Bed Trips

For many people, one of the more unpredictable aspects of travel is also necessary: where to spend the night. Which beds are you going to sleep in during your trips, and exactly where? For me, however, it is often another part of the experience, if not the adventure, of visiting different states, cities, towns and various locations on the "road".

Chain Customer

Some hotels and motels are predictable in terms of what to expect, especially if I am are spending the night in a place that is one of many lodgings in a corporate chain. That's not always bad. I might get an upgrade for staying with the same company across several cities and nights during my trip. I have more ways of getting attention if there is a problem. And most important, I am not messy, I do not hold drug and alcohol parties, I am not rude, I do not steal anything, and I leave generous tips for the cleaning staff. The result is that I am rated as a guest that the hotel will want to do busines with in the future.

Money and Security

I let my credit card company know in advance that I will be traveling on certain dates to certain places so that the charges will not be seen as unusual and trigger fraud alerts. This is also helpful when it comes to buying gas for rental cars or shopping in "out of pattern" ways. In addition, when I am driving for a good portion of the trip, I try to always get a room with a view of the parking lot and my car so that I can monitor it from my window in case there is any unexpected issue. Although I never leave anything valuable in a car, I want to know it if someone is trying to break into it or even if they just sideswipe it and leave it damaged. This doesn't always eliminate rooms with nice views...beyond the parking lot may be mountains, forests, valleys, rivers and even oceans.

I have found that it is better to not try to always save every single dollar possible. Paying a little extra can prevent interactions with uncaring employees. Even more critical is not being at a cheap motel that might have bugs, unclean linen and bathrooms, and other travelers who have no problems being loud. The least expensive places come with the most problems, including other hotel guests who may actually be prostitutes and their clients, or even those engaged in criminal activities. I want to enjoy my days knowing that my hotel room isn't going to be burglarized and that I won't be assaulted or robbed.

Sometimes I have had positive surprises. The room décor may be better than I expected. The WiFi may be secure, strong and easy to access. The hotel may have a place to wash clothes or such a service, it may have a decent place to eat or get a snack, and it may be close to nice restaurants and other attractions.

On the other hand, there are reports of horror stories where guests have been watched by hidden cameras. I can't imagine anyone wanting to spy on me but I also don't want to be exposed to nosy staff who may decide to copy the files and place them on the internet without my knowledge. I try to keep this in mind and check any weird looking electronics that are embedded in furniture or in purposeless items. Yet I know that everyone is vulnerable to such invasions of privacy. Transient guests who live in other states may be violated this way yet, even in the unlikely event it is ever discovered, lawsuits are expensive across states.

Reasons for Photographs

Over the years, I have gotten in the habit of taking pictures and videos of the hotel and motel rooms where I have spent the night. I also photograph and video record my rental cars when I return them. The reasons are:

a.) I can prove that I did not damage any item in case I am accused afterward and charged for something I didn't do

b.) the images become part of the visuals from my travels and they add to the sometimes unique and unforgettable times that I want to preserve

and

c.) I might also take self-portraits during my travels and I capture myself in the environments of hotel and motel rooms

Scenes

On this page are images of the places in which I stayed in during my relatively recent cross-country travel, just before the pandemic, which stretched from New York City to Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles (El Segundo), Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff and Albuquerque. These are by no means all the pictures of hotels rooms and buildings that I have taken for even just the last twenty years. Displaying more would take up space but also require more context. For example, I am leaving out photos of motels and hotels involving earlier visits to Chicago and Toronto which were related to the passing of my mother and my father, which were emotional times. The self-portraits in those locations reflect my state of mind.

These photographs bring vividly back to mind the nights and brief days that are inextricably linked to the places I visited. Some of the cities, towns and motel rooms I will never see again. Some of them I may encounter in the future. Either way, the scenes recall when I slept and woke woke up in a distant bed during trips that I always remember.