Stops that are pits

[Joe Zemek]

I'd like to hear some advice on places to avoid staying. Last year, following a bust in central NE and wanting to set up for 6/10 near North Platte, my chase partner & I settled for the first town we hit at I-80: Lexington.

At the risk of offending, Lexington is a pit. Taking the extra hour to go to NP for the night would've been worth it.

What other Alley small towns may look OK given their font size in your DeLorme but are best passed by? Or, what places are worth that extra drive if you're in range at the end of the day?

[Jeff Lawson]

Tucumcari, NM is pretty creepy.

In June 2003, Eric Nguyen, Scott Blair, and I ended a day in Tucumcari, settling for a non-chain motel on the edge of town (that was our first mistake...we had a coupon, though). The place looked nice from the road, but after checking in, we found our room to be in a separate building - or, rather, bunker - in the back. It was like something out of a horror movie. The room looked as if it hadn't been updated since the 70s. I seem to remember the walls being covered in some sort of red velvet.

Worse yet, the building looked to be a temporary home for some folks - and not the sort of folks you'd want to tangle with. Honestly, it felt like we were being watched, and with two cars full of equipment, we were pretty nervous.

Still, we decided to stick it out, heading into town to find a bite to eat. The only place that looked trustworthy was a Denny's on the interstate. That was quite an experience in itself. The food and service were both equally terrible, but the real kicker was that the restaurant was full of some extremely creepy people. There was a "family" sitting in the booth behind us - two aged drifter sorts, and a young kid that insisted on having an ice cream sundae for dinner. The thing is, the way they spoke to the kid and each other made it seem like something funny was going on - as in, they kidnapped the kid and were on the run from the law.

Upon finishing dinner, we gave each other a "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" look. Yup, we were getting the hell out of Tucumcari.

Since we had to return to the motel to return our key, we figured we'd might as well see if we could get the credit card charge for the room reversed. So, we concocted a plan...

Eric and I come screaming up to the hotel lobby in the van, the orange strobe on the roof flashing. Eric jumps out, runs in, and tells the receptionist we're severe storm researchers, and have to get to Amarillo pronto for work. Things are going crazy, so we'll be out all night...probably won't get any sleep. I come running in, frantically spewing some crap about mesos to 40,000 ft. or something equally ridiculous. Then, Scott (who is waiting outside) calls my cell phone, and we start bantering back and forth about explosive hail cores and so on.

By this point, the receptionist has gone all wide-eyed...and completely falls for it. What's funny is that it took a good 10 minutes to get the charge reversed (required a phone call), so we had to keep this act up for awhile.

Then, we busted it out of Tucumcari, not stopping until we hit the Super 8 in Amarillo.

So, yeah, I'd avoid Tucumcari. Or, as we've come to call it, Tucumscary.

[Reed Timmer]

Never stay at the Airliner Motel in Salina, KS!

[Blake Michaleski]

Stratford Inn, Wichita, KS...... not good at all....


Along the lines of what Jeff wrote, yeah get those travel books with teh coupons. they help alot. but always stay in a chain.... well unless the non-chain place looks really great.

I prefer super 8s ...

[Joe Nield]

The Super 8 just east of the state line in Council Bluffs, Iowa (Exit 1B or something like that) is a dingy old hole in the wall. It was right next to a truck stop, so that should have been our first clue.

For that matter, much of that entire town seemed to be the armpit of the universe. We saw bounty hunters (pardon me, "extradition specialists") in the Wal-Mart, and all merchandise on the endcaps was tied down with zipties.

[Damon Scott Hynes]

The Super 8 just east of the state line in Council Bluffs, Iowa (Exit 1B or something like that) is a dingy old hole in the wall. It was right next to a truck stop, so that should have been our first clue.

For that matter, much of that entire town seemed to be the armpit of the universe. We saw bounty hunters (pardon me, "extradition specialists") in the Wal-Mart, and all merchandise on the endcaps was tied down with zipties.

D00d--It's COUNCIL BLUFFS! Around here we call it Council Tucky. If you're ever feeling sorry for your station in life, just head to the Mercado De Walton in Council Bluffs and you'll walk out feeling like Don Trump.

Council Blufffs is a casino town. That Super 8 is where the losers stay. The winners stay at the casino hotels, but when you're gambling, 'winner' is a relative term...

[Joey Ketcham]

Tucumcari, NM is pretty creepy.
.

I second that!

I drove through there back in 2001, I even stopped there and ate at some cafe... I didn't have one good feeling while there. I couldn't wait to leave that town.

[Joe Nield]

Council Blufffs is a casino town. That Super 8 is where the losers stay.

Maybe that explains the ridiculously excessive number of fire doors in the hallways. We had to get through something like 8 fire doors to get to our room. Maybe they have a problem with despondent gamblers setting fire to their rooms.

[cedwards]

Never stay at the Airliner Motel in Salina, KS!

The Budget Inn in Salina. I pulled up there to check in. A cop car pulled up next to us and told us that we didn't want to stay there. I came out of the office to see what was going on. Other people in the van told me something was going on and lets go find another place.

We went to the Airliner Motel. That place is straight out of the 60s same beds, same carpet, same dust...


I have eatten at the Denys in Tucumscary. They had the rudest hostes I have ever seen. avoid it.

Also avoid an independent place in Pratt, KS (Delorme had it listed as Red Roof Inn so I called for reservations) One room was located under the office. You had to go oround back and down some stairs. There was no light and there was a pipe across the steps. I tripped and nearly killed myself. While we were there, there was a domesic disturbance going on outside my room. Some guy pulled a gun on another guy.

I have had many other (Interesting) stays, but these I remember off hand.

[Tony Laubach]

I about aged 25 years and had to clean my pants after having a Topeka Police Officer pull a gun on me at a Motel 6 in Western Topeka when I came downstairs for some ice for my girlfriend and I and there was apparently a drug-bust going down in a room nearby. When I turned the corner, I guess I spooked one of the officers and he pointed a gun at me. I quickly fired my hands (and the ice bucket - not filled) over my head and exclaimed in a near panic "I'm just here for some ice!" A quick check on me indicated I was not involved nor a threat and I was able to fill my bucket and return to my room upstairs.

Stay there at your own risk! :lol:

[Todd Beal]

The Super 8 in Ardmore, OK.

It caught on fire the night we were there, and the lady refused to refund the 6 rooms we had got. :x

We had to drive all the way back up to OKC before we could find a vacant hotel!

I am sure Ardmore is all right, just dont stay at the Super 8

[Jay McCoy]

The Days Inn in Altus, Ok is a nasty death trap. We stopped there one night back in 2002. It seemed ok. national chain but when we got to the rooms..wow. The sheets hadnt been changed in what looked like weeks. You could actually see where other people had slept. the light fixtures had black smoke trails above them from where they had shorted out before. the bathroom was a true hazardous waste dump. There was black mold on the walls and all over the shower. The towlethadnt been cleaned in forever and wouldnt stop running. The light fixture was hanging by its wires. If there would have been another place to stay within 60 miles we would have left but it was memorial weekend and this was it. I got my emergency blanket out of the truck and slept on it. there was no way I was getting under those sheets. I skipped the shower until the next day. drove to a truck stop on I-40 and used the truckers showers. we sent a letter to Days Inn headquarters with pictures a few days later. we got a free night at any of their hotels. I dont know if they contacted the owners of that days inn since it was franchised but I will never stay there again.

I wont even go into the the details of the Double wide trailer strip club we found in Altus!!! :o Just glad to still be alive

[B Ozanne]

I quickly fired my hands (and the ice bucket - not filled) over my head and exclaimed in a near panic "I'm just here for some ice!" A quick check on me indicated I was not involved nor a threat and I was able to fill my bucket and return to my room upstairs.


Sounds crazy! I'm glad they let you fill your ice though.

[mikedeason]

Here in Grand Island, there are two places to avoid like the plague: The Days Inn, on Diers Ave (basically a frontage road off US281) on the northwest side of town and the Conoco Motel on US30 as you come into southside of downtown.

You have been warned!!! :-)

Regards,

Mike

[Bill Schintler]

The Days Inn in Altus, Ok is a nasty death trap.

I've stayed there twice now, including once in 2002. While it was no five-star hotel, my experiences were not nearly as bad as yours. In 2002, I do remember that my room had lots of dead crickets on the floor...

Other places to avoid: Super-8 in Garden City, KS - next door to a large livestock farm. Additionally, there were problems with the plumbing in the room.

- bill

[Jay McCoy]

You got lucky Bill. We had a total of 4 rooms amungst us and all were hellish to say the least.

Dead crickets all over the floor to me would mean that they hadnt cleaned or vacuumed the room. Not the kind of place I room I would expect for $70 a night which was crazy in itself. this isnt a Ramada or Luxury Suites. I prefer best westerns since most of them now have Wi-Fi. that is one of the 1st things I look for when choosing a hotel now.

[Kurt Silvey]

ANY motel within walking distance of a truck stop.

Give Priceline.com a try. Many times you can get a really nice hotel for $40 -$50.

[Joe Nield]

On the other hand, I have nothing but compliments for Fairfield Inns. Clean, large, comfortable rooms, polite service, and reasonable at around $70 a night, which is great when splitting expenses.

[GPhillips]

Here in Grand Island, there are two places to avoid like the plague: The Days Inn, on Diers Ave (basically a frontage road off US281) on the northwest side of town and the Conoco Motel on US30 as you come into southside of downtown.
Mike, I'd be curious to know what the problems are, as I've stayed at that Day's Inn twice (last time in 2003) and had a good experience.

[Damon Scott Hynes]

I prefer best westerns since most of them now have Wi-Fi. that is one of the 1st things I look for when choosing a hotel now.

Best Western in Chillicothe, Mo is the suck. Had made rez's beforehand, wanted non-smoking and got smoking. Travelling with mom-in-law, needed ground floor and got second story. Mentioned this to the desk clerk and she said "This is the only hotel within 40 miles with rooms" with a smirk in her voice...

[Damon Scott Hynes]

On the other hand, I have nothing but compliments for Fairfield Inns.

Roger that. Stay there whenever I can. Neat, quiet, and backed up by a company that has shareholders to answer to, so they will at least listen to any concerns. (In the interest of disclosure, I own Marriott stock...:-))

[Amos Magliocco]

I agree with Jay about Best Westerns. They have either WiFi or hardwired high-speed network connections almost anywhere in the country, even Helena, Arkansas on the Mississippi River.

Most of my chasing life I've used Motel 6 or Super 8 only. But I've found that having the speedy internet like Best Western saves me a lot of time (don't have to go find a connection after checking out of the room) and the smallish free breakfast they serve has become essential for me. I can handle snacking on whatever is around for the rest of the day and into the night if I've had something in the morning. Skipping coffee is not an option anymore, and grabbing some free breakfast in the lobby is cheaper, faster, and usually much healthier than going the McD's drive through. For those who live on the road during chase season, this is important because of the cumulative effect of Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuits over several weeks. Not pretty.

What makes it possible is that Best Western's rates have dropped. Or at least it seems as if they have. They are typically about $5-9 higher than nearby Super 8s, and for the reasons mentioned above, I'm willing to pay the extra. I think I get more than $10 worth of value from the time saved in the forecasting process and the free food.

PS: The Super 8 in El Reno is a disaster.

[Glen Romine]

Henryetta, OK will forever be stuck in my brain as a bad place to stop. There may be some fans here of Huckleberry's Pig Out Palace Restaurant, but I'm not one of them, and the accomodations are pretty scary. I think there is also a Super 8 on the west side of town near the interstate that I've not stayed in, and it might be ok, but other choices more in 'town' are pretty shabby joints, but reasonably priced for those on an extreme budget (sub $30 a night).

While it would be nice to avoid them, pick just about any town on I-70 through KS and expect to have serious trouble finding an available hotel room. Parts of I-80 can be tough too, but the stretch from Hays to Topeka can reliably run out of rooms by late afternoon on a weekend, early evening an other day of the week for most of the chase season.

Grand Island is another place I try to avoid staying - unless I can get a room at one of the few places by the interstate (where food choices are extremely limited though - I only recall an Arby's), because otherwise it is a healthy drive from the interstate to the main part of town.

Also, watch out for the annual World Pork Expo in Des Moines, every decent hotel within 80 miles will be booked in advance. This year it runs 9-11 June.

Glen

[Robbie Cox]

The Days Inn in Altus, Ok is a nasty death trap.

I've stayed there twice now, including once in 2002. While it was no five-star hotel, my experiences were not nearly as bad as yours. In 2002, I do remember that my room had lots of dead crickets on the floor...

Other places to avoid: Super-8 in Garden City, KS - next door to a large livestock farm. Additionally, there were problems with the plumbing in the room.

- bill


thanks for the heads up as i'm taking family on vacation to Dodge City/ Garden city and a few other place in kansas and western missouri Memorial week.

[Mikel Shively]

I prefer best westerns since most of them now have Wi-Fi. that is one of the 1st things I look for when choosing a hotel now.

Best Western in Chillicothe, Mo is the suck. Had made rez's beforehand, wanted non-smoking and got smoking. Travelling with mom-in-law, needed ground floor and got second story. Mentioned this to the desk clerk and she said "This is the only hotel within 40 miles with rooms" with a smirk in her voice...

For future reference. The Super 8 in Trenton is a pretty good place to stay, or so I hear.

[mrobinett]

important because of the cumulative effect of Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuits over several weeks. Not pretty.


Maybe a "Supersize me" chaser edition, could be lucrative!!

Oh, the Holiday Inn in Gallup, NM bad, walls paper thin...why were we in Gallup again??

Mike

[Dave Carroll]

Hey, another vote for the Super 8 in Council Bluffs! The talk of the locals at the time last May was of a murder/disappearance from the truck stop next door. But, the talk during our stay was tempered by a half-way decent continental breakfast. -DC

[Joe Nield]

Hey, another vote for the Super 8 in Council Bluffs! The talk of the locals at the time last May was of a murder/disappearance from the truck stop next door. But, the talk during our stay was tempered by a half-way decent continental breakfast. -DC

When I and two of my cohorts were in Seattle for the AMS conference in January of 2004, we stayed in a Motel 6 south of the city our first night out. We had arrived a couple of days early to do some sightseeing before moving into our fancy AMS-paid digs downtown. The place was clean and cozy, but certainly nothing special.

The next morning, when one of them went downstairs to ask for a couple extra towels, the guy at the desk offered him a job. They had apparently lost several employees to a massive drug bust the week before. According to the management at the much nicer, locally-owned, and only slightly more expensive "King's Coachman" Motel across the highway where we stayed the next night, this is about a twice-a-year event.

As far as that Super 8, I'm glad I didn't know about that when we stayed there on the night of the 23rd last year. What was frustrating about that was that we thought Council Bluffs would be a good target for the 24th, but we ended up heading to Beatrice, NE that morning, where we had stayed in a VERY nice Super 8 on the 22nd. Too bad we didn't just stay put. :lol:

[Tony Laubach]

When I and two of my cohorts were in Seattle for the AMS conference in January of 2004, we stayed in a Motel 6 south of the city our first night out.

Joe, I was at that conference, too! We stayed in some seedy hotel across the street from I think it was the Radison (not exactly sure)... behind us was a strip joint... and in the girls' room, there was a condom on the floor! Not exactly the best place to stay and most certainly the last time I let my teacher shop for hotels for conventions! :lol: What a dive!

[Jeff Wear]

One of the worst places I've stayed at was in Cheyenne WY. This hotel was totally in the stone age - the rooms had no TV and no phone, and they took an imprint of my credit card. At least it was only $23/night.

The Ramada Inn in Wheat Ridge CO (western suburb of Denver) has some of the thinnest walls ever constructed. Just hope the person staying in the next room doesn't have bronchitis....otherwise it's going to be a long night......

[Susan Strom]

Towns/services I like (Plains):

Garden City, KS - nice town, places to stay and several restaurants. Open spaces all around.
Liberal, KS - nice and familiar town, I always seem to be going through there. Dorothy's House is there too, which is a kick!
Wichita Falls, TX - nice town, good inns
Woodward, OK - nice people. I liked the Northwest Inn. The area is very well situated for chasing.
Colby, KS - ok inns, nice travel plaza (the one near the fake palm trees, which always make me laugh)
Aurora, CO - plenty of services when the forecast calls for Colorado.
Boulder, CO - If you end up there and CO doesn't play out...stop by and visit NCAR instead!
Lubbock, TX - The Super 8 is one of the better ones, right on the highway. Well situated town for W TX chasing.
Henryetta, OK - Actually, my experience there was ok. I usually avoid non-chain motels but there was a spotless motel there run by a nice couple.
Tucumcari - NM - doesn't bother me. I found an inn there where I could back my suv up to the door (I like that when I'm by myself, easy to load, etc.).
Sidney, NE - Good services, and I love that ice cold Ogallala Aquifer water that comes from the faucets.
Des Moines, IA - There's a Fairfield Inn west of town (favorite chain). I also like the Bridges of Madison County, very photogenic in Winterset, right nearby. Actually, I'm impressed with Iowa, as a state. I also bought an antique lightning rod in Walnut, IA, which is such a cool little town.
Taos, NM - I'll make an excuse to go there on my way back to Arizona. Love that town, interesting people, nice places to stay, Taos Pueblo, Sangre de Cristo range.

I'll pass on:

El Paso, TX - that industrial border town is just plain creepy and dangerous. I used to be an I-10'er but now I take I-40.
Midland, TX - Feels like a ghost town of a sort, an oil-boom-in-the-80s town. One late night I passed up a Motel 6 after a long day's drive from Arizona. The motels looked pretty run down. I coffeed up and stayed in Lubbock. Not a big Permian Basin fan in general, good services are hard to find.
Wichita, KS - Kellogg Avenue in the month of May is a confusing mass of usually booked motels due to spring soccer, softball and every other tournament in the midwest. Usually I'm able to get some kind of chain-motel room if I call ahead, but one night I braved a non-chain motel at 2am after driving down from Kansas City in really bad weather, desperate for a place to sleep. The only motel available was so bad I slept in my clothes, boots and all, knife in my pocket. The lock on my door didn't work well either. I might have been safer in my car, but the weather was crazy, zero vis at times, and I was "travel tired", you know that feeling? I avoid Wichita when I can, since I know that rooms are hard to find in the Spring. At least they have a Starbucks and the barista was really nice, and from Phoenix.
Kansas City, MO - Not a big fan, it is hilly and trafficky. I stay out of KCMO when I can.
Santa Fe, NM - I used to be a huge Santa Fe fan. There is so much sprawl, traffic and road construction now I avoid it altogether when I'm just passing through. If you want to shop or stay anywhere near the Paseo de Peralta...best to stay in town a couple days and see the sights on foot!
Pueblo, CO - Has a way creepy vibe, kind of industrial. Perhaps the IRS office? LOL
Fort Smith, AR - I should KNOW not to break my rule and chase in that east-of-I35 hill country, but I was enticed by a storm that looked too good to pass up. Good lord! I arrived one late night during "cruise night on main street"! Need I say more? Generally, Fort Smith is way too hilly and full of trees for chasing.

[Mike Hardiman]

Originally posted by Susan Strom
Towns/services I like (Plains):
El Paso, TX - that industrial border town is just plain creepy and dangerous. I used to be an I-10'er but now I take I-40.


Having lived in El Paso for about a year and half, I think your impressions of the place are quite invalid. Granted, I never exactly fell in love with this "Strip Mall City," but it is anything but dangerous.

In fact, El Paso has the lowest murder rate of any major US City (and it IS a big city... population now over 700,000 not including Juarez or Las Cruces). It also ranks second lowest in robberies.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/disp...ols_naked3.html (http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2000-01-21/pols_naked3.html)

Most of your drug-related crimes occur across the river... and drug trafficking is mainly done in the New Mexico deserts out west. Even so, I never ran into anyone else but Border Patrol when shooting lightning off NM State Route 9.... sometimes within less than a mile of the border.

That said, El Paso is a fairly ugly city... not because it is "industrial" or "dangerous" ... it is, like many Western cities, blighted by tremendous suburban sprawl. Every road is lined with homogenous, ugly strip malls, fast food restaurants, and big box stores. Some people call this sort of thing paradise.

It's not that bad of place to live, actually. The surrounding Chihuahuan Desert doesn't hold a candle to the Sonoran in Arizona, but it has its charms and beautiful lightning displays during the Monsoon season. I just simply don't like big cities and sprawl... really the only thing I ever had against the place... that and the lack of weather those other 9 months of the year.

-Mike