Mixing up the accommodation can be fun. A mix of poor exchange rate, late booking rates and inflation left me gobsmacked at the cost of a room for the night in the middle of nowheresville USA.
Last night we stayed in an RV for the night. £100 cheaper than a room down the road in a bog standard motel. Granted, the shower only supplied six gallons of hot water but we ate in, saving a further few dollars and enjoyed a comfortable bed too. And wifi. Granted, banging my head on the ceiling whenever I moved took a few minutes getting used to but on the whole it was fine.
Tonight, having traversed the magnificent Death Valley, we’re staying at a B&B in the town of Independence. In the past I’ve driven on for an extra two hours to Mammoth Lakes. This time, when booking four weeks ago, I rightly decided that was a trip too far. That said, our current residence is best described as “historic”. STV, kettle and pool are out. Dark corridors waiting for spooky things to happen. A breakfast room that opens for the narrowest of time slots. Stairways with no carpets, despite clearly having been carpeted in the distant path. A tap that drip drip drips. And a guest list of long since dead stars.
Still, TripAdvisor gives the place a decent review and alternative space elsewhere costs twice as much. But as my brain works in chunks of £40 for a Travelodge as a hotel room price paying £100+ for a fleeting stopover with no mod-cons feels like someone is extracting the Michael. And don’t get me started on the lack of curtains!
Yes, I could have saved a tenner by going shared bathroom. And the intermittent wifi has JohnWayne as the password.
Seeing the World 
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