Traveling in Winter

Do you hesitate before flying to spend Christmas Holiday in Chicago, or driving from New York to Florida for a taste of warm weather and sunshine?

Now that I live in the South, I remember with admiration and apprehension our adventures on the highways and the not-so-easy trips we didn’t hesitate to embark on years ago. True we were young and couldn’t afford to fly the whole family from Ohio to Boston for a week vacation at Christmas and Easter. It was more convenient to pack the kids, the dog, and my daughter’s parakeet in the big station wagon. My husband would fold the backbench, and the kids would lie down in their sleeping bags with Rino, the German shepherd between them and Birdie in his cage in a corner.

As the soon as we started on the road, I unfolded the map on my lap and spent my time studying it to discover where to exit for bathroom breaks and meals. If they weren’t asleep, the kids read or sang. We often played games, some type of Wheel of Fortune without wheel, such as find a word that starts with... or a modified Jeopardy, such asking the state capitals and other questions. This was in the ancient time, you know those olden days when no one had a cell phone.

Sometimes, the weather did not cooperate. Once we faced a snowstorm after three hours on the road and watched with horror the cars skid in front of us. “Careful,” I grumbled to my over-confident husband before we ended in a ditch like many in front of us. God must have been watching over us as we managed to avoid bad accidents.

I would drive when the weather was fair. I remembered that one time when it started pouring just as I tackled an endless high bridge. I normally suffer of Acrophobia--an irrational fear of heights, and I felt the blood ice in my veins. In spite of the windshields wipers working furiously, I couldn’t see a thing in front of me.

“I can’t drive.” I glanced at my husband, begging him to help.

“Keep going. We're on a crowded bridge.” 
As if I didn't know!

Behind us, the high beams blinked continuously. The damned bridge was crowded and seemed to climb higher with every turn of the wheels. I was tempted to close my eyes and let go.

“Don’t kill us, Mom,” my son screamed from the back.

That’s when I started reciting every prayer I knew and pledged I’d be a good person if we could get to the end of the bridge safely. Miracles do happen. We finally reached that end of the bridge.

Now I live in Florida and never travel north between December and May.

Please, share your ‘special’ traveling experiences.

To show you how to travel safely and enjoy your trip, read HER CHRISTMAS CRUISE, 

and visit Barcelona, Spain, and Italy.

Amazon

The perfect fiancé is a cheater and the fabulous Christmas wedding is off. When a desperate Julia stops at the travel agency of Tony’s mother to return the cruise tickets, the dedicated psychiatrist is there to pick up the pieces. Sparks fly between them and Tony is willing to put his life on hold for Julia. Nothing goes according to plan, but the would-be honeymoon cruise may fulfill their secret dreams.

 

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