ON OUR WAY TO CINCINNATI, OHIO VIA SNOW AND ICE

Hampton Inn / Jeffersonville

Jeffersonville, Ohio

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

16 F and cloudy in Decatur/morning---20 F evening

We drove along I-65 North from Alabama to Tennessee. The tree limbs were frozen into sparkling forms poised to crackle under the weight. The roads were relatively dry. As we drove north toward Nashville, Tennessee, the ice was heavier and barren branches were lying on the ground, even encroaching the highway. Icicles draped the rocky banks.

Interstate 65 North---Alabama

We started seeing snow on the ground near Franklin, Tennessee. Despite seemingly clear and dry roads, we started to see more vehicles off the road, a 37 ft. camper on its side, pickup trucks, and semi tractor trailers all damaged before we reached Nashville. Tennessee troopers and tow trucks were prevalent.

Tennessee Welcome Center I-65 North

It took an hour to get through Nashville because of the accidents and traffic. We finally reached Kentucky by about 11:45 a.m.  MST. Evidently there were no plows available because the Visitor Center parking lot was full of heavy snow, about six inches.

Kentucky Welcome Center I-65 North

We passed the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green where a sinkhole opened up a year ago and swallowed so many beautiful Corvettes. We also would have stopped at the Mammoth Caves area—will wait till better weather!

The Cracker Barrel near Bowling Green was closed because of a power surge.  By now we saw another semi tractor trailer overturned and cracked open and over 300 other semis and other traffic at a standstill on I-65 South, along with a couple other minor accidents.

We pulled into a Cracker Barrel by Elizabethtown—the parking lot was not plowed and there was a long wait for service. The nearby Wendy’s was closed (we imagine workers did not show up for work), so we settled for a Burger King Whopper and fries. TK is a skillful driver and did not let the gas tank go below ¾ full. He also felt we should eat and use rest rooms because we did not know what was in store on the highway.

Our trip was quite uneventful after Louisville, Kentucky, where it was 26 F. We were very grateful for dry roads (for the most part) and a 4-wheel drive truck. We were able to skirt around both Louisville and Cincinnati, Ohio and we are in for the night. If the weather holds, we will be home by tomorrow!! We sure will be glad to see our family!!

TK’s Takes:  He’s glad to be out of the cold south. The cold north is acceptable. People in the north know what to do in snowy, icy weather (for the most part).