On Monday, March 5, in the p.m., we had thunder snow in Albert Lea with six inches on the ground by 9 a.m. Tuesday. Genie and I thought it was a good time to leave the snow in Minnesota as we drove away in our packed red HHR Chevrolet. We drove until I-80 in Iowa to get out of the snow. We stayed the first night at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Peoria, Illinois (no snow). The second night we stayed at the Comfort Inn in Cincinnati, Ohio (no snow). In getting ready to leave the next morning, major traffic jams due to about three inches of snow, so we waited and left mid-morning to arrive in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (where our daughter Deb and son-in-law Roland live).
We drove 325 miles in snow. We left there Monday morning (fresh snow with traffic jams) headed for the outer banks of North Carolina—directly into the area’s third Nor’easter. It was bad. The wind would blew the car to the side and the snow was so heavy you couldn’t see as we pulled into the Comfort Inn at Nags Head on the outer banks. I pulled in under the canopy and struggled to get into the lobby. The lobby doors were tied open because they were afraid the wind would break the glass, as it was causing the doors to slam.
Warren, the maintenance man who I have known for years, helped me to get a parking spot close to the lobby entry. The first Southern drawl words he uttered to me were, “It’s good to see you, but not when you’re acting like a dumb Northerner that doesn’t know enough to stay out of a Nor’easter.”
From the outer banks we went back to Winston-Salem and left there Tuesday morning to stay at the Comfort Inn in Cincinnati. In leaving Wednesday it was a mess due to more snow in the morning. We arrived home in Albert Lea Thursday evening with a weather forecast of nine inches of snow Friday evening. The actual amount was 12 inches. Genie and I refer to our 17-day trip as a sabbatical with snow.
So much for the snowy weather. Now for some of the great things about our 17-day adventure. I wore my Korea Veteran cap most of the time. I was pleasantly surprised by the veteran recognition given to me. Each motel we stayed at had a reduced rate for veterans. Arby’s restaurants gave a reduced rate, as did Perkins restaurants. Sam and Omie’s, a supper club on the outer banks at Nags Head, North Carolina, gave a discount on the entire bill regardless of who paid. Debbie was our great server.
We met a young gymnast at the Sleep In Motel in Winston-Salem. Ava, her brother, Caleb, and parents from Virginia were having breakfast at the same time as Genie and I. Her mom did admit that Ava was very good. Dad stated that Caleb was more interested in baseball, especially the Nats. Per her mom, Ava can be my pen pal, just like Mom had a pen pal.
Mary Gobbett, a college professor, and her niece plus two friends (all three nursing college students at Duke) found out that Genie was a retired RN as we were all having breakfast at the Comfort Inn in the outer banks. I just listened and enjoyed the breakfast.
We met a great talker named A. J. at breakfast in the Quality Inn and Suites in Winston-Salem two consecutive mornings. A. J. is six years old, from Warrenton, Virginia. He was there with his mom, as Grandma was in the hospital across the street due to a heart attack. I promised A. J. I would mention him in my column, as he is going to take a copy to “show and tell” in his school. He told us about his mom being a marathon runner and how she got to go to college on her athletic ability. My conclusion is: “There are a lot of older, dull talkers in this world, while A. J. is a young, very interesting talker.”
The young lady desk clerk, whose name I didn’t catch, came outside to tell us goodbye at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Peoria, Illinois.
Continued next week.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.