Stuck in Amarillo

[Gypsy]

It''s amazing what a few inches of snow can do to a region completely unequipped to deal with it. There was ice and maybe .5 inches of snow on the ground this morning. All the major roads are shut down here. It doesn''t look like they have salt trucks out here... or adequate plows (although the slat would help more than the plows would). We wanted to leave and go South to 10... but 27 is shut down and that''s the only (apparently) way out of town to 60 (which would take us to 70 which would take use to 10).

Just sitting here... frustrated.

 

[ladykemma]

i am glad you are safe and warm.

 

[Skippy123]

Gypsy,
enjoy it. We were flying home from being with family in Savannah, GA yesterday and our flight almost did not land in ABQ. We were sent to El Paso and then they took us into ABQ. We barely made it and then all flights were cancelled. It all is so pretty.

 

[Gypsy]

This is true.

We're waiting till noon to start calling around at the hotels here for a different room for the night. We drove in late last night and grabbed the first non-smoking pet friendly room available. It's got these huge windows that are drafty as alll heck and Hally is sneezing this morning. Plus the beds are soft and DF's back is all locked up today so I'm hoping that either the Holiday, Residence, or Hapton Inns have a room open up so that we can move over there for the night.

IF I-40 opens tomorrow we are fine... if not. Well, the moving truck will be arriving to drop off our stuff and we won't be there.

But we are warm and safe.

 

[Ann]

sorry to hear that.
I''m in balmy Houston, but I know all too well what some snow can
do to the area. Many years ago my DH was transferred to Liberal , Kansas.
(oilfield mgmt.) Liberal is North of Amarillo. I called Liberal the armpit of the Earth,
because it was so desolate and dreary. I would often drive down to Amarillo just to
go to a mall. But Amarillo does get it''s fair share of winter weather, you should be
able to get out. I''m surprised you can''t, surely the roads will open up later today.
Good luck and be careful.

 

[Skippy123]

Oh, no. I hope you get a better hotel. Hopefully it will melt soon.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 12/30/2006 12:50:26 PM
Author: Ann
sorry to hear that.
I'm in balmy Houston, but I know all too well what some snow can
do to the area. Many years ago my DH was transferred to Liberal , Kansas.
(oilfield mgmt.) Liberal is North of Amarillo. I called Liberal the armpit of the Earth,
because it was so desolate and dreary. I would often drive down to Amarillo just to
go to a mall. But Amarillo does get it's fair share of winter weather, you should be
able to get out. I'm surprised you can't, surely the roads will open up later today.
Good luck and be careful.

Hmm. There were spots in Arkansas that I would swear were the armpits of the earth.... Amarillo is actually one of the better areas we've driven through since we left TN. It's 15 degrees out here now according to the weather channel.

ETA: Better hotel doesn't look like its happening either. Everyone else is trapped here too. Maybe we'll go catch a movie. Eragon is out after all.

 

[Skippy123]

where are you headed? New Mexico is a mess right now.

 

[Gypsy]

California. Which means, one way or another... we''ve got to get past New Mexico.

 

[Ellen]

Oooh, sorry to hear! Try and make the best of it, that''s all you can do.

 

[Skippy123]

Can you wait it out. ABQ is snowpacked!!!! So Sorry. Your poor kitty cat.

 

[Gypsy]

Don''t have much choice but to wait it out... but our moving truck is arriving on the 2nd with all of our stuff. And well... we need to be there.

I''m trying to keep Hally away from the windows and I''ve cranked up the heat.

 

[Skippy123]

oh no. Sorry about the moving truck. Goodness; that is awful!!! Be safe

 

[Skippy123]

The tv says I-40 is closed from ABQ to TX. Also, the storm is moving east ward

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you Skippy! Does it say whether or not I-40 is going to be open tomorrow?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

GYpsy, I am so sorry about your delay! But I was just thinking, your movers might be delayed, too.

 

[Skippy123]

Oh goodness. I am not sure, but ABQ is suppose to warm up so hopefully it will be open.

 

[scoops07]

Hi there,
Sorry you''re stuck, but as an Amarillo native I can assure you we are well prepared for winter weather. It is New Mexico that has you stuck here, and believe me, you would rather be here than in New Mexico right now. Maybe Albuquerque would be ok, but anything less than that would be rough. We are getting reports of no food for stranded travelers in remote areas like Santa Rosa. No businesses are open, including grocery stores and food vendors. OUCH! I had a friend that got stuck there in the last storm on her way BACK from California, and she was miserable without even a pair of socks. (can you say unprepared for foul weather?)

I''m sending you the link for the New Mexico roads.... I hate to tell you, but it looks grim at the moment. What hotel are you in? Ashmore Inn is very nice, as well as Countryside Estates, surely not all of them are full.

Hope you won''t be too miserable here while you wait out the storm! I can suggest some great restaurants that are local favorites if you''re interested!

http://www.nmroads.com/

 

[Tacori E-ring]

How frusterating! Sounds exactly like Charlotte whenever we get snow/ice (which is not too often). We don''t have enough trucks to cover the city with salt so people panick!

 

[movie zombie]

as bad as it is, at least you''re not further north as hubby originaly wanted to route you through. keep warm, keep safe.

movie zombie

 

[scoops07]

Gypsy,
I work for the local newspaper, would like to interview you, if you''re willing?

Reply to this post or email me if you are interested.

thanks,

 

[marvel]

sorry for your delay...keep warm...the weather today in california is beautiful

 

[Gypsy]

No the Ashmore Inn had vacancy when I called but they aren't pet friendly. We had till 2pm to find another place and it didn't happen so we're making the best of it. We're at the Best Western Amarillo Inn... it's not terrible. But it is drafty and the beds are ... well they need new beds. We went out just now to find food (the lady at the desk... who I suspect is the owner is very helpful and on top of things) and ended up at Hooters, which we'd never been to before. Food was actually pretty good, but the girls were FREEZING in those ridiculous outfits.

DF talked to the movers today and they can push out till the 3rd. So as long as we actually can get back on the road tomorrow things will be okay.

Of course... I just took my temperature and I have a fever... looks like Hally isn't the only one who caught the sniffles. Fortunately I've got the entire contents of my medicine cabinet with me so... Zicam, Mucinex and Nyquil are here to save the day.


Anyone know how many miligrams are in a 1/2 a teaspoon? I have to give Hally her decongestant she's currently wrapped up in mommy's fleece sweatshirt.


ETA: That was TERRIBLE. Oh God. We didn't have her regular decongestant (pill) and everything is closed so the vet called in a human decongestant to the pharmacy-- it was a liquid... she was foaming at the mouth and mewling for 5 minutes afterward.... NOT doing that again.


On the plus side.... the trees outside are amazing looking.

 

[belle]

so sorry to hear you are stuck gypsy

at least you are safe and warm. i''m sure I-40 will be closed at least until tomorrow because it is still snowing here. the good news is, it''s supposed to be clearing out and warming up. hopefully you''ll get to warm dry weather soon.

there are 2.5mls (milliters) in 1/2tsp. (5ml=1tsp)

take care.

 

[Gypsy]

Great! Thanks Belle. At least I didn''t OD the cat. She''s still hiding somewhere not talking to us.

 

[monarch64]

Gypsy, forgot when you first told us of your trek to let you know of this website: www.tripswithpets.com

They tell you what hotels are pet friendly, give lots of good tips, etc.

Take care...I''m glad to hear you''re safe and warm, though! What a great adventure you''re having, although I don''t envy you one bit!

 

[Skippy123]

The roads are still bad. Have you headed out?

 

[Gypsy]

Fever was up to 101.7 today when we set out. 40 was open at 7 am and we chose to go that way rather than down to 10... but the roads were terrible (TWO DAYS these people had to clear the roads of TWO inches of snow and ice and they couldn't do it). We got to San Jon New Mexico at 10am local time and the police where routing people off the roads and onto a rest stop with two gas stations with Mini Mart. 5 hours later the Mini Marts looked like a swarm of locusts had hit them and the cops were pesimistic about their ability to clear the roads of the snow and ice on them. We turned around. Amarillo pet friendly hotels were sold out... and we really didn't want to end up at the Best Western again... so we drove out here to Plainview, TX where there is a Holiday Inn that accepts pets(back in TX but at least the sun had melted the ice off the roads and they were passable on the way back). Met a couple from northern NM who had the same experience we did today (along with about 15 others at this hotel) the woman says to us, "We have one Snow Plow in NM and one Road Salter. And we can't use them when the weather is icy... they are expensive and they might get damaged!" I've been chortling all night thinking about that. Both TX and NM are just incapacitated by this storm. Vega, TX right by the NM border had no power and the roads were so icy it was suicide to navigate.

Tommorow we are headed down to 10 and hope to pull through to Pheonix. I wanted to avoid LA... but even LA traffic is preferable to being held hostage by a few inches of ice and snow.

Sinus infection hasn't improved. Cat is better though... and she's forgiven us for the whole decongestant fiasco last night.

Happy New Year all. We are hoping for clear roads and light traffic in the new year...

ETA: Thank you Monarch!

 

[Skippy123]

Gypsy,
That is horrible. My parents drove down from their house in Angel Fire, NM and made it. Gosh, I thought you would have been in Arizona by now. I am so sorry. I can''t believe it. Wow, I will pray for the snow to melt for you. Be safe and happy New Year. Get some rest and take care.

 

[Gypsy]

Hi Skippy! Honestly, I should have just routed us through Dallas and 10 back in TN... I didn''t because I HATE Los Angeles and wanted to go through Nevada... and I honestly had no idea that the southwesten states had so little ability to deal with this kind of weather... live and learn. And like Lady K said... we are safe and warm in a nice draft-free non-smoking room. We had dinner at a decent Japanese Steak house out here (so CHEAP too.. back of beyond has its advantages!) which was a GREAT break from the fast food, peanut butter and honey sandwiches (Best Western didn''t have refrig or microwave and the roads were too terrible to navigate so we got groceries), and mediocre chains (Hooters). We''ve booked another Holiday Inn in the Phoenix area too. Honestly, these Holiday Inns have been so dependable! I''d never stayed at one before, but for cross country road trips with pets I highly recommend them! There is a Crowne Plaza in Phoenix that takes pets too.. but I just can''t see spending 300 bucks for 6 hours!