Hope you all had a nice holiday, fellow Fodorites. Anyone have travel stories to share -- nightmare or dreamy? I'll go first. Went from my NYC apartment to upstate New York to spend Christmas with SO in his mountain cabin. He has a stone fireplace in his log cabin, no neighbors for miles, pretty lake just steps away for swimming or skating. Sounds good, eh? Clueless city girl that I am, never thought about what could happen there with the winter storm approaching. He didn't seem too concerned about it either, actually. Anyway, Xmas day it starts snowing and it's so pretty, but building and building up outside. We took turns going out to shovel the walk to the truck. Then suddenly about 6:00 PM, the power goes out -- and stays out. Christmas dinner in the oven - ruined. No heat, no light, no water, no nothing, howling wind and pitch black in the middle of a blizzard on top of a mountain! I sorta lost it, to be honest, it was scary. But we made the best of it, he got his kerosene heater going and we played backgammon by the light of some oil lamps, and eventually I wrapped myself in 2 down comforters and fell asleep. Power came back on about 9 hours later at 3:00 AM, so we were able to make coffee this morning (thank God) but I couldn't wait to get back to my nice warm city home! I know, I'm a total citified wimp. That's my tale! How about you guys?

junebug,
that sounds like the kind of "camping" story I would tell. Funny, how after living in the city, those little jaunts out to the "woods" don't have that much appeal anymore
Fortunately, we stayed snug and warm in our home, which stayed lit and heated
Hope your New Years is warmer and lighter!

Here is a true story that happened to me a few years back when I was travelling in USA. My girlfriend and I found ourselves in Reno and decided to stay a couple of days. On the first night, she gets very drunk and the next day, she decides to stay in the hotel room so I said I was going out to get something to eat. After sitting in the hotel room stroking her ailing head and holding a strategically placed bowl and emptying it every half hour, I was glad to get away and was in no rush to get back! Bless her.
Anyway, I had my heart set on a meatball sub from Subway that was at the back of a small hotel/casino. As i go through, I decide to have a little flutter on the one armed bandits. I asked a change teller for change of a $20 note and he asked for ID! I was 25 and quite flattered! until I realised I had left my passport back at the hotel and, being English, my driving licence had no photograph! I told him I didnt and not to bother and walked towards the Subway counter. He began to follow me demanding that I need to show him ID and I tried to explain that I didnt need to because I was only going to buy some lunch! This was not good enough and I had to show ID to be in the Casino area! After a little heated debate, he stormed away! Thank God, I think and join the queue and as I start to order my sandwich and the waitress is taking my order, she stops and stares over my shoulder and then walks slowly back. I hear a voice - "thats the guy there!" - I turn around and there is the change teller standing next to a security guard and pointing at me!

"Step away from the counter, sir, NOW" says the guard! I am amazed and start arguing that I am merely trying to eat! I turn my back to the counter and the guard tells me to turn around NOW. I turn and the guard has his gun holster open! and his waggling his fingers over the butt of his gun!....

"I only want a meatball sandwich!" I reply meekly! Anyway, I am escorted from the casino (hungry and protesting!) and told that I must never show my face again without proper ID and not to attempt to gamble without ID!

I got back to the hotel shellshocked and my good lady friend asks "you took your time, where have you been....."!!!!

My son left out of JFK last night. Scheduled around 8:55 p.m. He sat in a plane till 11:30 till it took off. No explanations from AA. Just was running "late". How awful. Lesson not to leave from JFK again. Newark would be better. I felt sorry for him and his girfriend. He is home safely now. That is what is important. They are home.

Nightmare christmas story. My sister-in-law doesn't like me because I'm very close with my mother-in-law. All the female family members received a link chain bracelet with charms but me and my other sister in law which she also does not like. My mom-in-law tells me that she coudn't love me anymore had I been one of here biological children but after this christmas it feels that the true family ties were set and I'm not a "real" member of the family. Holidays can really stink sometimes. I'm sorry to say I can't wait until my sister-in-law goes home.

My poor brother, his girlfriend, and her two little boys (ages 2 & 6) were supposed to fly from NYC to Tampa on Christmas night, arriving at 9:30 PM, and rent a car to drive 2.5 hours to where I am now, my parents' house near Ft Myers.

Well...with the huge storm in NY, their flight got cancelled...AFTER they had already driven the treacherous roads to the airport. On top of all this, my bro and the two little boys all have bad colds, AND my brother has a fear of flying, and hasn't flown in 14 years. It kind of good he didn't fly on Christmas day from NYC...I did, and the turbulence was HORRIBLE....

They called the airline and tried to rebook for a flight the next day (Thurs) but all were full. They managed to book a flight Friday night instead. However...the weather was so bad they just stayed at a hotel by the airport instead of heading home. They went home Thursday morning, and came back to the airport on Friday night. Their flight left on time. However...they were unable to rebook the rental car at a reasonable rate, since they would be booking last minute. So my dad had to drive the 2.5 hours to pick them up at 9:30 last night, and then 2.5 hours home. My dad called from Tampa airport, and guess what? None of their luggage made it. So they had to wait another 2 hours for the next plane, which supposedly held their luggage.

They got here sometime in the middle of the night...When they wake up I have to ask them whether or not they will ever fly again. What a nightmare!!!

That does sound like a horrendous time. Plus feeling sick, and with little ones on top of it all. So sorry. I hope there return runs more smoothly and everyone is feeling well.