We'll Take Two Double Beds in the No Shirt Section - A Travel Story (Pt. 2)

View Part One Here

Because we were hungry, and because we wanted to spend as little time as possible in our motel room, we then looked in a phone book for a restaurant. After I spied a location of the late lamented Chi-Chi's chain in the phone book, we piled back into the minivan and headed out in search of dinner. It is here once again our midwestern reliance on grid street patterns and wide avenues failed us, as Frederick was full of meandering streets. We went through several areas of the town, never finding the main road on which our destination sat. After going halfway to Harpers Ferry along US 15, and then getting back on I-70 for a while, without any luck, my dad was about to give up. About at that moment, I saw a turnoff for the road we needed, and we appeared to finally be on our way to a relaxing meal.

While stopped at a redlight on this main commercial thoroughfare, we heard sirens in the distance. As they got closer, we were able to discern that they were from fire trucks. As the trucks passed us, I casually mentioned that it would be very funny if they were going to a fire at the Chi-Chis. Everyone in the van laughed, confident that it was just a joke.

A couple of blocks later, we were able to see the smoke pouring out of a building alongside the road. As we came ever closer to the fire, once again an off-handed comment of mine became a vision of reality. Thick black smoke was pouring out of the Chi-Chi's, as rescued patrons sipped their margaritas out on the front yard of the restaurant. At this point, we just had to laugh, as if it the burning down of the restaurant was the expected result of the day. Fortunately for us, there was a Mexican restaurant just down the street, with the manager standing outside watching his competitor slowly burn. Although I can't be certain, this was probably my first time at an "authentic" mexican restaurant. It was a nice experience, and a better meal than the one we would have had at Chi-Chi's, wandering mariachi band notwithstanding.

After our enjoyable meal, we headed back to our dingy motel room for an early night. But first, we stood outside and watched the fireworks show at the minor league stadium, which was just down the street from the motel. The fireworks were certainly pretty, and appeared to be a nice capper to a bizarre day. As we watched the fireworks, we looked around at the crowd around us. Almost every family standing in the parking lot had at least one family member who was shirtless. Noticing the pattern, I remarked that we must be in the no-shirt section. We all laughed wearily, well aware that things could certainly be worse than standing in a parking lot watching fireworks on a family vacation. Even if all our neighbors for the night were shirtless.