'Tis the season for holiday travel. Whether you pack the family in a car or endure the bustle of the airport, traveling is very rarely a smooth process and it's only amplified by the crowded holiday rush. In today's Throwback Thursday, leave a comment and tell us about some of your most chaotic or event-filled traveling experiences.
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We traveled to Glacier National Park for my husband's 50th birthday. We had an uneventful flight and arrived on time to our lodging, only to find that the road connecting the east side of the park to the west side of the park (the ONLY road through the park) was closed due to 4" of snow. The next morning, the road was cleared and we were able to make it to our second night's lodging. We stayed in all of the lodges within the park, and then traveled to the Canadian side of the park. Then the planes hit the twin towers, and we were stranded on the other side of the border. All borders were closed, all planes were grounded, and all rental cars were being recalled. We were able to cross the border again (obviously), after two anxiety-filled days. Phone service was spotty, at best, since everyone was trying to contact loved ones (at the time, my daughter worked for NSA, my son drove a shuttle van for BWI, and my niece was working in Manhattan). To top things off, on our way back across the border, my husband decided to pick up a couple of hitch-hikers who had been back-packing in the woods for two days and didn't know anything about what was going on. That was an interesting conversation (as was the conversation we had with the border guard when we crossed back into the U.S. with the hitch-hikers). I don't think I'll ever forget that trip (even though I've been to China, Cuba, Japan, and Ireland as well as a couple of the Caribbean islands).
One time, I was going to take an international flight, but left the most important thing at home...MY PASSPORT! I missed my flight, of course. If you must forget something, never forget your passport!
I keep pepper spray in my backpack -- I park for work in E Baltimore -- and forgot to take it out before carrying on. 3 flights. Post 911. So much for airport security.