Fernanda & Karl - Road Trip: The End -- Website by Now Interactive Solutions

Photos

Newest Set:

Babs and Pia
10/18/24

Wiebke's visit
09/27/24

Brazil 2024 - Fernanda
09/06/24

Miska 2024 - June
06/01/24

Miska 2024 - May
05/01/24

Miska 2024 - April
04/01/24

Miska 2024 - March
03/01/24

Miska 2024 - February
02/01/24

Miska 2024 - January
01/01/24

Miska - December
12/01/23

Miska - November
11/01/23

Miska - October
10/01/23

Miska 2023 - September
09/01/23

Miska 2023 - August
08/09/23

India and Taj Mahal 2023
03/18/23

Germany (and Iceland) 2022
12/01/22

Brasil 2022 - after BH
10/18/22

Brazil 2022
10/07/22

Bathroom in the Annex
11/13/20

2020 Summer and Fall and Winter in the Pandemic
08/23/20

Long Island 2020
07/24/20

Balcony Garden
05/05/20

Baltimore 2020
02/09/20

Train show at the NY Botanical Gardens
12/07/19

Mohonk - Winter Wonderland
12/04/19

Oktoberfest 2019
10/06/19

Cool pictures of our apartment
10/06/19

Burle Max at NY Botanical Gardens
09/14/19

Papai In Memoriam
08/04/19

Aussie Parents' Visit
05/15/19

A New Car!
04/24/19

San Francisco
02/10/19

Iceland Five-O
01/26/19

Twin Cities
10/12/18

Oktoberfest 2018
10/07/18

Terceira
09/11/18

Ferry to Terceira
09/10/18

São Jorge
09/07/18

Pico
09/05/18

Faial
09/03/18

São Miguel
08/29/18

Wander Lucio's Visit - 2018
07/03/18

Summer 2018
06/30/18

Brunch Harbor Sail
06/17/18

Deutschland 2018 (Karl)
03/29/18

Iceland 2018 (Karl)
03/20/18

Brasil 2018 (Fernanda)
03/17/18

Karl's Singing Birthday
01/26/18

Miami
01/19/18

Gørill
01/01/18

New Bathroom II!
10/24/17

Chicago
10/13/17

Oktoberfest XI
10/08/17

Apocalipse
08/22/17

Oregon!
08/16/17

Madison, CT
07/10/17

Diane's Wedding, observed
06/11/17

Brasil 2017 (Fernanda)
03/24/17

Christmas 2016
12/24/16

New Bathroom!
11/01/16

Staycation in Brooklyn
10/15/16

Oktoberfest X
10/09/16

Vermont
09/18/16

Brasil 2016
08/10/16

Italy 2016 (Karl)
07/27/16

Berlin 2016
06/11/16

Nashville
01/21/16

Germany, 2015
11/26/15

Iceland
11/20/15

Cape Cod
10/18/15

Oktoberfest 2015
09/27/15

Lunar Eclipse - "Blood Moon"
09/27/15

Summer 2015
07/18/15

Hawk and other animals
07/17/15

Berlin
04/01/15

The Faroe Islands
03/20/15

Copenhagen
03/19/15

Christmas at the New Place (2014)
12/24/14

Danube River Cruise (Karl)
11/18/14

Wilmington & Western Railroad, 2014
11/02/14

The Berkshires
10/18/14

Oktoberfest 2014 - Executive House
10/05/14

2014 Brasil - World Cup
06/24/14

Longwood Gardens - thank you RuthAnn!
04/26/14

California, 2014
02/19/14

Thanksgiving 2013
11/28/13

Berlin, Tante Wiebke (Karl)
11/24/13

Iceland, 2013 (Karl)
11/20/13

Through the Looking Glass with Karl in Europe
11/18/13

Vermont 2013
11/01/13

Wilmington & Western Railroad Steam Engine Train Ride
10/20/13

Oktoberfest 2013
10/05/13

Brasil 2013 (Fernanda)
05/25/13

Intrepid
05/04/13

Road Trip South
03/24/13

Another German Christmas (2012)
12/24/12

Hurricane Sandy
10/29/12

Oktoberfest in our Apartment 2012
09/30/12

Air Show, Tough Kennamon, PA
08/25/12

Greece, Islands, 2012: Sifnos
07/20/12

Athens
07/19/12

IRF Reunion
06/23/12

Vermont, 2012
04/08/12

Our Tulip Blooms
03/25/12

Party for Karl's 43rd Birthday
01/28/12

Christmas 2011 at Mt. Snow
12/24/11

5th annual Oktoberfest in our Apartment!
10/01/11

Guests, 2011
09/12/11

Karl's Father in 2011
09/10/11

Misc. grab-bag, 2011
08/18/11

Brasil 2011
07/15/11

Vermont, "Spring" 2011
04/23/11

Nidhi and Arvind's Bangle Ceremony
03/27/11

Karl's 42nd Birtday (observed)
01/29/11

Winter Vacation with Missy and Alex
01/15/11

Brasil 2010
10/04/10

Oktoberfest 2010, Hackensack
09/25/10

Governor's Island, NYC
09/19/10

Karl's family
09/12/10

Vermont
03/26/10

Skiing Hunter Mt. 2010
02/14/10

Karl celebrates turning 41
01/30/10

Babs visits
01/17/10

New Year's Eve
12/31/09

Halloween/Thanksgiving 2009
11/26/09

Oktoberfest 2009, Hackensack
10/03/09

2009 at the pool!
08/18/09

Brú na Bóinne
08/08/09

Galway
08/04/09

Northern Ireland
07/30/09

Donegal
07/24/09

Dublin, etc.
07/18/09

2009 with the Urano family
05/23/09

Brasil 2009
04/10/09

Weihnachten, 2008
12/24/08

Syncsort Xmas Party 2008
12/15/08

Family visits: Karl's parents, uncle, and cousin
11/22/08

Vania's Visit
11/15/08

Marden's visit
11/08/08

Autumn hiking, Ramapo, NJ
10/18/08

Oktoberfest 2008, Hackensack
10/04/08

Labor Day Pool Party
08/31/08

Philharmonic in the Park (yet again)
06/24/08

Fernanda's Parents Come to Visit
06/02/08

Memorial Day Weekend in CT with Missy
05/26/08

Fernanda's Birthday Party, 2008
05/17/08

Katja comes to visit!
04/20/08

Spring 2008
04/12/08

Nikhil's Karaoke Birthday Bar Party
04/05/08

Cross-country Skiing in New England
02/09/08

Karl's Birthday Party 2008
01/26/08

Xmas 2007
12/24/07

Syncsort Xmas 2007
12/08/07

Oktoberfest in our Apartment
10/06/07

Crash!
09/15/07

Nebraska, Iowa
09/13/07

Wyoming, Nebraska, Blow-out
09/12/07

Nevada, Utah, Wyoming
09/11/07

California, Nevada
09/10/07

San Francisco
09/09/07

San Francisco, Sausalito, Mill Valley, Tiberon
09/08/07

San Francisco
09/07/07

Yosemite to San Francisco
09/06/07

Yosemite
09/05/07

Sequoia, Kings Canyon National Parks
09/04/07

Nevada, Death Valley, California
09/03/07

Arizona, Nevada
09/02/07

Arizona
09/01/07

Grand Canyon
08/31/07

Utah, Grand Canyon
08/30/07

Canyonlands
08/29/07

Arches National Park
08/28/07

Utah
08/27/07

Wyoming, Idaho, Utah
08/26/07

Yellowstone, Grand Tetons
08/25/07

Yellowstone
08/24/07

Wyoming, Montana, Yellowstone
08/23/07

South Dakota, Wyoming
08/22/07

South Dakota
08/21/07

Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota
08/20/07

Ohio to Chicago
08/19/07

Pennsylvania to Ohio
08/18/07

5th Brazilian Film Festival, NY
08/08/07

Fernanda's Birthday Party 2007
05/19/07

Paris
03/31/07

Amsterdam
03/30/07

Volendam
03/29/07

Antwerp
03/28/07

Vernon
03/26/07

Château Gaillard
03/26/07

Château de Versailles
03/25/07

Ski Trip 2007 -- Mount Snow
02/17/07

Karl's Birthday Party
01/27/07

Weihnachtsfeier
12/24/06

Syncsort Xmas Party 2006
12/09/06

New Car!
11/28/06

Random New York
11/05/06

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
10/24/06

Wander Lucio & Christy
10/20/06

Oktoberfest at Bear Mountain
10/08/06

New England
09/30/06

Barbeque with John and Petya
09/03/06

Sabira's Birthday Party
08/12/06

Allegra's Birthday Party
07/30/06

Opera in the Park
07/18/06

At the Beach
07/16/06

Ante Syncsort Group Dinner
07/14/06

Word Cup, USA
07/09/06

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, once more
07/08/06

Brasil 2006, Ceará: Fortaleza, Jericoacoara
06/17/06

Brasil 2006, Belo Horizonte
06/10/06

Karl's & Parents
06/04/06

Happy Birthday Pool Party!
05/19/06

Cherry Blossom Festival, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
04/29/06

Planting a Garden
04/09/06

Fixing Up the Car
04/09/06

At the Ballet with AFS
04/06/06

Alana
04/02/06

Various Times at Sean & Cecilia's
03/05/06

Skiing, 2006 - Hunter Mountain
02/18/06

Karl's Birthday (observed (by some))
01/25/06

Bente's Visit
01/10/06

Xmas Party 2005
12/12/05

Ballooning in Lancaster, PA
11/05/05

Segovia, Spain
10/14/05

Toledo, Spain
10/13/05

Madrid, Spain
10/12/05

Sevilla, Spain
10/10/05

Évora, Tavira, and the Road to Spain...
10/06/05

Porto, Portugal
10/04/05

Eclipse -- Bragança, Portugal
10/03/05

Coimbra and Conimbriga, Portugal
10/01/05

Nazaré and Obidos, Portugal
09/28/05

Lisboa and Sintra, Portugal
09/24/05

Wander Lucio and Christy's Visit
09/18/05

Dinner at Sean and Cecilia's
08/13/05

At the Beach
08/06/05

Pool Minders
07/30/05

From Ivy's Beach to Ivy's Party
07/23/05

Opera in the Park for Allegra's Birthday
07/19/05

Five Year Anniversary Cruise
07/17/05

Social Butterflies
07/16/05

Social Pictures
07/14/05

Central Park Summer Stage
07/09/05

4th of July, 2005
07/04/05

A Day on the River
06/25/05

An Opera in the Park
06/14/05

Memorial Day, 2005
05/30/05

Scooting in NJ Liberty State Park
05/29/05

Scooting to Ashes & Snow
05/28/05

Fernanda's Birthday Party, 2005
05/20/05

Juliana & Cristiano
05/15/05

Nidhi & Arvind's Wedding (observed)
05/07/05

Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival), Brooklyn Botanic Garden
04/30/05

Brasil, 2005
04/18/05

About Town
03/01/05

At Home
02/28/05

The Gates in Central Park
02/13/05

Winter, 2005
01/23/05

A New Year
01/01/05

Christmas 2004
12/25/04

Syncsort Xmas Party 2004
12/21/04

More random
12/20/04

Buraco night
12/19/04

Thanksgiving 2004
11/25/04

Z
10/31/04

AFS NYC Zoo trip
10/30/04

Pumkin Pickin'
10/23/04

Old Short Hills
10/03/04

Whirling dervishes
09/24/04

Random Fall 2004
09/22/04

Saroj's birthday
09/20/04

Pool Party!
08/22/04

Allegra's Party
07/17/04

Family
07/15/04

Guests
07/11/04

Summer 2004 Misc II
07/01/04

Beach 2004
07/01/04

Opera in Central Park
06/16/04

Summer 2004 Misc
06/01/04

Brasil 2004, the rest
05/31/04

Brasil 2004, part 3
05/29/04

Brasil 2004, continued
05/20/04

Fernanda's Birthday, Observed
05/15/04

Brasil, 2004
05/14/04

Highlights of Holi
03/12/04

Holi - Full Set
03/09/04

New Kitchen
02/09/04

Xmas 2003
12/24/03

Wanessa's Wisit
12/16/03

Diwali
10/24/03

Random
10/04/03

Misc Dinners, Parties, 2002, 2003
09/16/03

Fernanda's Very Old Family Photos
09/04/03

Cristiano's Visit
07/15/03

Fernanda's Birthday Party
05/18/03

Europe 2003
04/25/03

Oz 1998
08/01/98

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Road Trip: The End

Karl's family
(Click to view)

Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Crash!

We ended with a bang. Then a whimper.

First off, we are all OK, no one was hurt, except the car.

We started out from Iowa into Illinois a little after nine. It was another long day of driving, we just pushed through, listening to our book on CD, Fernanda driving first, through Illinois (turns out we probably would have found OK and reasonably priced motels, oh well), Indiana (we lost another hour entering the Eastern Time Zone, not that they bothered to mark it), switching in Indiana, and through Ohio before switching back with me; she did over 1000 km today! We had quick sandwiches when we switched, otherwise just snacked in the car. Ohio is an anomaly: it seems like it should be way further west with its lack of gas stations and little back-water towns. That it is practically on the East Coast is hard to believe. I thought for sure we'd get some free wifi at the rest area, but even the one with a Panera only had some crappy AT&T pay per use wifi. Pfft!

Leaving Ohio behind us, we entered Pennsylvania. Our estimates had us getting home around 11:30 or midnight, but the Pennsylvania Turnpike sucks, it's small and narrow, and only has a maximum speed of 65. Just past Pittsburgh, we stopped at a Wendy's for the first time this trip; by the time we got through the drive-through, we may as well have gone inside. We switched again so I was driving. We were pushing on for home (my parents' home that is, where we started from). It was raining on and off, the PA Turnpike is a crappy little narrow road, and they have the audacity to charge you for it.

Then, just after 10:30, just outside Harrisburg, just before we would have gotten off the Turnpike, after around 775 miles safely behind us for the day, a car just in front of me started hydroplaning and lost control, first swerving to the right, and then veering out perpendicularly right in front of me. There was nothing I could do, nowhere to go (concrete barrier on the left and right), and no way to stop in time. You brace with that helpless sick feeling that you know you are going to crash, and then...

Pow! Everything goes white and silent, like a cut in a movie. Then suddenly it comes back, there's a ringing, and slowly the sound comes back up. Both airbags had gone off, we both had the wind knocked out of us, and are now sitting in a stopped, wrecked car on the left lane of the Turnpike. The book on tape continues to play. I'm vaguely aware of people shouting from the other car, getting out. My door is bent, doesn't open all the way. But my side is the better side to get out of because at least you won't be stepping into oncoming traffic. There is of course the imminent danger of someone running into the car. I turn off the motor, force the door open, crawl out. Fernanda crawls out behind me. Traffic is stopped behind me for the moment, so Fernanda grabs a couple sweaters, I take the camera and take a couple pictures. We then go to the side of the road. It is narrow. It is raining. The two other people from the other car have gotten out, they are both OK, they have called 911.

We are all in various states of shock, breaking down suddenly as the adrenaline and shock hit us. Various people drive by, stop, asking if we are OK, offering to call 911. Some of them stop in very bad places, blocking off the only open lane slightly behind the two wrecked vehicles, just asking for someone to crash into them.

We wait in the rain at the side of the road (we can't even duck under the bridge right by us because it is so narrow it has no shoulder whatsoever). We wait nearly 40 minutes before anyone shows up, and even longer for the police. We are all in fear that someone else will crash into the wrecked cars, and that the amateur efforts by other motorists at traffic warning are more dangerous than nothing at all. When the #@$! are the cops going to get here?!

Every other day I've had doings with the police now, since California. I will only say that the PA police do not compare favorably, and that's all that I have to say about that, for now.

Eventually after the cars have been loaded up and all the paperwork taken care of, the highway people take us and the cars to a motel. The Budget roadside assistance has proven totally worthless yet again -- I called twice, first they connected me to the police (who put me on hold) even though we'd already contacted the police, then a real anal guy was telling me about the importance of keeping my rental contract and getting a copy of the police report, when what I needed from him was to know if Budget could get a replacement car out to me tonight or if we'd have to wait till tomorrow, which would mean having to stay at a hotel; he told me the local Budget office was closed (and this wasn't even true -- this was at 11:30, and they didn't close till midnight!)!

The motel, a Days Inn, was the flea-baggiest we've stayed at so far, the place in Prescott, AZ above the tattoo parlor included. We were sore, wet, shaken, and I felt particularly abused by my treatment from certain of our public servants. The highway people were real helpful however, they drove the truck with our wrecked car right up to our motel room, and we spent like half an hour emptying the car out before he could finally drive the car away to where ever it is they take them.

Next morning we called Budget bright and early, they had to first find the car and confirm our story, but then we went out to the Harrisburg Airport location and got a replacement car (same car but with shiny chrome and spoiler and an over-powered engine and speakers), drove it back to the motel, loaded it up with all our stuff, and I slowly drove the remaining 70 or so miles home. It was a beautiful day to drive through Amish country, but it was kind of wasted on us.

And so. We spent the night at my parents' place, drove early the next morning to return the car (I got horribly lost in Delaware getting to the agency), and then in the afternoon drove back to NJ with our car, Fernanda driving. So here we are, almost unpacked, still hurting and sore around our chests and necks.

(view pictures)

View Calendar

Previous Entries

:-(
06/19/21

Açores
08/29/18

Our New Bathroom Saga
11/17/16

Europe 2015
03/16/15

The Berkshires
10/18/14

Road Trip South
03/23/13

Greece!
07/26/12

Our Trip to Ireland
08/09/09

Google Map of our Trip
09/17/07