Blizzard Adventures

It all started 2 years ago on a Sunday on our way home from Thanksgiving at Doyle's Grandparents in Eldon, IA. We were driving west on I-80 and ran into a huge blizzard. At North Platte, NE they closed the interstate and we were forced to find a hotel. All the hotels in North Platte were full, but they were opening shelters in school buildings. We didn't want to stay in a shelter so we decided to drive south on hwy 83 and try to make it to McCook, NE where we could take hwy 34 west to Greeley. We barely made it to McCook and decided we should get a hotel there. We had Leia with us and so we needed a hotel that allowed dogs. We found one with vacancies and got a room. We had to call Doyle's work to let them know he wouldn't be there in the morning. We ended up stuck for 2 days because all the highways were closed. We got food and games at Wal-Mart and camped out in the hotel.

Now, jog ahead a year to the same Sunday after Thanksgiving at Eden Seminary in Webster Groves, MO. We were driving home on I-70 and ran into another blizzard. They closed I-70 at Oakley, KS and again all the hotels were full. This year we really didn't want to stay in a shelter because of all the things we'd heard about after Hurricane Katrina. We were on the phone with Kris while he was on his laptop and said there were hotels open just north of us on hwy 83 in ... McCook, NE! Again we decided to try and make it, we did, just barely, and only with Doyle driving! We ended up getting a room at the exact same hotel as last year. We again had to call both of our jobs and tell them we wouldn't be there along with the vets office to let them know we wouldn't be able to pick up Leia. Doyle's boss gave him a hard time about this becoming a habit and if he wanted some more time off, he should have just asked! The roads were all closed for a couple days so we switched hotels after the first night to one with a pool and hot tub. Literally seconds after I took that first snow picture a huge transformer a few feet behind me shot off all these sparks and the whole neighborhood went black.

This year we are glad that we will not be traveling on the Sunday after Thanksgiving because we are staying in Iowa an extra week for Doyle to cover in Ames. Just pray the blizzard doesn't hit the weekend after!!