Captiva Getaway: Day One - Braving the storm

Dec.14, 2013
Captiva bound…Christmas countdown by the sea, family in tow.  Fed up with the airlines, we had planned this getaway to begin with a family road trip:  1100 miles each way, two SUVs, a refrigerated Costco bag filled with wondertreats, a ditch bag for each person for the overnighter hotels on the journey and---the worst winter storm of the past few years to come in just a few hours before departure (that part was not planned).

I had a bit of a struggle turning it over to Father (from my point of view…Father knows He will handle it, but gives me a sweet opportunity to jump on board with His exquisite  safety plan so that I get the benefit of closeness along with the safety, if you know what I mean).

3:00 a.m.  The snow had been falling and blowing already for about seven hours.  The legendary van belonging to Josh’s grandparents had replaced our reservation for a rental SUV, and was almost loaded and ready to go beside it’s SUV traveling companion, Rogue Ferguson.  Brad, Josh, Eliott and Dave finished loading by 4:00…I finished the final administrative moments, and we all boarded our respective vehicles in our pre appointed seats for the first leg of the journey.  I will be able to complete the family photo for my wedding  vow renewal album…and bring closure to one of the most profound episodes of my life…our lives.  Our Eliott who gave me away at our second wedding will now be in the Captiva family shots…and my wedding vow renewal family book will be complete.  I am the happiest of mothers.   

I had to do deep breathing and prayer, however, for the first forty minutes …closing my eyes periodically to un -focus on the treacherous roads, high winds, and flying snow.  Dave and Brad were to have the first shifts at the helms, followed by shifts from Ely, Ery, Josh, Lisa, and Eliott.  Before we would arrive at our lovely Holiday Inn in New Tampa, we would stop several times for fuel and breaks navigating our way through perpetual rains and wind …Dave and Josh would take us through the heavy storms and lightening that would land us in a stand still traffic jam on I 75 around 11:30 that evening .   Had we not taken even one of our breaks, we might have been involved in the massive wreck that had happened earlier resulting in the closure of the interstate and several fatalities.  Grace.  Brad’s third shift followed by Eliott’s second rolled us into Holiday Inn.   After what we had seen on the highway, no one really cared it was 2:00 a.m.  In the lobby they were playing ‘Fast and Furious’.  Someone has a sense of humor.