I was scheduled to do an Arts in the Park in Detroit Lakes this last Sunday so I suggested to my wife Kathie, “Let’s go a day early, get a motel and see the sights in that beautiful lake country. It’ll be a mini-vacation!”
Kathie readily agreed so I went on line to find us the perfect motel. We didn’t need a big fancy one with all the amenities because we would only be staying for one night and we would have to rise early the next morning to get our canopy tent erected and books displayed at the park. Hot tubs, saunas and swimming pools weren’t essential to us. Besides I was trying to make a profit selling books the next day so very expensive accommodations would gobble up the next day’s ‘potential’ profits.
So the top end motels were disqualified as was the one motel listing it’s amenities as a kitchenet. That was a little too much like ‘roughing’ it and it was our mini-vacation after all. 🙂 We settled on one that was reasonably priced and provided a continental breakfast. We were set for a two day adventure in lake country however the adventure took a turn that we were not expecting!
As we rolled into the motel parking lot the first indication that the stay may not be as relaxing as we were anticipating was when I couldn’t get our room key to open the motel room door. Yes it was an old fashioned key and an old fashioned rusty lock on the door. I was forced to go back to the office, red faced from embarrassment, and ask the owner for help. Even he struggled opening the door and as he prepared to return to the office left us with the parting comment, ” You’ll just need to be a little patient and it will eventually open.”
About that time I was beginning to feel a little insecure about our sleeping quarters. When we did finally get the door unlocked a tiny little room met our gaze. It was far from modern but clean and did not smell. Curious about the size I stepped it off. The interior was fifteen feet wide and eighteen feet long! Kathie and I would certainly not have trouble finding each other even if the electricity went out.
We brought in our bags and prepared to take a ride and view the sights around Detroit Lakes. The town is named after a huge round lake with beautiful sandy beaches and our first goal was to drive around this gorgeous, circular lake. The first time we attempted the circular trek we got lost and only made it half way around the lake. After the evening dinner it was still light so I suggested we attempt the circular voyage again. The same results occurred. We made it a little farther but in no time we were wandering out in the countryside completely lost once again!
Those two failed attempts of circling the lake was a foreshadowing of what was yet to come.
We went to bed early as we needed to rise bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6:00 am the next morning.
Around 1:30 am we were awakened by a group of young men talking in the room next to us. Their voices reminded us of another deficiency of the motel…….. thin walls between the rooms! The talking never let up but continued on and on.
We finally dozed off around 3:00 am. I had thought of pounding on the wall earlier however I feared my fist might fly right through the sheetrock. Or worse yet those young men next door may have turned out to be the linemen for some football team heading to college for the beginning of fall practice. An encounter with 300 pound linemen would not have ended well.
Sleeping fitfully we were again awakened at 5:30 and the same voices were being emitted through the very thin sheet rock. Since their voices did not sound like drunken, incoherent partyers I began to suspect they had been sitting in a circle passing a doobie around getting mellow all night.
As we left around 6:45 am I noticed their front window had been cranked open I’m assuming to get rid of the marijuana odor before the cleaning lady came in to straighten up. Had they not done that the cleaning lady might have had a very mellow day herself. 🙂
But even though a new day had started the dark cloud hovering over our heads followed us around for the rest of the day.
Arriving at the park the canopy tent was erected quickly and the books were arranged neatly on the two tables. We were ready for business and then it happened. The hovering cloud became even darker!
A lady approached and announced her original spot had a tree on it and her canopy tent didn’t fit so she was going to set her tent up directly across from us. Had I known what was about to happen next I would have gone in search of a chainsaw and dispatched that tree so she could have returned to her original spot.
As we began to visit we discovered we were both children’s authors specializing in picture books. That was not good news as we would be competing against each other. But it gets worse for me. You see she lived in Detroit Lakes and was well known in the community and had just released a new children’s book about loons. Do you get the connection there…….everyone who lives by a lake is ‘loony’ about loons! So most of the shoppers needed to purchase a loon book.
She often had lines by her tent waiting to purchase her newly released book. I did have a line once when two people in wheel chairs began chatting side by side in front of my table and a half dozen shoppers got trapped momentarily behind the visiting duo.
Then if things couldn’t get any worse it began to rain! Although that was kind of an exciting time. You should have seen the variety of umbrellas that appeared. I felt like I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico observing the beginning of a hot air balloon race.
I wasn’t selling any books to speak of so I almost jumped up and tried to organize the most beautiful umbrella contest. At least then people would have noticed the ‘loon lady’ wasn’t the only children’s author at the park.
Probably the most painful experience of the day was when a lady with three children in tow stopped and began examining my books. She picked out two books that she wanted and I began to tremble with excitement until she handed me a credit card. I don’t accept credit cards. 🙁 She announced that she would go get some cash and return. I never saw her again. 🙁
The day finally came to an end. I had paid an $80 entry fee to sit in the rain all day and when I added up the money taken in from my book sales it totaled $72. So I had basically paid $8 to sell my books, got lost twice trying to view Detroit Lake’s scenery and slept very little as the neighbors mellowed out and announced every move through our adjoining wall.
It sure is good I love to write or after a weekend like I’ve just described I might have a strong desire to change professions. Maybe I could become a guide and help people explore all the variety of ways to drive around Detroit Lake’s lake. 🙂
Until next time.
