Making Time

I used Microsoft MapPoint to plot out this trip to Oregon, not because I don't know the way -- I've driven it many times -- but because I wanted to see how close its predictions were to actual. I told it the start and end points, adjusted it to force it down a couple of routes I would prefer, and set all of the speeds to the low end of the allowed range. The previous version of MapPoint let you actually set the speeds, but now it just shows a slider with low-average-high. I told it where I was stopping for the night, and that I wanted a 15-minute break ever 1h 30m. (This is an unfortunate requirement due to the diuretics I take for high blood pressure. I've visited every rest area between the Bay Area and Portland, and am very grateful to the Niles Canyon Railway for having open toilets even on a non-operating day today.) Then I told it to plot the route.

( Driving time neepery )

I'd really rather stop about halfway, but there are no Holiday Inn Express hotels in the Dunsmuir-to-Yreka stretch of highway, and I find myself slaving to my frequent-stay program and the Gold incentives I'm earning. (Some of these will probably be cashed in this summer to/from Denvention. Heck, I probably will end up earning enough to keep Gold status for another year, thanks to yet another Worldcon stay in an IC-hotels group property.) I'm now 3/5 of the way to Mehama, and there's no pressure tomorrow -- Lisa does not expect me until late afternoon/early evening -- so I can take it relatively easy. The hotel information says that the Bear Creek Trail is adjacent to the hotel, and that suggests a nice walking opportunity Saturday morning.

So Much For That

My plans for a relatively restful morning, with a leisurely breakfast and a walk along the trail next to the hotel were scuppered when I overslept by almost two hours. Being unfamiliar with the setting on my new phone, I set the alarm for 7:30 p.m. instead of a.m. and woke with a start with just barely enough time to toss on clothes and run downstairs before the included breakfast service ended. Now I'm two hours behind on everything I planned, and some things will suffer because of it.