Unexpected Twist to our Vacation

[Silverdollar]

Sometimes the most eventful part of a vacation can be the travel to or from the resort. Have you ever had such an experience? Here's ours:

Yesterday morning, my wife and I left Wyndham Ocean Ridge (Edisto Beach, SC) for home. We debated whether to stay because of the bad weather, but we received a call from the front desk telling us that they couldn't guarantee power and water in our unit. We had already lost water the day before, but it came back on after several hours. They said if we were going to leave we needed to leave now!

We decided to leave Edisto with heavy sleet coming down with temperatures in the 20's. We were able to cross the main bridge to the island just prior to them closing it. But, with each passing mile, the roads got worse and worse as heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain accumulated. We saw cars and trucks flipped over, and many other vehicles slid off the road, It was really scary!

Traffic was at a standstill on I-95 as we tried to get to Savannah and then I-16 to Macon, GA. But, we never made it to Savannah or I-16. At one point, we had traveled only 44 miles in 4 hours, and it got even worse as we sat still for 30 minutes at a time and then move a few feet and then stop again for 30 minutes. There was nowhere to go. Stomachs were hungry, bladders were full, cars were running out of gas, and windshield wipers were frozen solid. We were stuck and GPS showed blocked roads for many miles ahead. We were running out of time and nightfall would soon come and conditions would get even worse. What to do?

Then, we received a call from a friend. He saw something that my wife posted on Facebook that we were trying to get home. He offered his condo in Hilton Head, if we could get there. There was no guarantee that the roads were passable, and the main bridge to the island was open, but we decided to give it a shot.

We creeped along at 10-20 mph. The roads were treacherous, but were passable and the bridge was still open. What should have taken us a little over an hour, took us 5 1/2+ hours to get from Edisto to Hilton Head! We were totally exhausted from the ordeal, but relieved to be safe and warm.

This morning, we heard that many people had to sleep in cars. One report said that two men traveling from New York had spent 15 hours on I-95 in SC. And, an Ohio trucker reported that this was the worse he had ever seen. That's saying a lot from someone up North.

We are still at Hilton Head because traffic was at standstill on I-95 all day today and everything is going to refreeze tonight. So to be safe we decided to stay another day.

What about you? Do you have a Wyndham travel experience to share?

 

[Free2Roam]

No vacation travel stories, but I was in a similar situation nearly 30 yrs ago from my work commute. I worked in Alexandria, VA and lived in MD. Snow started and the office closed at noon. The old Wilson Bridge was a parking lot! 11 hours later I made it home safely. This was before cell phones... my family was worried sick.

I'm glad to hear you survived that ordeal.

 

[chapjim]

No vacation travel stories, but I was in a similar situation nearly 30 yrs ago from my work commute. I worked in Alexandria, VA and lived in MD. Snow started and the office closed at noon. The old Wilson Bridge was a parking lot! 11 hours later I made it home safely. This was before cell phones... my family was worried sick.

I'm glad to hear you survived that ordeal.

I remember that one! I got on a Metro Bus that left the Pentagon at 4:20 PM to go home to Springfield, VA. It was crawl and stop down I-395. I got off the bus in Springfield, walked up to a pay phone at a CVS in a shopping center. I called my wife to tell her where I was, then walked back down to the street and got on the same bus. Pentagon to home was over 6 hours.

 

[chapjim]

Sometimes the most eventful part of a vacation can be the travel to or from the resort. Have you ever had such an experience? Here's ours:

Yesterday morning, my wife and I left Wyndham Ocean Ridge (Edisto Beach, SC) for home. We debated whether to stay because of the bad weather, but we received a call from the front desk telling us that they couldn't guarantee power and water in our unit. We had already lost water the day before, but it came back on after several hours. They said if we were going to leave we needed to leave now!

We decided to leave Edisto with heavy sleet coming down with temperatures in the 20's. We were able to cross the main bridge to the island just prior to them closing it. But, with each passing mile, the roads got worse and worse as heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain accumulated. We saw cars and trucks flipped over, and many other vehicles slid off the road, It was really scary!

Traffic was at a standstill on I-95 as we tried to get to Savannah and then I-16 to Macon, GA. But, we never made it to Savannah or I-16. At one point, we had traveled only 44 miles in 4 hours, and it got even worse as we sat still for 30 minutes at a time and then move a few feet and then stop again for 30 minutes. There was nowhere to go. Stomachs were hungry, bladders were full, cars were running out of gas, and windshield wipers were frozen solid. We were stuck and GPS showed blocked roads for many miles ahead. We were running out of time and nightfall would soon come and conditions would get even worse. What to do?

Then, we received a call from a friend. He saw something that my wife posted on Facebook that we were trying to get home. He offered his condo in Hilton Head, if we could get there. There was no guarantee that the roads were passable, and the main bridge to the island was open, but we decided to give it a shot.

We creeped along at 10-20 mph. The roads were treacherous, but were passable and the bridge was still open. What should have taken us a little over an hour, took us 5 1/2+ hours to get from Edisto to Hilton Head! We were totally exhausted from the ordeal, but relieved to be safe and warm.

This morning, we heard that many people had to sleep in cars. One report said that two men traveling from New York had spent 15 hours on I-95 in SC. And, an Ohio trucker reported that this was the worse he had ever seen. That's saying a lot from someone up North.

We are still at Hilton Head because traffic was at standstill on I-95 all day today and everything is going to refreeze tonight. So to be safe we decided to stay another day.

What about you? Do you have a Wyndham travel experience to share?

We left Myrtle Beach Tuesday AM, well before the storm hit. But we did get a kick out of WINTER STORM WARNING on the overhead signs on I-95 when there was nothing but blue sky!

Glad you made it! Nothing like having a friend to help with storm evasion.

 

[WinniWoman]

Wow! That is really some ordeal! Glad you are safe! I would have gone insane!!

This shows how Facebook can be a life saver!

 

[am1]

Thankfully you were alright but i would have stayed put.

 

[Silverdollar]

Thankfully you were alright but i would have stayed put.

Thank you. Our decision to leave was mainly based on three things. First, we needed to check out by 10 am because our reservation had ended. Second, resort management called to inform us that power and water could be lost even if there was availability. And third, snow storms in this area are as rare as an honest sales rep at a Wyndham update. Example: the last time the Savannah Airport was closed due to snow was 1989. So we decided to take a chance. Looking back, it was the wrong decision, but I learned a lot in the process.

 

[am1]

Thank you. Our decision to leave was mainly based on three things. First, we needed to check out by 10 am because our reservation had ended. Second, resort management called to inform us that power and water could be lost even if there was availability. And third, snow storms in this area are as rare as an honest sales rep at a Wyndham update. Example: the last time the Savannah Airport was closed due to snow was 1989. So we decided to take a chance. Looking back, it was the wrong decision, but I learned a lot in the process.

For sure and is good for others to read. Why were the roads not closed before this disaster happened?

 

[BDMX2]

Yikes! Glad you are safe and sound and had a warm bed to sleep in. Quite the story to remember and share!

 

[Jan M.]

So we decided to take a chance. Looking back, it was the wrong decision, but I learned a lot in the process.

I'm not sure it really was the wrong decision in the end as you were able to get to Hilton Head. I think you were much better off there. From what I read about Edisto Island there isn't a lot there, just a little grocery/convenience store. If they closed the bridge and you were stranded for several days without heat or water, minimal staff at the resort and a grocery store with bare shelves that could have been awful.

 

[Capitalb]

It's true that the grocery store is small, and that it's the only one on the island, but shelves were not bare. We've been here this whole week, bit of a disappointment as we came from Chicago hoping to get away from the snow... Roads were pretty treacherous, but passable yesterday. We check out tomorrow morning.

 

[Panina]

Years ago I had to be in Boston and had a timeshare there. I thought I was ahead of the snow storm but with heavy traffic I got caught in it. Hotels were full along the route and I just inched along. A five hour ride took eleven hours. I just kept praying and finally got there.

 

[geist1223]

In 1980 while TDY to Little Creek Base in the Norfolk area I was walking from the BOQ to the Commisary and it started snowing. I had a funny feeling and so I bought a lot of food to include dishes that could be cooked in a Pot on a Hot Plate and as many Pizzas that wouldn't in my small Frig that could be cooked in my Broiler Oven.

The whole area ended being shut down for about 3 days. The candy machines and soda machines in the BOQ quickly ran out. My friends and I had plenty of food. Though we were happy when the McDonald' just outside the Gate opened 3 days later.