History Being Made
Last Thursday at 11:00pm we called our hotel in Toronto to let them know we would be getting in at about 1:00am instead of midnight and to ask them to hold the room because we were driving through a surprise snow storm. A half an hour later, at 11:30pm all traffic stopped ahead of us.
We didn't move another inch until 7:00 the next morning, when one by one, each car dug itself out of two feet of snow that fell during the night, and headed down the freeway.
The storm was so isolated that by the time we came to Niagara — a few minutes away from Buffalo — the only sign of the storm was the snow on our VW.
You can read more about the storm here.
posted by Gabrielle of Design Mom at Tuesday, October 17, 2006
14 Comments:
So you slept in the car? Were you warm? And you have a baby! You left out a few details!
We worried about you when we heard there was a big storm in Buffalo. Glad you made it through safely!
oh man. that's crappy. we kept hoping you were ok after we heard about the big storm. and at what point do you realize you aren't going to move and just start the camp out process in the van? glad you are back.
yes, DETAILS! what fast food did you eat at the rest stops? and no mention of car games?
Glad you're safe and sound, Gabby.
what about running out of gas?! i am glad you guys are all okay.
what??!! were your kids asleep i hope? how did you do that...midnight to 7 am thing?? Unbelievable! glad you made it and got to see Lush.
The kids were all fast asleep when the car stopped, but soon woke up. We thought we'd get moving any minute so we didn't bother getting them back to sleep — seeing the snow was pretty exciting. They got out of their seatbelts/carseats and we all just hung out.
About 12:30 or 1:00 I started the campout — still thinking we'd get moving soon, but that we'd be driving slow and I wouldn't mind if the kids weren't buckled.
The Eurovan was great for an impromptu campout. There was plenty of room for everyone and we had a cooler full of food and water. We didn't have many blankets, but we were very warm. We had almost a full tank of gas and just kept the car running the entire night. I truly had no idea a car could idle for that long.
The kids were surprised to wake up and find we were in the exact same spot. We had movies and books and books on tape and games and we ate yogurt and apples and milk from the cooler for breakfast.
During the night, Ben and I listened to a local radio station and napped a bit, but it was hard to sleep. I kept thinking I should go out and build a snowman to cheer people up. But I was too wussy.
Overall, a pretty cool adventure.
wow- you should get an eagle scout for Most Prepared Mom in Freak Snowstorm Conditions
Wow. I'm so impressed with your preparations and your coolness about the situation. I would have been a basket case. I bet you'll never go on a trip without your cooler, some blankets, and a continuous full tank of gas again. You deserve the mom of the year award in my book!
I'd be OK if someone got injured, since I always make sure my 1st aid kit is well stocked - but we'd for sure be very hungry & probably also cold. Never fear - we'd have lots of DVD's! Since it's over & your OK, what a great family memory for the kids.
that's insanity, design mom! what a cool, bizarro thing!
I didn't mean to come off as a hero. If we hadn't been on a roadtrip I wouldn't have had a single useful thing in the car — no food, no movies, no games.
This is why you are my hero, Gabby. You make even being stuck in a snowstorm over night sound like a magical, fabulous adventure. If we got stuck in a snow storm, I think our kids would be able to survive on the amount of french fries, crackers and cheerios on the floor of the Forester.
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