DRESSING THE DOG
Chapter 3 (Part Two)
We were up bright and early, hitting the highway and heading home. We would spend the night somewhere in Tennessee and be home in two days. Mummy had the tripped all planned out, sort of. We weren’t sure where, exactly, we would stay… but we would drive as far as we could and stop around dinnertime. She guessed it would be somewhere in Tennessee. The plan was to get through the Washington, D.C area before 3:00pm so that we could miss the rush-hour traffic. Actually, EVERY HOUR was like rush-hour but it would be worse after 3:00 so that was the plan. Everything was going accordingly and traffic was moving along nicely. We decided to pull into a mega gas-station/fast-food metropolis where Mummy and Daddy could grab a burger and me and Katie could take care of some personal business… then get back on the highway. We were about 50 miles outside of the D.C area and we wanted to just fly through once we got back in the car. This pit stop was the biggest darn place you have ever seen. Dozens of gas pumps and a building that housed just about every fast-food chain that you can dream of! The parking lot held HUNDREDS, I kid you not, of cars, trailers, trucks, motorcycles and big rigs of every make and model. It was a ZOO. We took our time and got everything taken care of and got loaded back into the car… but we couldn’t get out of the parking lot. There was some sort of traffic jam at the exit. We tried to turn around and find another exit, but that one was blocked too. It didn’t take long to realize that ALL of the exits were blocked and we were all stuck inside the parking lot like some kind of weird tailgating party gone mad. Soon, people were getting out of their cars and walking around to find out WHY no one could leave the parking lot. I mean, HUNDREDS of people were stuck in this lot. By this time, EVERYONE was trying to leave. No one could come IN, and no one could go OUT! As we all became these sort of weird parking lot “friends,” word finally sifted about our community that someone from the “President’s office” had entered the highway with his entourage of cars and EVERY SINGLE EXIT along their route was being blocked. NO ONE could enter or exit that highway… for MILES AND MILES. Honestly, I didn’t know that something like this could even be done, in the LEGAL sense of the word. The number of cars at that moment, that were being back up along the roads was staggering!!! We sat in that parking lot for over an hour, waiting on “someone important” who obviously wasn’t US, to drive to his destination, unencumbered by traffic of any kind.
When we were FINALLY free to go, to say that there was a traffic jam on the highway NOW, would be an understatement. EVERY exit that HAD been blocked was being opened… and THOUSANDS of cars were filling the roads so it was literally bumper to bumper, driving about 10 miles an hour. At this rate, we would miss Thanksgiving, which was still weeks away… and we might not make it home for Christmas either. But WAIT! We had a GARMIN navigator that we had been using for the trip and it was “very helpfully” making detour suggestions. Daddy thought that perhaps we should take a detour OFF the highway. Mummy reminded him that we didn’t have a REAL MAP, but he said we didn’t need one. We had the GARMIN! He said that maps were “old school” anyway. Hmmm. We took GARMIN’S first suggestion and hadn’t driven far when a SECOND detour suggestion was made. YIKES… this was getting complicated! Daddy said not to worry… these things work off satellites in space. It knows where we are even if we don’t. Uh-huh. Twenty minutes later we got another detour suggestion and Mummy said she thought we were going too far WEST, GENTLY REMINDING Daddy that we lived on the EAST COAST, just in case he had forgotten. He said he knew what he was doing. I was starting to feel a little carsick, and Katie didn’t look so hot either. After a few more detours, we honestly had no idea WHERE we were. I’m not sure we were still in the same STATE! All of this was before cell phones were SUPER SMART PHONES. This was when YOU had to be somewhat smart, yourself! So Mummy suggested they stop at a gas station and buy a REAL MAP. When we finally FOUND a gas station, the man inside said NO WAY should we be taking “detours” to get to the D.C area if we didn’t know our way around. His advice was to GO BACK to the highway and endure the traffic. So that is what we did. Several hours later, we were RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED. It was going to be dark soon and we hadn’t even reached D.C. We would not make it to Tennessee. In fact, it was well past dark when we found a little hotel in Virginia to stop for the night. We all collapsed in the “big bed” with Katie diapered-up for everyone’s protection, and slept like Zombies until morning.
We slept as late as we could and piled back into the car. The worst was hopefully behind us and Mummy said we would be home by dinnertime, but Katie and I didn’t want to get our hopes up too much. As it turned out, the trip back really did FLY by. Before we knew it, we were sniffing our noses around and smelling the familiar scent of our ocean breezes! We KNEW that smell and it excited us. Katie and I both stood up on our car seat bed and looked out the window, our little nubby tails wagging ninety miles an hour. As we turned into our neighborhood, the smells got even stronger. We knew EXACTLY where we were. It would be a long time before we tried to take Katie on another trip, she just didn’t like leaving the comfort of her own home. Years later, when we got our own travel trailer, she would learn to LOVE traveling… but for now, Katie Bug would stay at home curled up in someone’s lap. We were HOME.
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Detours are never good or fast. We always end up in the “bad” part of town whenever we get lost. Keep the chapters coming. Loving it.
Yeah, I have always found that detouring isn’t very good option…for me. Travelling with you is always fun. Thank you for sharing these stories.
Thank you for sharing your story. I LOVE reading about your adventures!
I have loved your big adventure…so many tales we share, lol
Just love your story sweet Millie.☺
Millie LaRue and Family. I am so very glad that you all made it home safe and sound. Detours can be Very tricky at times. My Husband being a Retired Military man proved that to us in our younger days. We were sent to Fort Huachuca , Arizona one time. We too had to take some detours. LoL We had a Pumpkin Orange Car. Well we landed up in the middle of a Ranchers field and was facing a Huge Bull doing that thing they do when they are about to attack. You know Snortying and kicking. I was scared… Read more »
Millie I’m so glad you are safe back hone. Detours can be very tricky and you could iof gotten lost. ??
I’m absolutely loving “Millie’s” interpretations of your traveling adventures. Actually, Darsey, you are such a talented lady, you should actually put this all into a book! I’d be in line to buy it!
Oh I do love reading about your adventures! Can’t wait until next week! Will you continue writing when you go to Paris? How long will you be there? Do you have friends or family there? Will your daddy be going or just you and mommy?
I have to Tell you a Story About When We Went to Myrtle Beach Or Anywhere My Dad Always was the Navigator And Mom Drove the Trailer and I Drove the Boat Dad Always Took us on Detours To Find Cheap Gas Stations When We Were Driving on Fumes so One trip Mom Got Mad at Dad About the detour he was taking us on and Grabbed the Map nd Tore it up and Threw it out the Window and Told him he was Done Navigating I remember one time that we were going to ocean City Maryland and My… Read more »
LOLOLOLOLOLOL it sounds like your stories are similar to ours!!!
I can’t wait for Wednesday’s to come each week so I can learn about another one of your adventures Millie! Love your story! ?
Millie I really can’t wait for Wednesday’s to read your next chapter. The travels and stories are great. Keep em coming. Love you and your family ?
Thank you so very much… it seems like there is ALWAYS something going on in our family!!! ?
The one thing about a detour Millie is that it usually leads to another adventure. Loved you story.
Reading this gave me flashbacks!! of our road trips and dealing with the GPS suggestions… and my Dad wiith his Old School Map Wide Open and he telling more suggestions!! ??? I could feel your nervesss driving around not getting close to your final destination!! You got my Support Millie!! ??? Big Kiss for you!! your Parents and Sistersss
So love your story, Miss Millie! I have younger sisters, too and I know what a pain they can be! Katie Bug kept all of you on your toes, that’s for sure. I’m sure you both love each other very much. Please tell Mummy that her writing is superb! I cannot wait to read future chapters. Hugs and kisses!
Thank you very much ms. Leslee! I am happy that you are loving our family story! ❤️?❤️
Oh my I remember the Garmin days! 🙂 Yes detours can be awful. So glad to hear you and your family made it home safely, Millie. Nothing like the sweet smell of the sea.especially after your adventure with sweet Katie. I’m loving your great stories.
Too bad I didn’t know you then. We lived in Virginia outside of DC and you could have stayed at my house!
Ohhhhh… we would have stopped by!!! We were sooo exhausted by that point! Lololol
Great story telling Miss Millie. Can’t wait for the next chapter!
Thank you so very much! I am so glad that you are following our true family adventures! kiss kiss
Love your stories Millie!
Thank you! I am so happy to hear you are enjoying them. ❤️??
I just love reading your stories. Millie thank you for sharing about Katie. She seems like a real sweetheart. – just not as worldly as you are! You are such a joy and I am looking forward to your Paris trip. Have fun!
So cute the joys of getting lost, and it’s always nice to be home ???