Traveling North Through the Aftermath of Blizzard

"DC,  Maryland--still digging out from second storm"  . . . "Don't travel"  . . .  "Stay put" . . .  "Stay another day"    Family & friends urgently warned us not to attempt driving home.

Our winter escape to the Atlantic Ocean lasted an extra day due to the east coast snow storm that buried Washington, DC, Maryland and New York.

2,700 round trip miles

Daily walks on the beach, beautiful sunrises & sunsets.

No alarm clocks

            Northern Florida beach>>>>>

 Nothing looked so good as the mailbox with our name on it.

 Wednesday we waited out the snow storm at the home of friends in Virginia Beach where barely a trace of snow fell. We spent the day reading, playing cards and our host cooked another delectable meal.   I did spend time on ActiveRain while the others took naps.

  Bright sun and warmer temperatures saw us off on our trek northward Thursday morning.  Our friends provided us with an extra blanket for the car and lots of snacks just in case there were no restaurants open along the way. Virginia Beach--556 miles to home.

Despite all the hoopla on the CNN and the Weather Channel about the snow situation in DC, Maryland and New York, the rural road in front of my house was the only one with snow.

As we drove northward through Virginia the traffic got heavier and the snow in the median got deeper, but the roads were as dry as a summer day. Our anticipation grew the closer we got to Washington.  We made a quick pit stop and mentally prepared ourselves for almost anything.  Much to our surprise there was little far less traffic on the Capital Beltway and I-270 Spur to western Maryland than we have ever experienced while driving in the DC area.   The bright sunshine belied the blizzard conditions of just twenty-four hours earlier.

We made a quick stop in northern Maryland for lunch and headed for the PA Turnpike which can be treacherous in bad weather due to the mountainous terrain. (I know it's not the Rockies, but . . .) 

Yes, I had my camera in my purse, but I didn't take one picture. I would have needed a helicopter and special equipment to capture the awesome beauty I saw along the PA Turnpike east of Pittsburgh.

Approaching the Allegheny Tunnel we saw the clouds hovering over the mountain and wondered what the rest of trip would be like. 

Coming out of the tunnel was like entering a new world.

Thick snow fog hung over the mountain tops.

The trees and bushes looked like Jack Frost and the Snow Fairies had been partying all the way to Pittsburgh.  Every tree and bush were perfectly draped with snow.

As pretty as the landscape looked the road signs and guardrails were the only tell-tale reminders of the storms' recent fury with a thick, gritty coat of road grime.

  Home, Land that I Love

Now I am ready to enjoy the snow in my own back yard on my cross country skis.

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A Little Spirit Never Hurt Anyone, Right?