Travel WOES...

Well, yesterday, DH and DD and I travelled to Bloomington, MN. We made it there just fine and beat nasty weather that was predicted for northern iowa. But today was a different story. We had a 70 mile trip to get to Rochester. It's a quick and easy drive. But not today...blowing snow was HORRIBLE. WHITE OUT conditions where I could only see one stripe on the center line. Thankfully we made it to Rochester without any mishaps.

We have relatives in Bloomington who were leaving later in the day (we left at noon)) and they were about 15 mins from home when they called Rochester. They chose to turn around and try tomorrow. It took them 90 mins to get home!!! More relatives coming in from Omaha were about an hour ahead of our boys who were coming up from KS. Omaha made it here and said conditions were getting really bad. (they made the trip in daylight except for about the last 30 miles) Our boys called us when they were about 15 miles from the MN border and were being taken off Interstate 35 due to the State Patrole closing it. They found out it was a 16 car pile up and the trooper told the boys how to get to Albert Lea, MN just 20 miles North. I tried to talk the boys into getting a hotel and they said no, we are going to make it. I said just don't be stupid. About 5 mins later Kev texts me and says we are going to get a hotel in Albert Lea cuz it is really getting worse by the minute. I said I'll call and find you something. NAH Kev says, we'll be fine. I saId NAH, I'll get ya one cuz a lot of people are going to be stopping to spend the night.

I googled "hotels in albert lea mn" and Americinn comes up. I called there there were NO ROOMS! YIKES...I asked if she knew of any other hotels nearby that had rooms available and she said the Holiday Inn Express has some and she gave me their number. I told DH they will probably jack us pricewise but at least the boys will be safe and that is PRICELESS!!! I got the room reserved, directions to the hotel and the room was only $80!!! Thank you HIE!!! I called the boys back and said here are the directions. Well, Joe called me after they checked in and said "Thank goodness you called for us. The receptionist said there were only 3 rooms left and that a couple of parties in line ahead of the boys didn't get rooms...but the boys had a reservation! WHEW!!!!!

SOOOOOOO...the pizza party at the in-laws was supposed to be 24 people and it turned out to be 14 because a nephew and his fiance from the twin cities area didn't make it down either. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day! I am just so thankful the boys were smart and pulled off the road!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!!!
Hugs
Laurie