Holiday travel woes

[scottb]

Well, I've just had the worst traveling experience of my life. Yesterday, my family and I packed up the family truckster and headed south on our 10 hour journey to Baton Rouge for Christmas at the grandparents!

WE made the first leg of the trip down to Fort Smith, Arkansas in the usual 45 minutes and the roads look great.

I-40 was a bit icy and the 3 hour drive to Conway Arkansas has taken 5 1/2. A little frustrated but the roads are thawing out and we expected some delays with the weather so spirits are still high.

Just outside Conway (about 25 miles from Little Rock) the traffic comes to a complete stop. I mean a COMPLETE STOP! People out of their cars. Not an inch in about a 1/2 hour. Talked with a trucker who confirmed this 25 mile stretch of road was a parking lot. No accident, no severe road conditions, no alien invasion but cars are simply not moving. The low estimate to get to Little Rock from there 4 to 6 hours. Personally I thought it would probably be longer. This would place the 3 1/4 hour ride to LR over the 10 hour mark.

I reasoned that in less time than that, I could go back to Fort Smith and try to drive down through Texarkana to Shreveport then on to Baton Rouge. So we turned around. Going back west, the roads were even better and in Fort Smith there was no sign of trouble at all. So now a 45 minute drive to Fort Smith has taken 9 hours. At a gas station however, I was informed that a bit south of Fort Smith they had 6 inches of snow and the conditions were much worse. Now it was dark and with 3 kids and my wife in the vehicle, I wasn't going to risk the mountainous roads even in a 4 wheel drive. So we decided to go back home!

10 hours of driving, a tank of gas, 2 meals on the road all with three kids 5, 3 and 1 yr old and we're BACK HOME!

Wish me luck as we embark again this morning to attempt to get to Baton Rouge for Christmas.

Edited December 24, 2004 by scottb

[sheldonm]

That blows....but keep your spirits up ! Merry Christmas!!!

[maren]

Good luck, Scott! Sounds like a couple Christmases when I was a kid, traveling from northern Wisconsin to grandparents in southern Wisconsin -- and occasionally, to the grandparents in Texas! I remember all the interrupted-by-snowstorm ones as being adventurous, with a heartfelt "just thank God we're all okay" vibe -- so I'm guessing your kids feel the same.

And Mark, continued happy mending...