In my mind, it was prayer and God's grace that brought us home. Did you ever see semi-trucks going 30 mph? We did, yesterday, for hours.We left Notre Dame under lake-effect snow, crossed Chicago under snow, and arrived in Wisconsin to discover that a giant had dumped a colossal bowl of white frosting all over the state. The roads had been scraped, but not the shoulders.... and we couldn't count the cars and trucks in ditches who had attempted to brave the blizzard. (Here's a rest area... can you spot the buried picnic table?)
After crossing a frozen Mississippi we adventured into MN, only to question the interstate authorities... if this drifting snow and next-to-zero visibility doesn't close an interstate, what does? Our average speed was 40 mph... never did I hug my children so happily as last night, after 14 hrs of basically non-stop driving, as we sipped hot tea and soup made by the loving, generous country neighbors!
The photos show some of the incredible ice formations by the road near the Mississippi river valley, and of course, the phenomenal sun dog that was our travel companion for most of the afternoon...
7 comments:
You know, as unpleasant as that trip must have been, I prefer the snow to just incessant cold and dead brown grass.
Wisconsin has had a record 7 feet of snow this winter! Lucky you to have to drive through it. I'm glad you made it back safely. Winter can't last forever!
Susan
No, it can't, not forever. Snow is beautiful, and yes, if we'll have the low temps, let's have snow, I agree. I think snow is sent by God to brighten our winter days, or not one of us would survive till spring.
I am so happy to hear that you all made it home safely. What a trip!
You brought memories of me as a little girl in 1978. We drove across the United States during the months of November and December. Our journey actually began in Ontario, Canada. We entered New York, after visiting a few Canadian provinces, and then slowly made our way to Washington. I do not remember a single closed interstate, but I do remember jack-knifed semi-trucks. At one point in our journey, we found ourselves amidst 11 jack-knifed semis. Our guardian angels must have been watching over us, as yours must have been watching over you. I am happy that you all made it home safely.
Yes, Christine, guardian angels... one can almost see them at work on winter-weather-beaten interstates! You are *so* right. And yes, there was a jackknifed truck, it had just happened when we plugged long by it at 30mph... there was another one whose wheels had simply given up and laid under it at a 45 degree angle. And there was more to see... luxury SUVs half buried in the snow in the median... Each mile seemed a miracle to me. Thankfully, we never saw fatal accidents, at least we don't think so--it was sort a slow motion frozen world out there.
Yes, we've had the craziest weather here. Unfortunately, with all of the illnesses going around (lots of flu and strep in our area), we haven't spent a lot of time outside enjoying the snow.
So glad you had a safe trip - love the pictures!
Oh my goodness! I couldn't handle that kind of pressure! I used to live up North and dealt with snow on a regular basis, but the worst situation I was ever in was when we decided to make a quick trip into Canada... in the middle of a blizzard... it was horrendous. 12 hours of white-knuckled driving as Canadian cars are stuck in the ditches left and right, and here was one little car from SC still chugging along. I wanted to kiss the ground when I finally was able to get out of the car!
ooooh. Bad memories...
Praise God you made it back home!
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