Back Out on the Road (Day 1)

And so my next road trip chapter began after a long day of work on April 5th.  I was finally going to get on the road for a long planned trip to New Orleans, Louisiana and then to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  I took off from Elkridge, Maryland at 3:30pm.  

The drive from Elkridge to New Orleans is about 17 hours non-stop.  Since I was leaving at 3:30pm, I knew I was not going to make it all the way.  My goal was to put 500 miles into the ride and make it to Knoxville, Tennessee at the very least.  I would have loved to have gone further, but the weather was rainy the whole way.  I made no hotel reservations and was open to sleeping in my car, so I figured I'd play it by ear.  

I made it to the Bristol, Tennessee and realized that it was best for me to stop in Knoxville.  Driving in off and on heavy rain all that way was taking its toll on me and I was getting tired.  I had thought about sleeping at a rest area, but it was raining so hard at the time, I figured I'd never be able to fall asleep.  So I called it a night at the La Quinta Knoxville East.  

As far as hotels chains go, normally I stay at Marriott or Hilton properties.  However, I knew I only needed a bed for a few hours on this night, so La Quinta is always a solid option.  The beds are comfy, the hotels are always clean, and the free breakfast is pretty good.  This one in East Knoxville was great.  

Overall it was a great first day on the road and it was nice to put a solid 500+ miles behind me on a day that was technically a work day and not a vacation day.  Next stop, Pass Christian, Mississippi.