Shelter from the storm.

Day 2 - After sleeping a couple of hours later than I intended (shocking!) I decided not to go directly to DC, but divert to Monticello instead.  Either way this meant lots of driving in NC and VA and between them, NC definitely has the superior rest area bathrooms.

I was feeling peckish in northern NC and spotted an exit for the supposedly populated Reidsville (418.7 m) so I pulled off, got gas, and started looking for neon but it took a few turns and about four miles to locate a McDonalds - and, as a creepy footnote the people a the gas station and the McD's were pretty much silent (except for the voice coming out of the order speaker) like I'd arrived in a town that communicates by telepathy or something wheadonesque was going on.  I headed back to the highway.

Virginia (441.2 m), was ok, but it involved driving on Jerry Falwell Parkway (519.2 m), boo.

Monticello (592.1 m) was really excellent, and very symmetrical, sitting on top of a mountain (it means "little mountain") and I was thinking how amazing it is that he just leveled off the top of a mountain and built all of this then I remembered that he used slaves for most of it and my momentary amazement was stifled.  I accidentally littered, and was unable to rectify the situation, but the tour guide didn't see me so I made it out ok.  The visit also reminded me that I am definitely anti- visiting famous graves (which convinced me not to stop in Baltimore and pay Dorothy Parker a visit) but I did get Maw Maw her first Exodus thimble and saw "Mr. Madison's Room" and I considered that to release me from visiting his home at Montpelier, even though he's my favorite founding father.  So I headed for DC via the James Madison Highway (615.2 m) and the Constitution Route (621.7 m).

I finally made it to the DC visitors' center (706.2 m) and had no luck finding a good hotel coupon so me and my iPhone reserved a room at the lovely Motel 6 in Capitol Heights, MD for $52/night.  I feel confident in saying that this was probably the worst hotel/motel accommodation that I've ever experienced.  The hostel in Moscow as far superior.  Not to totally disparage the Motel 6 but the room reeked of cigarette smoke (despite being a non-smoking room) and lacked a Bible (!) and the advertised wifi just happened to be out.  There was also a very questionable reddish-brown stain on the floor which I was careful to avoid walking barefoot and had I any chalk would have outlined it an put down some evidence markers. 

 I got back at them by using all of the towels and wash cloths and swiping the extra roll of toilet paper.