COVID-19 The New Strain & The Truth No One is Talking About

 Covid19 has spread through the United States like a runaway train. Not one corner of our country hasn’t been touched by the virus. We’ve shut down business, closed our schools, hid in our homes and watched helplessly as our family and friends have become infected and in many tragic cases died. 

Done are the days of blame! Where did it originate? Why didn’t the W.H.O. (World Health Organization) know more? Did President Trump do too little too late? Did  we as a society take this epidemic as seriously as we should have? At this point none of that matters…. except to politicians who will use this epidemic for many elections to come as ‘fodder’ to sling at the opposing side.

The truth and simple truth that NO ONE is telling you….. COVID 19 is here to stay.

Viruses are NOT eradicated, they are controlled to a point. The flu is a virus, we have a new vaccine every year to fight whatever new strain it has morphed into. This will be the future of COVID 19 as well, forever daunting us with a new strain every year. In less than a year COVID has evolved into a new strain, more contagious than the original…. it will mutate again… and again… that’s what viruses do. 

That makes the real question, what do we do next? 

Let’s put this in perspective, I’m in Sacramento County California. As of today the majority of this state is in a mandatory ‘business restrictions’ & ‘mask required outdoors’ order. These mandates are meant to keep the virus from being transmitted from person to person, good idea in theory.

Here’s were it gets stupid: 

Masks are required to be worn in public if you are going to be within 6 feet of others. Yet the Sacramento County Sheriff's office and Sacramento County Health Services have both stated they will not enforce that mandate, instead leaning to educate people of the dangers. The time for education is long over, now is the time to ‘put up or shut up’. 

Either enforce the mandates or stop making them! After a year it’s pretty clear that far too many people either don’t believe that COVID-19 is as severe as reported or they just don’t care about their health or yours. Fine, that’s democracy in action…. we all have our own ideas and beliefs and we are FREE to have them.

Well I believe that I should be able to drive 200 mph down Interstate 80, however I can’t because it would be endangering my life and the lives of those around me. So if I do it, law enforcement will take action… for my protection and yours. How is refusing to wear a mask, not maintain distance from others, and following other COVID-19 mandates any different. Rhetorical question…. there is no difference, just politics.

What does that mean? It means that without full public support, the government or specifically politicians don’t want to risk losing your support. It means creating guidelines so every store, shop, & business is required to police those mandates themselves, making you the bad guy. Yet if you are outside a business then you are on your own if someone approaches you without a mask.

Here’s something else that bothers me about our current COVID guidelines. Restaurants are not allowed to have indoor dining or are restricted in occupancy. So to save their buisnessesmany have resorted to outdoors dining, and due to the cold & wet weather have erected tents to places the customers under. In what universe does a virus transmit less effectively in an enclosed tent, than an enclosed building?

Every week small businesses statewide are given lockdown orders or unreasonable requirements that eventually run them out of business due to money constraints or sheer exhaustion from the changing rules each week.. While big box stores continue to operate seemingly unscathed. And yet the virus is still here, despite the lockdowns, stay at home orders and countless mandates.

The point I’m making is, nothing we do as a country is going to stop, slow or eradicate COVID 19. Like the cold, flu and dozens of other worldwide viruses, it’s here to stay. It’s time to learn to live with it rather than eradicate it. The plan of attack needs to change, unfortunately politicians want to keep you scared & off balanced, because scared & off balanced people vote for solutions… even if the solutions hurt them or don’t make real world sense. 

A prime example of a government solution that makes no sense… regulate small business to the point of going out of business, yet allow mass air travel worldwide.

I don’t know if Covid-19 is the killer it’s claimed to be. I do follow the guidelines, not so much because I’m convinced, yet rather for those around me… just in case. It’s unfortunate that not all people are as respectful of their fellow Californians. You know who you are…. 

Red Roof Inn Sacramento North - 4325 Watt Ave Sacramento California 95821

Red Roof Inns are a solid 2 star motel chain that have locations across the United States. So right off the bat you have to realize that these are considered budget lodgings, though on the higher end of room prices. Having been woefully disappointed by other budget lodgings in the area, I decided to give this Red Roof Inn at 4325 Watt Ave in Sacramento, California a try.

Well… just read the review, I guess,

This location is VERY conveniently located smack dab between Interstate 80 and Business 80. Giving you immediate freeway access to the downtown area, Cal Expo and Sacramento International Airport. The small patch of Watt Ave (a main through way that connects Interstate 80 on the north and Highway 50  on the south) where this inn sits is accompanied by a Chevron gas station, Phat Jerry's Phillies, Starbucks and Wendy's restaurant across the street

 A 2 minute walk to the north will take you to the SacRT light rail and bus station, giving you further economical access to the rest of the county. It should be noted that SacRT also has a dedicated shuttle service between downtown bus stops and the airport. A further 8 minute walk north will reveal a Super Walmart, KFC, Del Taco, Subway Sandwiches, Golden Corral Buffet, Carl's Jr, Waffle House and a Love Laundry laundromat.

The newly painted building is a rustic maroon and white. As I pulled onto the property, I passed a CHP (California Highway Patrol) vehicle, the officer stopping behind parked vehicles to look them over. This was not a good omen for this property. As I proceeded into the lobby, another guest came rushing out with a brass luggage cart full of suitcases and filled trash bags, cursing under their breath.

The lobby was big, much bigger than most budget inns. At one corner was a small waiting area with leather-like cushioned chairs in front of a big screen TV. A large table took up most of the space, situated by a breakfast station. The reception desk was large, a mini version of what you’d expect to find at a Vegas resort hotel. All in all, it was a clean and nicely arranged lobby area, however it was ridiculously hot. Whether the air conditioning was broken or just off, I don’t know. I do know it made me not want to spend any more time there than I absolutely had too.

The desk clerk was a soft spoken woman who spoke in such a low voice I found myself having to ask her to repeat herself several times. This location has a $35 fee for early check in and a $60 refundable deposit requirement if paying with cash. Check in was reasonably quick. WiFi password was written on the key card sleeve. Was then informed of breakfast hours and check out time, yet not even an ‘enjoy your stay’, was spoken as I took my room key card and left.


Finding my room, I went in and found it looked and smelled clean. The fresh smell of a mopped floor is hard to mistake, yet when I looked down, there were still small pieces of paper and leaves on the floor.

The bed was nicely made, the sheets and cover blankets all appeared fresh. The room was equipped with a hair dryer, coffee maker, microwave and mini fridge, nice conveniences. Unfortunately when I inspected the inside of the fridge it appeared clean, yet smelled odd. The microwave was clean as well as the coffee maker.

The TV, remote control, lights and A/C all worked as they should, however the problems begin here. I don’t use ironing boards, but my room had a crunchy, stained, ripped ironing board hanging on the wall by the bathroom sink. Oddly though there was no iron, I suppose many people travel with their own iron.

There was a hair dryer attached to the wall, so just to test it… I plugged it in and turned it on. It immediately popped the red ‘fault’ button on the wall plug. So I reset the plug and tried again, only to have the same thing happen. So I reset the plug and put away the dryer. Can anybody say ‘fire hazard’?

The tub was a bit dirty and had some items left from the previous guest still sitting in the soap caddy.

The floor of the tub was visibly dirty, stained with crude from 100 guests before me. Have I ever mentioned that I also travel with flip flops just for showers like this one… yes people, athletes foot is a real thing, and I don’t want it.

The shower rod was practically falling down. Visibly broken and coming apart from the wall, I was very concerned that it would fall when I was taking a shower. Toilet was clean and flushed… what more could a man want from his toilet.


Sitting down at the desk I turned on the desk lamp that had a convenient yet not functional AC outlet at its base. Just as I turned on the light a nice inch long cockroach made his way nonchalantly across the desktop. I of course squished him with the hopes he doesn’t come back as a Rottweiler in its next life or I may be in trouble.

I found 3 other cockroaches during my stay, one climbing the wall and two in the bathroom. We all just left each other alone.

Housekeeping only came by once during my 3 day stay, and one of those days I had to go down to the housekeeping laundry room to get fresh towels. The one day the housekeeper did visit my room, it was well after 5pm and I’m guessing I was just an afterthought. One of the housekeepers has a mouth like a ‘sailor’ and was dropping the ‘f-bomb’ every few words. This wasn’t an isolated incident, every day I was there you could hear here voice echoing through the corridor, cursing about something or someone.

The noise level after 10pm is ludicrous to say the least. Most motels, even the really low class ones, are strict about being quiet after 10pm, not this establishment. Here it's pretty quiet up until 10pm, when it seems like the place gets pretty lively. People roaming the property, groups gathered in corner areas and everyone being loud. One of those nights the police arrived on the property for something, my only indication was due to my being woken by the sirens then the flashing red/blue lights outside my curtain.

Hmm, the curtains… I’ve been to a lot of hotels, and curtains are often problematic. Some hang too far from the window, others are thin and a breeze from the AC can move them and others are adequate yet don't block out the light very well. This Red Roof Inn location has the best curtains I’ve found. They’re thick, heavy and hang close to the window. So NO ONE is peeping in through thin curtains or around open creases at this motel. It's sad that the curtains are the BEST thing about this Red Roof Inn location.

Oh this was funny, my room was across from the ice machine. So I could hear day and night whenever someone was filling their ice bucket. Each day I was there at approx 7pm, a young man would come to the ice machine and start filling his ice bucket. However his ice bucket was a 20 gallon trash bag. The first time I heard the ice machine dispensing so much I thought it was broken and looked out the curtain to see. He was nice and when another guest came to the machine he’d step aside and let them fill their ice bucket, then go right back to filling his garbage bag. I’m guessing from the load he walked away with each night, he was walking away with about 10+ gallons of ice

I went to the provided breakfast one morning, but only once. I knew they served a ‘continental breakfast’ from their website, meaning light stuff. So I was having mixed expectations, since I had seen such a large dining table when I checked in. I wasn’t disappointed, it was a ‘continental breakfast’, with choices of cereal, fruit, coffee and juice. But I had hoped for so much more… seeing that dining table against the small offerings it now seemed out of place in the lobby.

Check out was just as easy as check in had been, yet again the desk clerk a different person, said very little. No ‘have a good day’ or ‘thank you for staying’.

The fact is this location was adequate for a one night stay over if going over or coming from the Sierras. I wouldn’t suggest staying more than a couple nights here, mainly due to:

the inefficiency of housekeeping - not coming to refresh my towels and coffee supplies daily is inexcusable. And my having to hunt them down myself to get towels is unprofessional.

The noise level after 10pm. Even at 3am, people were still roaming around being loud, and the echoe effect in the corridors doesn't help

The roaches - Roaches are common in motels, but when one crawls across your path at a snail's pace when you turn the light on, the cockroach is basically telling YOU who’s in charge.

Broken shower rod - This motel has you sign a document making you liable for damages in your room. This is not uncommon, many motels have a separate form like this, or a similar statement on the room contract you sign. However unless you have hotel staff walk through the room with you upon arrival, maintenance concerns like that nearly broken shower rod could become YOUR responsibility if they choose not to acknowledge it was previously damaged. And there is not a doubt in my mind that housekeeping knew of the shower rod being damaged…. It was too obvious

Maintenance issues - a faulty bathroom plug or faulty hairdryer are fire hazards, additionally the inoperable AC outlet plug on the desk lamp, and the nearly broken shower rod


I’ve returned to this motel twice now and it still suffers from the same problems as before. Though on my last visit, the tub had been painted white... a very poor paint job too.

However when I have a craving for a great Philly Cheese-steak, I would stay at this motel JUST so I can go across the street to Phat Jerry's Phillies. So to the franchise owner of the Red Roof Inn location, you owe Phat Jerry's a big THANK YOU. Those sandwiches are the ONLY reason I would return to this location.

Motel 6 Review - 7850 College Town Drive, Sacramento, California 95826

The Motel 6 at 7850 College Town Drive Sacramento, California 95826 is a budget lodging, currently a franchise owned location.

Motel 6 is one of the few budget motel chains that keeps a tight rein on their properties both corporate and franchised, to ensure a consistent experience for guests no matter what Motel 6 you choose to visit.

This location is no different, a well run motel with professional front office staff and friendly housekeepers.

The rooms are exactly what you’d expect if you’ve been to any other Motel 6 in the United States. Clean beds, tidy floors/counters and acceptably clean bath/shower. I didn't include photos of the room just because I was so tired on arrival, I just unpacked, showered and went to bed... basically messing up any nice room photo I could of taken.

The exterior of the property is basic but clean, There is a pool, in the center of the property next to the ice machines.

During my stay I found this location to be up to par with other Motel 6 locations, having its maintenance related issues, but nothing so drastic that I would include it in a review.

** Note for long term guests: unlike most Motel 6 locations, this one WILL NOT allow you to stay longer than 14 days.

This location does shine in one area, that other Motel 6 locations in the area seem to falter, customer service.

I refer specifically to the office staff, who are of course friendly and professional, Yet are also quite accommodating.

Here’s an example, when I checked into my room, I noticed that the desk chair was wobbly. Who cares right, I didn’t but it was an opportunity to see if the staff would do anything if I brought it to their attention. So I called the front desk and told them my desk chair was very wobbly….. I was immediately told that a new chair would be brought to me. Within 10 minutes, a friendly housekeeper knocked and exchanged my chair with a better one.

Later that day I went to the office to ask where the snack machine was, and was informed there wasn’t one. Yet without being asked, the courteous desk clerk told me about the multiple places to eat or purchase snacks. Denny's next door, Chevron, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Mountain Mikes Pizza, 7-11 and a sandwich shop across the street.

The young man did add that they would be getting snack and soda machines soon, and would be in place within a month.

The next day housekeeping arrived in the mid morning and asked if I needed anything. It was going to be a rainy week and I was sure to be tracking in dirt, mud and water, so I asked if I could have FULL SERVICE daily.

Now most Motel 6 locations will change your sheets daily on request, but the more common routine is every other day. Of the 5 days I was here, I was out 3 of them, when housekeeping came. And as promised, each day my room was cleaned top to bottom, towels, soaps, ice bucket bags, trash and sheets changed when I returned in the afternoon. I even noticed that housekeeping had polished the chrome and cleaned the shower and toilet daily.

I did find the parking here to be challenging. There are plenty of parking spaces all the way around the property, but due to the layout of the buildings, you may not be able to get a parking space near your room.

There was one special surprise at this location that you wouldn't expect to find at a location in a major city.

Wild turkeys roam the property. I was told by a housekeeper that the wild turkeys have been there as long as she could remember. They are NOT pets or mascots, (DO NOT attempt to touch or feed them) but rather the occasional guest from the nearby American River Parkway.

These turkeys or maybe others, were also seen outside McDonalds as I enjoyed a Big Mac Meal. Then the next day at the 7-11 down the street.

The short version of this review is, it's a Motel 6 with all of the chain's pros and cons. However if you want to stay in a Motel 6 where the staff are very nice and helpful, this is the location to stay in while in Sacramento.

Motel 6 - 5110 Interstate Ave Sacramento California Review

My work takes me all over the country, however a few places I visit on a regular basis. One of the places I frequently find myself is Sacramento, California, a perfect jumping point to other cities and locals in the Western United States.  An International airport, an Amtrak Station and a central hub for Greyhound Bus Lines. So I know many of the local eateries, motels and entertainment. Motel 6 is a National Brand budget motel located at 5110 Interstate Ave in the North Highlands area of Sacramento, California.

This Motel 6 is conveniently located on Interstate 80, and a convenient stop for those who will be going over or have come from the Sierras. I’ve occasionally made this my rest stop and have always found the rooms to be adequate. Having its problems but never so much so that it wasn’t worth the money to stay.

Dennys, Jack in the Box, Starbucks, Chevron and a Scandia Miniature Golf Course are all 50 yards away. If you’re like me and enjoy a brisk walk, then a stroll down Madison Ave will find a slew of shopping and fast food. Target, GameStop, 7-11, Burger King, McDonalds, Wienerschnitzel, Panda Express, El Pollo Loco, 99 cent only, IHOP, Chik fil A, In and Out Burger, Staples, a Family Fitness Center and a bowling alley all within a mile.

This area has a moderate homeless population, and as you turn onto Interstate Ave, it is not unusual to see several homeless people sitting on the grass by Jack in the Box or lying on the sidewalk in front of the Dennys or Starbucks. Around dusk you can often see several homeless people congregating behind the Denny's near their garbage bin.

However, I have NEVER had any problems with the homeless population, rarely in fact do they even ask for money. They keep to themselves and may say hi as you pass by, making them friendlier than most people I’ve met in this area.

Check in at this Motel 6 location, is 3:00pm OR later. Not 2:00pm, 2:30pm or even 2:56pm. In the past I was able to check in immediately anytime after 2:00pm as long as they had a clean room. No longer do they extend that courtesy, as evidenced when not even calling the housekeeper on her walkie talkie, the desk clerk claimed that housekeeping had not yet cleaned the room assigned to my reservation.

This is of course a lie, since at exactly 3:00pm, as I stood there at the front desk, the desk clerk said, ‘oh its 3 o’clock, your room is ready”.

Was this desk clerk physic? Did she somehow ‘astral-project’ to my room and see that housekeeping had just finished cleaning my room… of course not. She was just stalling until their strict 3:00pm check in time. Let me be clear, I knew check in was at 3:00pm, only arriving early due to past visits letting me check in early.

Now all the desk clerk had to say was, ‘we now  have a policy that restricts us from checking in guests before 3:00pm’. Had I been told that, I would not be including the above interaction in this review. Lying to me, stalling me, may be easier, BUT it's bad business. Had I been immediately told about a firm policy, I would have walked next door to Dennys for lunch, rather than waiting in the tiny lobby for my room to be cleaned. By the way, that same ‘room not clean yet’ excuse was used on two other guests while I was waiting in the lobby.

This Motel 6 has a main section AND what they call an Annex Building that sits approx 150 yards away from the main building complex, on the northernmost corner of the property. If you’re lucky enough (I say sarcastically) to get a room in the Annex building, you’ll immediately feel as if you’re being punished for something.

The Annex area is well lit at night, however due to its distance from the main buildings, if something were to happen out there… well, as my neighbor in the next room told me (a young woman who was traveling alone), she just didn’t feel safe being so far from help if needed.

She added that even if she screamed for help, it was likely no one would hear her due to the noise from the adjacent Interstate.

The rooms are clean and maintained with a few exceptions. The sheets smelled fresh but as with most budget motels, fleece blankets and top cover blankets ARE NOT washed after each ‘check out’ and that is noticeable. Although when asked, housekeeping will happily supply you with a fresh cleaned fleece blanket.

Oh a Tip for my Fellow Travelers: How to tell if bed sheets have been freshly changed
Pull the blankets back and just look at the sheets. Both the top and fitted sheet WILL HAVE fold creases in them. Now at a budget motel the fold creases may not be as noticeable since they don’t fold them as tightly as a 4 star hotel would. However the folds will still be there. If you don’t see the creases made from the sheets being folded, than it's VERY possible those sheets are NOT fresh. I wouldn’t worry about that here, as I said the housekeeping staff is quite efficient.

The TV and remote worked, which is nice, unfortunately the WiFi was seriously lacking. Plenty of signal strength, even able to connect to the router, but NO internet. Just a constant RESOLVING HOST problem. I called the front desk to inquire about the WiFi and was told, ‘yeah sometimes it works good out there, sometimes it doesn’t, nothing we can really do about it from here’.  Oh well… what 1 or 2 star motel anywhere has reliable WiFi service. On other visits here the internet worked well, so this may have been an isolated incident.

 The Air Conditioning worked, though even on HIGH, the A/C doesn’t really cool the room effectively on a +98F degree day. On top of that, if you decide to go out to the State Fair or other day trip, decide to leave the A/C on to keep the room cool for your return….. Well you’re in for a harsh return.

When housekeeping comes by, they enter the room to make beds,  refill the necessities AND turn that A/C up to 75+ degrees. If you leave a note on the bed saying to leave the A/C where it is, they will.

The bathroom is adequate but you'll feel the need to get a can of anti fungal foot spray after using the shower. Its filthy, and NOT from lack of cleaning. Its old, stained, cracking and just generally ugly looking. I recommend wearing flip flops while in the shower, which is good advise for any lodging 1 star or 5 star, you just never know whats lurking on the shower floor.

The toilet is a toilet, really what more can you say about it. It flushes.... however, why can't they tighten the toilet seat. The toilet seat was so loose that I was sure I'd slide right off the bowl. I mean tightening the plastic nuts that hold it on is a simple thing to do Maintenance or housekeeping could do it in 3 minutes, literally, yet no one does. Are they waiting for the seat to completely fall off and hurt a guest??

Housekeeping Service here is REQUIRED if staying for more than a few days. I was informed that if staying more than 3 days, you could only refuse Housekeeping Service once. This is actually a good policy, allowing the rooms to be properly maintained, yet can be inconvenient since there is no schedule as to when they will be knocking on your door.

On a side note, I felt so bad when I saw one of the housekeepers pushing their FULL OVERFLOWING laundry cart 150+ yards in 103F+ degree weather to and from the Annex Section to the main Motel complex. Someone BUY housekeeping a golf cart to make that trip easier!

Oh if you stay for more than a day, expect to walk up to the office every single day to have your room key card reprogrammed. The majority of lodgings in America and the rest of the world, including other Motel 6 locations, program your key card to work for the duration of your stay. NOT HERE! Even when I specifically ask the desk clerk to program my key card for my full stay.. They seldom do.

There is a small area for pets to do their ‘business’, provided in the wide open space between the Main buildings and the Annex buildings, along with small dispenser w/ poop bags.

This location is NO LONGER corporate owned, it is a franchise location as of late 2019. You will not find a General Manager on the property if you run into problems. Although I have not met the owner, I have been told that he is immediately available to guests should a problem arise.

There is a separate review of this Motel regarding Reservations… if you plan on coming here you’ll want to read this or risk NOT getting the room you reserved.

Motel 6 Reservation Guarantee - Read the invisible print

The majority of motels and hotels in the United States, including Motel 6 adhere to an unofficial industry standard policy called ‘the walk policy’.

Basically this policy says that if you make a guaranteed reservation (and in some instances a non-guaranteed reservation), and you arrive at your motel to find they CAN’T accommodate your reservation for whatever reason, they WILL get you into a room that night EVEN if it means making arrangements at another hotel, paying for your first night at that alternate hotel and provide or pay for transportation if necessary.

Now first you have to ask yourself why wouldn’t your hotel of choice be able to accommodate your reservation. There’s actually many reasons, such as over booking, rooms being taken out of service due to maintenance issues, computer errors, employee error, etc. This isn’t really about the many reasons it COULD happen, but rather what Motel 6 did to me when it DID happen…. On two separate occasions.

These occurred at the same Motel 6 location at 5110 Interstate Ave, Sacramento, CA 95842. (Update: At the time I wrote this, this Motel 6 location was corporate owned. As of Late 2019, this location is now franchise owned)

Unlike most travelers, I read the fine print. And one of the reasons I don’t use third party companies to book rooms is because most of them won’t or can’t guarantee your reservation. So with most stays, I book directly on the hotels website, to ensure I get that guarantee from their property. As I did with Motel 6, like a dozen times before.

The first time it happened at this location, I had reserved a 2 bed room, yet when I checked in I was told there computer only showed me as booking a 1 bed room. The desk clerk, Stephanie, was non-apologetic saying she had no idea why my reservation was different on her computer. I began searching my emails from my phone to produce my Motel 6 email confirmation, when she stated matter of factly, “it doesn’t matter what confirmation you show me..”, informing me that the 2 bed rooms were not only fully booked but also fully occupied.

Stephanie was polite, while trying to think of an option, then offered to put me in a 1 bed room that night and would have a 2 bed room cleaned as soon as one of the current occupants checked out in the morning. No discount was offered in fact she was going to charge me the same rate as if it were a 2 bed room, so I asked for a discount on the 1 bed room I'd have to stay in that night.

Inconvenient yes, but she was at least attempting to make the situation right, I appreciated that. So I took the discounted 1 bed room, allowing my travel companion to have the bed and me huddled in a corner on the floor with a spare blanket provided by housekeeping.  The next morning I went to the office at 11am and she indeed had a housekeeper cleaning a room for me. By the time I was finished exchanging key cards and re-checking in, the housekeeper called on the walkie talkie to say the room was ready. Problem solved, guest happy and life goes on…..

Later in the year this same situation arises again. My reservation for a 2 bed room was now appearing as a 1 bed room reservation on the motels computer. This time the desk clerk (a new desk clerk, this location has a high turnover. Every time I come here there are different desk clerks) was of no help and had no idea how to handle the situation. Also he was surprisingly uneducated in policies, he was polite but obviously disinterested and unsympathetic.  But when he saw that I was frustrated, he kept his cool and did the only thing he was obviously trained to do… read the computer screen and call someone else.

I produced my confirmation email, and unphased by the error, the desk clerk kept telling me, ‘I don’t know what to tell you, my computer says 1 bedroom’.

Not wanting to sleep on the floor again, I asked to speak with a manger, but there was none on site… at 3pm during the rush of check-ins. He called his manager and left a message on voicemail, time went by and no return call from the manager. I told the desk clerk I would like to use the Guaranteed Reservation option, and be sent to another Motel 6 property.

The desk clerk had NO IDEA what I was talking about, he even said that reservations aren’t guaranteed. Seeing I was getting upset, he called someone he claims was in Guest Services, and told them about my claim that reservations were guaranteed. I showed him on the Motel 6 website, the guarantee that says my reservation would be honored, even if it meant going to another hotel at their expense.

        ‘YOU NEED TO KNOW’ this, if staying at a Motel 6.

I was always under the impression that if you made a guaranteed reservation on their website, you would always get the room TYPE reserved OR the ‘the walk policy’ would go into effect. It’s what it says on their website…. Or does it??? Below is the Motel 6 Guaranteed Reservation policy portion in regards to not honoring your reservation, copy/pasted from the FAQ page of their website, motel6.com on Oct 2019:

If guaranteed with your credit card, your reservation will be held all night for your arrival. If you are unable to guarantee your reservation, your room will be held until 6:00PM (at most locations).

 In the unlikely event that we cannot honor your guaranteed reservation, we will reimburse you for the first night's lodging at a comparable motel, transportation to that establishment (if needed) and a telephone call to your home or office to notify others of your new location.

To me that says, if I can’t get my 2 bed room as reserved, then Motel 6 will get me to a motel/hotel that does have 2 bed room… right??? WRONG!!!!

First off the Guest Service person had no idea what I was talking about and had never heard of a ‘guaranteed reservation’ policy. Then adding that all they could do was give me the 1 bed room or switch me to a 2 bed room the following day IF AVAILABLE, which it wasn’t.  She also explained that my reservation was downgraded to a 1 bed room by a KNOWN glitch in the on-site reservation system.

She had just admitted it was their systems fault so I reasserted myself, “If you know the downgrade was your reservation systems fault, why are you NOT trying to make this right by….. “

I never got to finish my sentence, she interrupted and said, “Oh no, it's not our fault, it's the reservation systems fault…. We have NO CONTROL over the reservation system.”

That's when I realized I wasn’t talking to anyone in Guest relations but rather another desk clerk, likely from a different shift or another area Motel 6 property. I suggested that at the very least I should be comp’d a second 1 bed room for the night so I wouldn’t be sleeping on the floor, NOPE!

NO discount for the foul up and NO upgrade to a different type 2 bed room either… which I later found out they did have a 2 bed room with a fridge available. I was done, this was ridiculous, so I said fine and gave him back the phone.

At this point I just wanted to wash 200 miles of Greyhound off so I asked him to call one of the other properties to see if they had a 2 bed room available, there wasn’t. So broken and defeated I bowed to the absurdness of the situation and the inevitability of my sleeping on the floor for the next 3 nights.  ‘We’ll check into the 1 bed room’, I told him.

Then as a final metaphorical slap in my face… the downgraded 1 bed room cost 6 cents MORE than what my 2 bed room email confirmation stated…. ‘Really, how can it cost more?’, I asked him.

He replied, ‘I don’t know, that's what it shows on my computer’.

So just fed up, I paid then went to my room and spent the next 30 minutes on the phone with a real Guest Relations who claimed she would file a report and send it off to the District and General Managers… I won’t hold my breath. I was also told these things by her:

The Guaranteed RESERVATION Policy  is not completely spelled out on the website. The actual guarantee is, they will get me a room, any room of their choice at their property. IF they are completely FULL and absolutely NO ROOMS are available, they will then and ONLY then begin the process of first contacting other area Motel 6 properties, then as a LAST resort will implement ‘the walk policy’, of paying your first night and transportation to another hotel chain.

So the room TYPE (1 bed, 2 bed, a suite, with or w/o a fridge, whatever) IS NOT guaranteed, the guarantee is that they will get a roof over your head. However let me point out… that neither desk clerks  that I spoke with had ANY idea about this policy, or they would have been able to correct me on the spot by explaining the policy to me…. They couldn’t, didn’t and probably wouldn’t have even if they did know the policy

The Guest Relations Dept also told me that after checking my reservation, they confirmed it was for a 2 bed room and someone at the property location downgraded it to a 1 bed room. Why someone at this property would downgrade my reservation she didn’t know. Perhaps this is the ‘Known Glitch’ I was informed of.

JUST FYI - this location has a 14 day stay policy. Meaning that you can stay 14 days, but you must not return to the property for 30 days. The guest services rep informed me this is in violation of Motel 6 policy. According to her, Motel 6 policy states you may stay 28 consecutive days then you must leave the property for 2 days before returning.

This policy is even reflected in their online reservation system which allows you to make a reservation of up to 28 days. (UPDATE: online reservation system at Motel 6.com no longer allows you to make a reservation at this location for longer than 14 consecutive days).

This guaranteed reservation policy is not a law, unlike airlines that have legal obligations to get you to where you’re going, the motel industry has no government oversight in this area. It was the motel and hotel industry that created and defined ‘the walk policy’ as a courtesy to guests. Each motel, hotel, inn, etc may interpret ‘the walk policy’ differently, based on any number of conditions there particular company chooses.

Now maybe the wording of this Motel 6 reservation guarantee is misleading, perhaps I’m reading too much into it, I don’t know. I do know that to ME, when it says your ‘reservations will be honored or they will get you a room at a comparable motel’, that means the reservation (number of beds) I MADE will be honored or I’ll get a 2 bed room somewhere else at Motel 6 expense (the first night). NOT my reservation will be honored with a 1 bed room, and I will just have to share with my travel companion.

What if I needed this 2 bed room because I was traveling with a female co-worker or platonic female friend. Would they still expect us to share a bed just because of a reservation error that MOTEL 6 admitted to making? Or what if the 2 bed room was for a pair of couples, would one couple then have to sleep on the floor? I can’t be the only one this has happened to, feel free to comment below about your Motel 6 experiences. Perhaps its time to hold the motel industry accountable the way we hold the airline industry accountable.

Folsom Boulevard Flea Market Review - Sacramento, CA

One of my favorite places on Earth are flea markets! Ever since I was little boy, I would roam around our local flea market in search of treasures with one thing in mind, one man's trash is another man's treasure! So when ever I happen upon a flea market, I’m attracted to it like a moth to flames, and this one was no different

The Folsom Boulevard Flea Market is located at 8521 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95826. If you stay at one of the motels near Hwy 50 & Howe Ave, then you’re within walking distance, roughly 1.3 miles each way. The parking lot is adequate but if you come at a particularly busy time you may have a hard time finding parking. That being said, I arrived at 9am and the lot wasn’t even half full.

As I made my way around, I noticed immediately what I’ve noticed at all flea markets and swap meets in the past 20 years, stalls and booths of new items. Often times these items are just as easily purchased on eBay or a 99 cents store, and much cheaper than what you’re going to pay at these flea markets. So before you buy anything that looks new, pull out your phone and search it on eBay, you’re going to find it cheaper.

I passed the new items as I always do, and made my way down the first aisle. The aisles are lined with old worn weathered wood tables on both sides. The aisles are wide enough to accommodate those in wheelchairs should they wish to visit this flea market.

As I roamed down aisle after aisle, there’s only about 5 or 6, I was sadly disappointed in what I was finding. From the way tables were set up, you could easily surmise who was a regular seller, yet from the items I saw I continually wondered who would buy the garbage they were peddling. Sound harsh?? Well more than one ‘seasoned’ seller was selling toys that were so obviously broken or disgustingly dirty… I wouldn’t let a child look at them much less touch or play with them. One seller had clothes hanging up all over their makeshift stall, and you could catch a musty mothball aroma when the breeze whisked past the clothes

It seemed as if there were 3 kinds of sellers there:

Those sellers that perhaps bought auctioned storage units and sold the items to heavy or junky to be sold on eBay or similar auction sites

Then there was the sellers who had cubbys in the large barn shops that lined one side of the property. These indoor shops were ‘hit and miss’ but did have a few nice things, for inflated prices and if you wanted to wade through the piles of garbage that was strewn everywhere. Oh did I mention the stench of mildew or rotting wood, something… yuck! These sellers are likely the ones who buy from unsuspecting new sellers at super low prices.

A common practice at larger flea markets, the frequent sellers swoop in like vultures on newbie sellers as they are laying out there items and bombard them with ‘lowball’ offers. The newbie is impressed that their items are going so fast and let the items go at lower prices, partially due to inexperience and hoping to be able to leave earlier than anticipated. The thing is those buyers take those purchases back to there tables and jack up the price, often selling the newbies ware for 2 or 3x what they paid.

Then there were the occasional sellers, people who maybe sold a couple times a year just to clean out some household items. These are the people I usually really stop and look at what they have, you never know what you may find and at a great deal. Cause likely if they brought it out here, they don’t want to take it home. The unfortunate thing is, these occasional sellers had very little of interest to offer, at least not things I would enjoy.

To give you an idea of what was selling at this flea market, here is a list of the largest quantity items I saw:

CDs and DVDs everywhere! And fairly cheap between .25 cent - $4

Baby and childrens clothes, most had prices on boxes between $1 - $5

Household items: kitchen utensils, pots, pans around $5 was the average

Need power tools? Every aisle had at least 2 sellers with power tools. I heard a hand router go for $10 and a cordless drill for $12

Toys and games: Children's toys $1 - $3 Video games were in abundance. I saw games for several different systems, PSP, gameboy, Xbox One $3 - $20 Also saw a working Nintendo switch being sold for $100

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes…. Didn’t even bother to check the prices since I’m a Walmart kinda guy.

Novelty purses, emblazoned with faces of Marilyn Monroe, Tinkerbell, and other cutesy characters.

Food! Like any flea market there were several food stands. Hot dogs, tacos, burritos, coffee, drinks etc. Nothing there seemed to scream out, ‘Try Me!!’, just the standard flea market fare.

Jewelry was being sold by a few people, some with glass cases. The prices weren't to bad, and what I’d expect to pay. An example is sterling silver bracelet charms for $5 - $10.

Let me just say, be careful when someone is selling you sterling or gold, just because something is marked ‘sterling’ or ‘14k’ doesn’t mean it is. Some unscrupulous people will buy ‘marked’ jewelry from eBay for literally pennies and then resell it at these flea markets. Those ‘marked’ items bought from china are silver and gold…. but only ‘silver plated or 1k-5k gold plated’.

I did make 2 purchases here, a vintage 10k gold plated watch for a few dollars that I can resell for $8 - $15 on eBay and a costume jewelry pendant I plan on giving to my brother for Christmas.

Yet all in all this flea market was a bust, the majority of the stalls are new items at high prices. The tables are jammed with frequent sellers of mostly junk that I don’t need, and am hard pressed to believe anyone needs. The small amount of sellers that had reasonable prices were also not selling anything I couldn’t get online cheaper, the sad truth about most swap meets and flea markets in this age of online buying/selling

But if you’re passing through town or are a local that has never been here, take the hour and drop by. Who knows what you’ll find, maybe that one thing you've always needed but never knew you wanted….

The best thing about flea markets is the stuff changes daily! Happy Bargain Hunting!!!

Restaurant Review - Ocean Fish and Chips

Occasionally in my travels I come across food establishments that just need to be mentioned. Usually its a small local eatery that has such amazing food that it should be considered a 'Jewel' in whatever city it resides. Of course there is a flip side to that coin, there's very occasionally a place with food so horrible that I feel its a public service to spread the word. This is the case with Ocean Fish and Chips in Sacramento, CA.

This small little food stop is located on the outskirts of Metro Sacramento, in an area called Arden Arcade. It boasts as its signature meal as London Style Fish & Chips, written across the large window. When you walk in, you'll notice a few customers seemingly enjoying there meals, which will put you slightly at ease after seeing there were no cars in the parking spaces in front. I suppose they live close by and walked in??

The gentleman who takes your order is a very friendly Japanese man, his wife will wave and say hi, and you will feel quite welcome. I decided to try a few different things, and see if this was going to be my 'go to' restaurant in Sacramento. I was served up with my order which consisted of the London Style Fish & Chips, Fried Scallops, and a Teriyaki chicken bowl.

Lets start with the London Style Fish & Chips: The fish was deep fried and it was served with fries, that was as close to London Style that I could see. The batter was plain, and though light and crispy, really had no taste other than the oil it was fried in. The fish itself, I couldn't identify, though I would guess it was pollock which is cheap and commonly used for batter cooked fish. It had a nice flaky texture, but still it didn't really taste like fish. Now usually it's hard to mess up french fries, you drop a string potato in the the grease & fry to a golden brown, remove, drain, season, serve... easy peasy.... or is it?? These fries were obviously frozen, not a terrible thing for a local joint, but these were freezer burned.. and you could taste it. Sadly a little seasoning would of at least covered up the freezer burned taste a little, but they were served without even a pinch of salt.

Next was the Fried Scallops: Now I've met chefs who couldn't properly cook a scallop, and even more customers that have never eaten a properly cooked one. So I really didn't have high expectations or any expectations for that matter, and yet I was still disappointed. First they were overcooked, ok big deal I could live with that. But what really scared me was the taste. Have you ever bitten into something truly rotten, that taste of 'YUCK' that swirls in your mouth and causes you to salivate to point of wanting to vomit. I chewed 3 times and spit it out, nope I wasn't going to take the chance.

I spent a good 5 minutes trying to get the rancid taste out of my mouth. And when most of it was gone, I decided to try the Teriyaki Chicken bowl: I ordered the Teriyaki sauce on the side, to many times I've been burned with a really bad sauce on fairly good meat. Just because someone can make one doesn't mean they can make the other as well.. LOL! The amount of chicken was disappointing considering what I paid for it, about a 1/4 cup of chicken on a large bed of rice with sesame seeds sprinkled on it. I took a bite of chicken and was overpowered by the taste of salt. The same taste you get when eating one of those frozen over proccessed meat-like bags of chicken you buy at Wal Mart. This was not good, but I struggled through and dipped a piece in the teriyaki sauce, which didn't add anything. It was a weak and watery sauce... with barely a hint of teriyaki.

It goes without saying that I didn't finish any of this food, and sadly the only thing with any flavor was the overly salty dark meat chicken. I will ovoid this place every time I'm in town, and I recommend you avoid it to.