Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kratie, Banlung, Ratanakiri, Stung Treng, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hoi An, Bangkok, Don Det, Laos, Madison, WI, Tuscola, IL, Woodstock, GA, Lake Park, GA, Monteagle, TN, Adairsville, GA, Tullahoma, TN, Dunedin, FL, Naples, FL

Tuscola, Illinois

Where the hell is Tuscola? I don't know, but I ended up driving through there once while driving from Madison to Naples (it's actually exit 212 off of I-57). Maybe you'll have to stay there sometime, and honestly, I've stopped in worse places. They got a cheap motel and a friendly bar with food. Get off the highway going west.

The motel

Tuscola Cooper Motel

I love this place. In a town where the Super 8 is asking for like $50 and the Baymont is asking for much more, $37 sounds good. And it's even better once you check the place out. On arrival, expectations are low. The sign doesn't look like it's been touched in decades. But when you wander in the small office and Harry smiles asks if you want to see the room before taking it, confidence grows. If it was really bad, he'd rent first, deflect complaints later.

There rooms are nice though. Don't get me wrong, this is a cheap motel. But you can tell they've been well cared for. The room is small but packed with stuff. TV, fridge, microwave, phone, table, chairs. The sheets smell clean (not the fake clean smell that is just scary elsewhere. Or maybe it's a fake clean smell that doesn't smell fake. whatever the case I wasn't afraid to touch them like elsewhere. The bathroom is old but sanitary.

In other news… free coffee… free fast internet…

The bar

Proud Mary's

Once I had figured out that I had randomly stopped in Tuscola again, I knew where I was gonna have dinner. The clientele is a mix of locals, truck drivers and temporary workers in town to lay pipe, but mostly locals. Belly up to the bar and you feel at home. A couple TV's provide a distraction, if voices subside, but the main entertainment is spirited discussion between happy drinking people.And why wouldn't there be when there are these two drunk bitches who only know how to drink and get pregnunt and wanna drink when they pregnunt and I ain't gunna give dem nuthin... There is also a stage which gets action on the weekends and a pool table.

It was a wednesday and domestic beers were $1.50. The prices on the bottles of booze were very attractive as well, Jamo for $3.75 and Knob Creek for $3.50 (???)(I always say the best place to buy good booze is where people never drink it). The food prices makes you say hmmm… My $3 cheeseburger was solid and was in the middle of the food price range. There's a bunch of sandwiches and fried food too at obnoxiously cheap prices.

Is this not the Tuscola you know? Have something to say? Do it! I dare you. Or read about some other places, like Banlung!