The long awaited *Vacation Stories*

My cousin Juls is after me to post this so here we go.....

"The Vacation Synopsis" LOL I've posted about some of the stuff that happened in previous blogs (on the road) but it's time to give the full version...

DC (See previous blogs) although I will add this.... I'm going to have a hoodie printed up that reads..... "I drove DC and Survived" :)

I absolutely Loved Maryland..... I didn't say much about it in my previous writings but what a beautiful state! We went to Hagerstown and I enjoyed it immensely... So much so that I'd love to go back in the spring!

VA~ (Sky Line Drive (IE) The Blue Ridge Mountains) BREATH TAKING! We drove 105 miles of Sky Line Drive and at the highest point were over 4K in elevation.... It took us close to 5 hours to drive this leg of the trip because it's a whopping 35 MPH through the "path", & ofcourse we were stopping every 5-10 miles on their "look outs" taking pictures and finding bathrooms!

The final leg of the trip was spent in WVA with family.... and was definitly the most eventful..... We arrived in WVA late Saturday Night, after spending about 10 hours on the road that day....... (5 hours on Sky Line and a good 5 hours driving through the hills and mountains to get to WVA) at around 8 or so I pulled into a gas station (yah ANOTHER potty break) and the kiddos needed to stretch their legs.... We were about an hour and a half away from our hotel so I thought "Ok" last "break" lets stop..... There's NO bad neighborhoods in WVA right? pft WRONG! and ofcourse I picked the bad one.....

I pulled in, and the parking lot was basically empty..... By the time I got the kiddos in the bathroom, bought chocolate milk for them and let them walk the little store that was attached to the gas station..... I noticed a ton of folks in the store and alot of "noise" going on outside.... I walked out with them and a big ole truck filled with hound dogs had pulled up behind our vehicle blocking us in.... The guy driving it looked like he was the poster child for Skole and was spitting his "tabacci" on the side of the truck.... Guess he thought the tobacco would fill in the rust holes.... (Anyway) he saw us getting in and moved his truck up for us and then asked us where we were headed.... Uncle told him and he replied with "Ya all got some dangerous hills to drive, just becareful up there around the "PINATINTREE" (yes I know that's not how you spell it but that's e-x-a-c-t-l-y how he said it.... We asked why and he told us that there were hundreds of deer that were out in the fields next to it....

I kinda just rolled my eyes and didn't think much of it because I *thought* I knew WVA like the back of my hand and after coming from driving in DC I was fearless....

What a crock of crap that thought was :) Deer were EVERYWHERE it was literally like driving through a maze of them..... Thankfully we made it to our hotel without an incident but it was definitly a memorable moment and a lesson learned......

Nothing very eventful occured until a couple of days later..... Tuesday I think it was.... It was early in the morning and I got a phone call from my cousin (who I love dearly).... She started it out by saying..... "Mis where are you guys" I told her and she then said.... Well, he's fine BUT (insert her hubbies name) was in an accident and I can't get to him for another 30 minutes can you guys get there and stay with him til I get there....

We were less than five minutes away so I jumped back in mom's van and drove the family to the "scene".

When I pulled up I was instantly SICK.... his trucks front end was demolished, he was standing next to it and 4-5 rescue vehicles were surrounding the other vehicle that did not even resemble a vehicle (it was another truck) BUT I couldn't tell that until they got it turned over.....

My hubby ran over to him and stood with him while the medics worked on getting the other guy out (he was trapped) The highway shut down at that point and we say this helicopter circling.... I'm from the "city" so I assumed it was a news chopper...

WRONG.......

It was life flight and they landed right in the middle of the highway literally 200 feet from us....

I called my cousin back and told her what was going on and that I didn't think she was going to be able to get through (she eventually did right before the chopper took off again)

Thankfully her hubby was not seriously hurt, and the other guy did survive but both trucks were totalled....

Seeing something like this really makes one thankful for their families and what they have..... and it also reminded me just how short life is and that things like this can change you in an instant....

The other guy involved in the accident was seriously injured and life flighted to a hospital, we later learned he was driving on a suspended lic. and the vehicle he was driving wasn't even his.... (it was a work truck)

He hit my cousins hubby at 75 MPH and when he hit him it caused his truck to go airborn about a hundred feet and flipped it so he slid on the cab of the truck (which was GONE) *totally* smashed.... The back tire flew off and overall the vehicle looked like an accordian..... To make matters worse he had a 500 gallon oil container on the back of the truck that flew off and spilled all over the side of the highway....To top that off he wasn't wearing his seat belt..... THANK GOD that the truck didn't catch on fire.... I seriously wonder if this guy knows how da*n lucky he is to be alive.....

The rest of the week was pretty un-eventful.... I think the good Lord knew I had..... had my fill of drama......

Now it's back to the grind and me missing WVA.....

As a famous bunny once said....

"That's All Folks"