The Motel Chronicles, part one

Husband and I lived together for several years before I finally came to the conclusion that it might actually work out. (I didn’t have the best track record when it came to relationships!)

One spring day I said to him, 

“Hey, we don’t have any more vacation time this year but if we get married we get three days off. And with our regular days off it will add up to a whole week! Wanna get married?” 

(Romantic aren’t I!? LOL)

There were other mitigating circumstances too. 

Husband had been married before. I had planned a wedding, seen myself in a gown and veil, and lost an insane amount of money (without actually getting married.)

Also, by that time, my father was in a wheelchair and as lousy as this sounds, I didn’t really feel like being wheeled down the aisle. (Plus I don’t like being the center of attention very much.)

So, off we toddled to Maryland.

We had always been ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ kind of travelers. Never making reservations, just jump in the car and go. 

We arrived at the motel.

No vacancy.

What?

How can a whole Holiday Inn in Towson, Maryland be full in May?

I’ll tell you how….

Preakness week, that’s how!

For those of you who don’t know, Preakness is the second horse race in the Triple Crown. And it's an EVENT! There’s the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. (How I could have forgotten that I'll never know!) 

There wasn’t a hotel/motel room available for miles around. The desk clerk said he could try the motel across the road.

I used to live in Towson. And EVERYONE knew that motel was the welfare motel. 

Where the prostitutes and drug dealers lived.

No thank you, I’ll find something myself!

Several hours later we were checking into the ‘welfare motel’.

Other than the mushrooms growing in the corner of the shower,  the stale smell of cigarettes from all the previous residents and the mattress that sagged in the middle so we ‘rolled’ into each other all night it wasn’t so bad!

How many people can say they stayed at the 'ROACH MOTEL' on their honeymoon!?

(We still laugh about it and actually wouldn't have wanted it to be any other way. Where's the fun in a perfect honeymoon! LOL)