7 Jan 2014 - Holy Polar Vortex!

This is the first blog of the Winter Vacation 2014 series. I was really looking forward to doing the blog this year as we had been so proactive about renting our condo in Naples, Florida and really excited about our decision to spend 3 months in such a wonderful spot. I was sure that by this point on the calendar there would be great photos and equally great stories about our adventure getting there and getting settled.


I'm sure all that will come but it's been a bit more of a challenge than we'd ever planned.
Anyone who knows me at all well knows how I love my winter holiday and don't love snow and cold. Circumstances kept us from leaving as early as we might have but the crazy phenomenon that's being called the 'Polar Vortex', coupled with flu and colds, almost put me over the edge.
We finally got into the car and on the road and headed straight for the border at the Thousand Island crossing. It was a wicked wind that was whipping the Canadian flag around at -31 degrees Celsius but I was flying high in the knowledge that I'd soon be able to trade my long underwear for a bathing suit and my boots for flip flops as each mile took me closer to the sun and sand.
There must have been a security camera somewhere that captured the stunned look on my face when the person standing at the bridge toll gate said, "Sorry, but the border is closed...Interstate 81 has been shut down. There was 5 feet of snow (lake affect snow) yesterday and last night and the I-81 from Syracuse to the border has been closed."
Ah.....just a second. There's been a mistake! I'm Lynne Corkum and I'm heading for Florida after the craziest, busiest, coldest month of my life and THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING.
The shock quickly wore off and we ended up getting a room at the Best Western in Gananoque (don't ever stay here) with plans to try in the morning. What we didn't know at the time was the additional foot of snow that was already starting to fall and the highway would not open the next morning. According to the news, there were lots of cars off the road or abandoned and the clean-up would take most of Wednesday. Anyway, there was a 2-mile line-up of trucks waiting for the border to open plus lots of other cars with people like us who were anxious to head south so the line-up would have been endless.
When we woke up this morning we had two options: head back to Ottawa and try I-81 again on Fri or Sat or head to Cornwall and cross the border there onto I-87. We went back and forth until finally deciding to try Cornwall and at least get into the United States. All that said, we have now stopped in Albany for the night. Surprisingly, the road through the Adirondack mountains was clear the whole way and the sun was shining so although getting a late start, the day turned out not to be a bad one.
We had stopped for lunch at Willsboro, N.Y. which is a tiny hamlet off the interstate and pretty much of a summer place on Lake Champlain. It was sheer luck that took us to Rick's Pub for the very, very best soup we've ever had! Wayne had clam chowder and I had the daily special which was tomato, hamburger and macaroni soup. I wish I'd been smart enough to think about buying another container of it to heat up in our room for supper.
I'm most looking forward to the almost imperceptible stress relief that gradually happens the longer we are on the road. We have never taken I-87 south so this is a new road, and with it, a new adventure for us. We can't doddle too much along the way as our condo rental started on 1 Jan and I'm sure our landlady is anxious to get her check but I'm guessing there will be room for a quick side trip or two that will have us making plans to come this way again so that we can spend more time.
Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx