back in; instead, park it and go inside to speak to a manager.
- I have been dreading this conversation -- what a long story.
- Maria listens patiently: I rented the Prius from O'Hare (first rental agreement); broke down in South Carolina; Hertz arranged for a taxi to take me to Charleston Airport, for which I had to pay $70 cash; at Charleston Airport they gave me a Mazda 6 (second rental agreement); then, the next morning I got the same Prius back (after they had towed it to Charleston Airport and put some gas in it) (third rental agreement); then I ran out of gas in the desert in Arizona and Hertz said they would charge me $77 to have someone bring me gas; but this was so NOT my fault; there's something wrong with the fuel gauge on this car; when the warning light flashes, you're supposed to have three gallons left; I asked other Prius drivers, and they said that was right; but on this car, when the light flashes, it's already too late; I'm not stupid, I wouldn't have gone into the desert without gas.
- Maria listens patiently, then goes on the system and credits me back the $70 taxi fare and the $77 bring-gas-in-the-desert charge.
- She asks me if I'm done with the car, and says she can check it back in. 'What's the return mileage?' (The system shows the Miles Out figure was 1387).
- I tell her: '15,321 miles'.
- She's been really sharp to this point, but now she just looks at me blankly, or is that a slightly pained expression?
- She's been so nice, I give her a signed copy of my book, with a really grateful inscription.
- Haul my two heavy suitcases, briefcase and computer bag to Hertz shuttle bus.
- At BA Fast Bag Drop, check-in with no wait.
- Security seems a bit frantic, but proceeds easily enough.
- On flight, sleep.
WEDNESDAY 6 MAY ONWARDS
- Sleep for two days.
- Update this damn blog.
- Resume search for new job.
Everytime I drive around Indianapolis, there's always some guy who had a lot of stickers peppered on their auto bumper talking about them being anti-war and all, but it's totally cool to see them respecting the US soldiers on service to maintain the peace for us. Oh yeah, about the road trip, I hope you had a great time there!
Posted by: Chris Edwards | March 11, 2011 at 06:49 AM
I have just come back from a road trip which took me through Indionapolis. It was absolutely fantastic. Would love to know where abouts you stopped off.
Posted by: Oliver | August 06, 2011 at 04:16 PM
I went travelling through America on my Gap year from Uni, it was one of the best experiences of my life, I would recommend to anyone. If you are back packing however, make sure that there is a group of you.
Posted by: Jo | August 09, 2011 at 11:10 AM
those are the greatest bumper stickers I've ever seen :0
blows away those generic pro military stickers... I'd love to give the owner of that car a handshake and tell him/her that he/she has revived my faith in humanity.
Posted by: mkat | December 29, 2012 at 06:15 AM