Thank you one and all for your kind words! So many of you are intelligent, experienced travelers in your own right, and to think that my assemblage of words and pictures should inspire such gracious accolades from you all leaves me humbled and appreciative, not to mention more committed than ever to the time and effort that go into producing a report such as this. It's quite a lot of work to put these reports together - at least for me it is - so I'm quite pleased that so many of you have enjoyed this one.

John, I'm going to borrow and expand on a couple of paragraphs from this and a past report to answer your questions:

My recent drive through Michigan's Upper Peninsula was typical of how I pick a motel for the night. Upon arriving in town I visually inspect the available motels because often, though not always, the quality of a motel can be discerned from its overall appearance. First and foremost, does it look inviting? Does the building appear to be well maintained? Do the grounds look clean? Look at the amount of space between the doors to each room. It’s a good indicator of how spacious the rooms are. And, what about those windows? I like a large window set waist high, not a small window mounted high up on the wall. Also, I much prefer single level ranch-style construction to multi-level buildings such as Motel 6s. (I don't enjoy being stacked upon one another) It’s also worth noting that many older motels are more solidly built than the newer multi-story buildings. This generally means better insulation between rooms and less noise. Finally, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask to inspect a room in advance.

I would also emphasize that you can't always go by the comments and ratings at sites like Trip Advisor because in my estimation at least, many of the posters there sound like tourists more than travelers. That is to say some of them seem to expect a JW Marriott style room for their $40.00 and their comments nit pick over little things such as the simple (though not necessarily excessive) wear and tear typically found in an older facility.

As to mileage runs, I’m definitely old school when it comes to planning them. I don’t have any of those new-fangled KVS planning applications and I’m not overly impressed with the veracity of sites like expertflyer.com. So – I do it the old fashioned way. I scour the internet for deals in markets that I know to offer good routings and I’m always willing to check new markets that I don’t know about. With regard to routings, many airlines are making the routings far more restrictive on their lowest priced fares. Some airlines still offer two stop, three flight routings on certain domestic flights. Speaking for myself at least, I just go out there and start looking. I have no doubt there are more efficient means of finding and constructing mileage runs than I employ, but I’m just not that interested in taking the time to learn them. As a result I sift through a hell of a lot of dirt and gravel to find those elusive mileage run nuggets but what the heck – I enjoy the hunt.

I should mention though that FlyerTalk's Mileage Run Forum is a great asset since others have already done the looking for you. I should probably use it more than I do.

eightblack, a lot of people have suggested I write a blog or book. Alas, a blog would require more effort and ego than I would be comfortable with. Now for those willing to take the time to print my reports (or turn them into pdf. files as some have done) they will have then created for themselves a book. A couple of years ago, I created an Excel table and listed all of my reports including data on number of pages (#8 Verdana print) and words. As of this latest effort, I've published 63 reports on FlyerTalk totalling over 850,000 words on over 1100 pages. There's your book!

Keep in mind that reports like mine that place an emphasis on "getting there" have a fairly limited though avid audience, especially outside of FlyerTalk. And don't kid yourselves - even here at FlyerTalk far more members are into the destination moreso than their transport there. Oh sure, they enjoy sitting up in First or Business but they just don't have much interest in reading or writing about it. Been there ~ done that, you know...

BTW, the term "Trip Report" doesn't do your writing justice as yours are wonderfully engaging and humorous tales of life ~ on the road and otherwise. As a red blooded member of the human race, I've no doubt your wife would also love them! And I'm glad she likes mine as well.

FlyingDoctor, I feel a bit young to have a bucket list just yet, but Scotland's West Highland line has been on my radar ever since I rode the train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. What a spectacularly beautiful part of the world and one that I hope to re-visit sooner than later.

zafiragirl, you can easily book your reservations aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad in advance. Just click on the link below:

Verde Canyon Railroad