free4rms
freely admits to licking rocks
My little pet walrus
Member since January 2007
Posts: 839
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Post by free4rms on Dec 16, 2010 8:28:20 GMT -5
You can bet your booties we have a winner today! Those booties on the calves really did it for me. I can see why those photos would make great Christmas cards. Morerockspleaz, you win the pendant for the contest, so all I need is your address, and it will be on the way. I am trying to come up with questions that are generic enough that everyone will have some story/answer to contribute. I know everyone is busy this time of year, but if anyone could encourage other members to join in the contest, it would be even better. So today's question is: What is your most interesting, traumatic, funny story concerning traveling during the holiday season? The prize for today is similar to one I gave during the contest two years ago, a piece of fossilized dinosaur eggshell with an electroformed gold edge. This piece is much nicer when seen in person, and the texture on the both surfaces of the shell piece is very interesting and attractive. It is from a sauropod dinosaur called Saltasaurus.  Vance |
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,496
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 16, 2010 9:18:01 GMT -5
Man, I hate holiday travel and avoid it like the plague. I mainly like to keep at least half the country between me and any relatives when possible. Sometimes you just have to go though. Only story I can remember is a fairly traumatic one. I used to have to travel each year from our Mariposa Ranch to see the parents who were over in the San Francisco Bay Area and this involved going over the Altamont Pass. There must be a gravel quarry somewhere near there because there were a buttload of darn gravel trucks on the highway there and one of them dropped rocks and broke my windshield on my brand new truck. Bad luck huh? Nope, the following year, I had the windshield broken again on the same stretch of road. Merry Xmas times two, huh?.....Mel
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colliel82
has rocks in the head
Member since November 2007
Posts: 664
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Post by colliel82 on Dec 16, 2010 10:03:14 GMT -5
We live in Utah and drive back to San Antonio/Houston Texas quite often for the holidays. Our most memorable was a few years back when we were coming back to Utah. We got to Santa Rosa and were told by the highway patrol that I40 was closed and we would have to stay in Santa Rosa for the night. All the hotels were already booked so the small Baptist church opened their doors for travelers. The members of the church brought in blankets, food, etc and set up areas for families to stay. We settled in for the night with delicious food provided by the congregation and started working a jigsaw puzzle. A few hours later the highway patrol said I40 had reopened so off we went but......We got a few miles outside of Albuquerque they closed I40 again. We couldn't go anywhere because none of the 18 wheelers could get through the snow so we were stuck on the freeway for about 10 hours. Luckily we had plenty of food and blankets in the truck. We found a hotel to stay in in Albuquerque and slept a few hours before getting back in the road. When we finally got back to Salt Lake City Utah 1 1/2 days later we realized we left my husband's backpack at the hotel. The hotel was kind enough to fedex it to us at their cost. It was quite the adventure and we met lots of friendly stranded travelers as well as many caring folks who interrupted their holiday to help us along the way. Although it was eventful, that trip was really a reminder of what the Christmas spirit is all about
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marinedad
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since December 2010
Posts: 813
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Post by marinedad on Dec 16, 2010 11:13:40 GMT -5
gosh, i remember my mom driving us kids in the 70's from il. to fla. during the oil embargo for x-mas break. you could only get gas on every other day depending on your last number on your license plate. so we bought 3-5 gal. gas cans and filled them up, loaded them into the oldsmobile custom cruiser with all the other essential items. the day we left il. there was a terrible snow storm that hit the midwest but mom was determined to get us down to fla. so there i was in the front passenger seat strattling a 5 gal gas can with 10 more gals. in back of the stationwagon during a snowstorm passing semi's and other cars in ditches smelling like gasoline the whole trip. we made it and lived to tell the story again.
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Post by NatureNut on Dec 16, 2010 13:08:30 GMT -5
I have a story that's fresh in my mind, because it just happened yesterday, and is still going on...
This isn't directly my own experience, but rather for someone else who my heart goes out to... so I totally understand if this story does not meet the criteria for the contest. I just needed to tell it...
The owner of the campground here is British, and he and his partner (also British) bought the campground two years at the height of the economic downturn when it was very run down and has been working his a$$ off to make it a really nice place, investing in our economy, has one employee- an American, and paying taxes. He moved here with his beautiful wife Julie and 10 year old son, Travis. Through Guy's kindness and expert management, the campground has had a steady increase in business and has become a trusted temporary home base for many full time RVers. We stayed here last month at the monthly rate, but left 5 days early to go to Thanksgiving, and when we returned to stay until Christmas, he gave us those 5 days before paying again, which he clearly didn't have to do. That's the kind of person he is.
Three months ago, Julie was informed that her father back in the UK was diagnosed with stage 4 Cancer, and she went back to be with him at the end of his life. Well, her father passed and yesterday Julie was trying to get back to the US to be with her husband and young Travis who miss her terribly. She came by way of Dublin, Ireland, and although her paperwork was all in order, the US Border Patrol Officer, using her own discretion, turned Julie away.
Needless to say, the spirit in the campground here is low today. Julie is a well loved mother figure here and her absence is felt by all. Heck, I never met her and I can guess what kind of a person she is by how everyone feels. Thank goodness for Skype, that is their family's best way to keep close. Appeals are being made to various people in government, letters to newspapers, etc. now, but hope is dying that the family will be together for the holidays.
We just talked to Guy this morning and he is handling it well, although he says he is going crazy inside. He is now planning to return to England earlier than scheduled to re-apply for their Visas. But then he is worried what will happen to the business if he cannot get back into the US to run it. So, he is considering putting the campground up for sale now.
I wish I had a happy ending to report for this story... unfortunately, it's just hanging like this, right now. open ended. If you would, take a moment to say a little prayer for Guy, Julie and Travis please.
Thanks for reading. Jo
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,790
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Post by adrian65 on Dec 16, 2010 13:56:39 GMT -5
Oh well, not too funny stories about traveling during Christmas season, huh? Mine is no exception neither.
Traveling during Christmas Season is a pain here, too, especially in some moutain areas.
We usually spend our winter vacation in a mountain town/ski resort, but for this we leave home either very early (5 am or so) or late at night, to have not a free but a decent trip.
A couple of years ago, during our stay in that mountain town, we wanted to go to another town only 5 miles away, to spend the evening there, maybe have dinner at a restaurant which served a dessert which is my girls' favorite.
After waiting in the cars' line for some half an hour without moving almost at all, we decided to turn back. Ina quickly prepared a home-made cake which clearly topped the restaurant's offer.
Adrian
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Post by rockrookie on Dec 17, 2010 8:15:11 GMT -5
this was on a short 20 mile trip from our house to my Wifes parents house on Christmas morning . about 9:00 am
it was just over 10 degrees F .
i am all bundled up in the truck . complaining about the cold .
and we drive by a guy jogging ......
only wearing very tiny runnig shorts , shoes and a Santa hat & beard .
not a big traumatic event .
but a funny memory for me and my wife .
that we recall time over time .
--paul
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colliel82
has rocks in the head
Member since November 2007
Posts: 664
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Post by colliel82 on Dec 21, 2010 15:36:38 GMT -5
Wow, got my package today and it is wonderful. I will be sure and wear it to my next rock club meeting and tell everyone what it is. Much nicer that the photo shows. Thanks so much
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