Miles: ~800
Detours: 1
Stops for gas: 1 - $22
Food I didn't eat: $8.17
As I'm sure most GPSes do, the TomTom likes to estimate the time of arrival at our destination, which I think is based on average speeds/speed limits on selected roads. However, since I don't go the speed limit, as I'm driving the ETA will slowly begin to roll back a minute or two at a time. I used this to my advantage in that I wouldn't allow myself to stop for a break until I "saved up" enough time to do so. For example, the original ETA was 11pm. Once it read 10:30, we stopped for lunch at the Pink Cadillac Diner in bumfuck Virginia. I got the fried mushrooms to go, with a side of fries and a sweet tea. In true southern style, the portions were entirely too large for me to finish by myself. I ate 5 or 6 fried mushroom balls and ended up throwing away the other 20 or so at the next pit stop. I finished the sweet tea, though.
Around 3pm I started to feel like I'd had enough driving for one lifetime. Made 3 illegal pit stops within the hour. Was hungry for anything not fast food but fresh out of luck, stopped at McDonalds for a snack wrap to tide me over. Gross. Took cute picture of Echo and Dizzy sleeping on each other in the backseat. While driving. Started running out of music I wanted to listen to. Tried the radio--oh wait, this is Tennesee.
Once we got to Nashville, though, I got my second wind. There were lots of lane changes, bearing right and left and so forth, that TomTom had to tell me about to make sure I stayed on I-40. I saw a skyline for a split second and smiled. Just after Nashville the sun started to set, and middle of nowhere Tennessee is actually quite pretty in the twilight. I passed through a town called Bucksnort as the sky turned pink. TomTom couldn't find any other roads for miles on either side of I-40. I passed the time by watching the Prius' MPG gauge and trying to drive without touching my feet to the pedals. It worked out well: we'd cruise at 70-80mph, depending on traffic, and whenever someone going slower than that got in front of me, I'd decel or cancel the cruise, if necessary throw her into engine break mode... then we'd go back to drive, set the cruise again and accelerate the cruise from there. At one point I was sitting indian style in my seat.
We arrived at the hotel at 10:30pm E.S.T. with exactly one block left on the fuel gauge and just over 500 miles on the tank I filled in Virginia. Perfect timing. Plenty of night left to sleep before the wedding tomorrow!
This morning the groom returned my phone call and told me the wedding isn't today, but Sunday. Oh well. The dogs and I are going to take the day to relax and check out Shelby Farms.
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