I’m sitting in our hotel room at the Hilton Garden Inn. Our original flight was canceled yesterday, which I learned shortly after we stepped into the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, so I really didn’t enjoy that visit as much as I could have. Then came a flurry of rebookings & cancellations… I sort of lost track. There was a lot going on, but I landed one that was to depart this morning & only had one layover at EWR. I could handle that. I extended the rental car and secured our room (which I slightly upgraded, thank god).
Until I stupidly checked my phone in the middle of the night to see what time it was and saw that THAT flight had also been canceled.
Guess what? The Charleston airport is closed. There are NO flights for us tomorrow, so Friday is the best there is. I’ve extended our hotel stay & the rental car (again).
I’ve checked other airlines, Amtrak, and we even considered driving home! Not last night, or even this morning, but now that things are clearing up a bit… but holy cow, it would cost an additional $800+ to return the car to a different airport (even to ORD, which shocked me). The train doesn’t get us there any sooner, and other airlines had little to offer.
Thankfully, things at work are covered, for the most part. And everything is fine at home, despite a polar vortex.
I was fully aware that this was not going to be a tropical getaway, but never in a million years did I think we’d get stuck — and stuck so hard — because of ice & snow in Charleston. I saw on the news (while we enjoyed our complimentary breakfast buffet) that parts of Florida got it even worse!
Anyway, back to the Gibbes…
There’s a permanent exhibit called “Miniature Portraits,” and I saw a face that was familiar — that crooked little mouth & dimpled chin are unforgettable.
This is Mary (Middleton) Shoolbred, who, along with her husband, is buried in the Shoolbred Family Cemetery that I linked to the other day. The plot was very close to our Airbnb and we stopped on Saturday, on our way to the Beaufort Oyster Festival. Mary & I share a birthday — around 160 years apart, and this miniature portrait, watercolor on ivory, was painted by Jean François de la Valée, ca. 1803, only a few years before she died in her early 30s.
We’ve had a great visit — rearranged a few things on Monday after learning the President Biden would be in town — but otherwise according to plan… except for our delayed departure!
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Wow! I just caught up on your posts (so many!!). Happy Anniversary! Fletch and I will celebrate 45 years at the end of May. That does not seem possible or even reasonable! So sorry you have been stranded in COLD Charleston. Warm would have been better. Hope you can get out soon and safely (and hope it’s a little warmer at home when you get back).
I thought of you yesterday with snow in the south. It seems like even a little bit shuts things down for quite a while. I wish you vacation had had a more enjoyable ending but I hope you can enjoy the extended time. Mary does have a distinctive little smile!
I believe it, Vicki … and it’s just crazy. I drove to SC today (NW of Charleston) and there’s snow here too.
Oh my. The weather can really wreak havoc with plans. At least you have a place to stay and everything at work and home is going fairly smoothly. It’s crazy for you to be socked in in Charleston but it’s a crazy time.
I am sorry you got stuck because of this crazy weather, but I’m glad you’re able to extend your vacation without too much trouble. I hope you are able to get home soon!
Oh help and bother! I am so sorry you are stuck… but at least you are stuck together! I hope that your Friday flight is on time (and not cancelled!)
I’m sorry you got stuck, travel interruption is never easy and always inconvenient at best. I hope you can make the most of your extra day and enjoy your extended time in Charleston!