By far, my worst vacation was in February 1979, visiting New York. My husband and I had not been married long, maybe about a year and half and we had recently relocated from Florida to Virginia. I am a Floridian and the cold weather wasn't something I was use to nor had I acquired the right clothes for. I have since learned that clothes do make the difference in the comfort department when experiencing extreme weather conditions!
While living in Virginia we were invited to visit our friend we knew from High School "Bubba" who was an inmate or rather a cadet at
West Point. This would be a long weekend visit as it was Washington's Birthday which now is just lumped in with all the other Presidents but back then he still had his own special day!
We drove form Harrsionburg, Virginia to New York and we were very excited to see our friend and spend time with him.
I really started to feel the cold there... it is quite a forbidding place...grey stone walls...very beautiful but still not a warm and fuzzy place. This was the first year women were accepted but not very many were visible to me ...just a dark grey ocean of men. The first day we had Breakfast with Bubba and all the other cadets...I thought I was nervous because I really didn't feel well, but even through my queasiness I could see how polite all the men were. I really was very proud of Bubba!
After Bubba got final word he could leave with strict instructions to be back at 6pm on Sunday...we left for New York City! I had never been there and was looking forward to it but I just couldn't get warm...I needed a hat, gloves and a scarf but I didn't have them and I guess I was too cool to stop and get them. But because of that...all I remember of that trip was that I was cold and sick to my stomach! We went to Charley's Steak House and I saw Greg Brady from the Brady Bunch studying over a script but I was too sick to even think about asking for an autograph. I couldn't eat and I was such a party "pooper" and I felt guilty because I was ruining the trip as I didn't want to see anything! I knew I was ruining it for my Hubby and our friend but I really felt awful. We went back to our room early because of my complaining...I had only a momentary feeling of regret until my head hit the pillow and then just grateful relief that the dreadful day was over! My last conscious thought was that I hoped it was just a 24 hour bug of some kind and that I would wake up well and in a much better mood. I am sure the guys felt the same way...as I was a real kill joy!
Next morning not only did I not feel well but we woke up to snow and more snow falling, a lot of it . Roads...major and otherwise were closed! This was understandable to my employer and my Hubby's but Bubba's employer did not care...Bubba needed to get back up that mountain to West Point even if he had to crawl up it!
I was still fighting nausea but Hubby and Bubba put chains on the tires and after some really scary moments we got him back to West Point, said our goodbyes...and headed back to Virginia...which was a huge mistake.
The weather was getting really bad and they were closing all major highways and because it was Washington's birthday they were not clearing the roads. We didn't know whether to keep going or stop. I was still sick and was not a lot of help to the Hubby...I was seriously just wishing he throw me out of the car and leave me to die! He decided to try to get us to Maryland where his brother lived, it was weird driving on these major highways with only one lane cleared and sometimes not even that. We would drive about 5 miles an hour, we finally got to his brother's home and stayed the night. We left about 12 hours later after the roads were cleared...we both had to call our jobs and let them know we would miss Tuesday because of the storm. At the end of the next week, with me still feeling badly...I made an appointment with my Doctor as I had started to think I might know why I wasn't feeling well and sure enough...I was told I was expecting our first child, a boy who more than made up for the awful vacation! Someday...I hope to see New York, really see it this time!