$80

Great News! I've made it as far as Spokane, WA!

Here is what I learned today:

$80 and no planning at Miles City, MT at 11 p.m. will buy you:
*a smoking room (only room in the entire city left) at Motel 6 in an area that makes the 'wrong side of the tracks' in Maynard look good (which as a non-smoker attempted to avoid smoke smell by opening the windows and sleeping with very little clothes on... on a blanket from my car to avoid getting into the sheets...)
*garbage on the bathroom floor from the previous guests
*no anemities
*the Town Pump next door that were 'sold out' of wine bottle openers (at 11 p.m. after 10.5 hours of driving a glass of wine sounded delightful)
*a front desk that did not have a wine bottle opener
*close proximity to the interstate
*jake braking and honking throughout the night due to the close proximity to the interstate and the need to have a window open

$80 in Spokane, WA?
*a little planning (thank you hotwire.com)
*exercise room
*cookies and milk upon arrival
*non-smoking room
*glass of wine (well coffee mug of wine)
*clean floors
*room on a hill... have yet to hear a noise besides my air conditioning.
*long day of driving (had reservation... needed to keep going)

Lesson learned... sometimes a little planning isn't bad.