Driving on ice and tips on how not to wreck

by Jamie Rhein on

A few nights ago, I drove one of my daughter’s friends home after a day of cookie baking and watching a movie. It had started to sleet in Columbus before we headed out. We didn’t venture far onto I-71 South when I started to think, big mistake. There were flashing lights on both I-71 and I-70 from car wrecks in each direction.

When I pulled off on our exit ramp and onto the road, there were emergency vehicles and personnel attending to another wreck on the overpass, just a few feet from where I was maneuvering our car. Down the street I could see more flashing lights. A policeman motioned for me to roll down my window. “Be careful,” he said. “Go slow. There are a lot of wrecks out here.”

His words weren’t necessary, but calming somehow. He sounded like a deeper voiced version of my mother. With my children bundled in the backseat and my daughter’s friend in the passenger seat, I wasn’t in a hurry. Adding to the mayhem was not on my agenda.

Despite my careful efforts, I slid all the way across another overpass, although, I didn’t skid. I could feel that the tires weren’t gripping the road at all. “Shit,” I said under my breath, proud that I didn’t say worse.

On the way home, we skidded over another overpass, this time right between a car wreck, seconds after the two cars collided to our left and another car skidded to our right.

“You’re doing fine, Mom,” my daughter said from the backseat, as I said, “Oh, oh, oh, oh,” and tried not to flinch us into our own wreck.

After deciding to avoid the highway and travel the side streets, figuring that if anyone hit us, at least it would be at a slower speed, I took the highway the last mile and a half. It was a mistake. Cars fly on the highway in Ohio in all kinds of weather. It’s mind boggling. Really. We saw one car on the opposite side off the highway slide off the road and head down the embankment. Luckily, it stopped and didn’t flip.

Tonight, it was the same type of weather, although before it became too bad, we were home. With driving conditions treacherous, here are some tips for driving when the roads are slick. They worked for me. I was paying attention and followed them for a change.

Here is what helped me avoid having a wreck:

  • I kept a very large distance between my car and any car in front–at least triple what I normally do. When the wreck happened to my left, this helped me reach a slower speed so I could pass by.
  • Don’t break if you start to feel like you are beginning to hydroplane. Keep calm and keep the wheel straight and steady. I was hydroplaning past that wreck, but kept going.
  • I started to slow down way before I reached an intersection in order to make sure I could stop, almost without braking. To brake, I tapped on them gently several times to avoid any strong movement.
  • The whole time, I kept alert to what was going on around me. This helped me feel like I had control which helped me stay calm. Mind you, I wasn’t totally calm, but it could have been worse.
  • My original plan to avoid busy roads was sound. Avoid highways if you can. I was so sorry that I took the highway for the short distance that I did. I was so happy we only had a few exits to go to more safety.

When we arrived back home, 45 minutes after setting out on our icy adventure, I had a glass of wine and counted my blessings. Next time a friend is over and it’s icy out, we’re not going anywhere. There’s plenty of room for a sleepover.

For more driving on ice tips, including the one on what to do if you do start to skid, check out “How to Drive on Icy Roads” at eHow: How to Do About Everything.

Argentine cruise ship runs aground on iceberg near Antarctica

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Imagine you are an entrepreneur who runs a cruise ship company offering tours of Antarctica. You ferry people down to one of the world’s last remote continents, running your vessel and its passengers through some of the roughest waters on earth.

Now imagine that your Antarctica-bound cruise ship encounters a freakishly out of place iceberg (icebergs near the South Pole? No way!) and suddenly runs aground, stranding the vessel and 89 of its passengers in the middle of the ocean.

This exact scenario came to pass on the Argentine cruise ship Ushuaia this past Thursday just off the Antarctic peninsula of Wilhelmina Bay, according to the BBC. Though no passengers were hurt by the collision, the ship was said to be leaking fuel into the surrounding ocean. Passengers were eventually rescued by a ship from the Chilean Navy.

According to the piece, tourism to Antarctica has risen five-fold in the last 15 years, as travelers look to get that increasingly exotic “notch in their belt” and visit one of the world’s last unspoiled destinations. However, the sort of iceberg collision that plagued the Ushuaia is a “chilling” reminder that a visit to Antarctica is not without its hazards, both for tourists and for the environment of Antarctica itself. Ships and passengers are confronted with rough seas, chilling temperatures and a shifting obstacle course of icebergs. Not to mention the fragile environment and wildlife that calls Antarctica home which is threatened by the increasing tourism to the continent.

As more and more visitors head south to check out Antarctica, these sorts of environmental concerns are increasingly aggravated. Make sure if you’re considering a visit you investigate your vessel/tour company thoroughly before booking, and that they are taking care to ensure a safe and environmentally responsible visit.

Alternatives for ice-chewers traveling to Spain

by Abha Malpani on

Alert for travel-industry: the next lucrative market niche you must target is that of ice-chewers — people addicted to chewing ice who, alongside price, look at the availability of ice-chewing options when they travel. Yes, the cult of ice-chewers is on the brink of a revolution as more and more of them come out of the closet and share their fetish for ice-chewing.

The underground world of ice-chewers was exposed recently by the Wall Street Journal that reveals how these people spend their time fascinating over the feeling of different ice-forms in their mouth while ice-machine makers are competing over how to make the best chewable ice.

There is an online forum of ice-chewers (that currently has 3334 registered members) where “ice restaurants” are a topic of discussion. The Wall Street Journal article quotes Amy Grant’s ice-chewer husband saying: “Europe is a drag…I ask for ice, and they give me one or two cubes. They’re stingy with their ice. I’d never survive there.”

That’s true, I have lived in Europe for over 18-months and never have I been served ice in any other form but cubes. However, here are a few suggestions to get your dose of crushed ice to chew on — but you can’t be fussy about it being flavored: (does it make a difference?)

  • Ice-popsicles: Available everywhere in every imaginable flavor. In the various brands and shapes available, you will probably find a form of compact ice that will match the type you like to chew on.
  • “Flashes”: Well, that’s what they are called here. They are long bags of plastic filled with flavored ice, mainly made for kids to chew on.
  • “Granizados”: In Spain people are big on a slush called “granizado” — which translates to something “grained”, in this case, it’s ice. Lemon and coffee flavor are available almost everywhere; the density and crunch-ability of the ice varies so I’m sure you’ll be able to find something similar to the type of ice you like to chew on. If you drink the flavor out quickly, what you are left with is plain chewable ice. Since these places serve these slushes year-round, they are probably your best shot, but you’d have to ask for it and try your luck.

So, ice-chewers, if these alternatives work for you, you can add Spain to your list of countries to visit :)

Must-haves for a long winter drive

by Martha Edwards on

I’ve lived in Canada all my life, and I’m pretty adept at winter driving. I know when to pump my brakes, how to counter-act a fishtail in a flash, how fast to safely go on the highway in white-out conditions and how much space to keep between cars in case of black ice. So I thought driving 700 kms (450 miles) to visit a friend in a neighbouring province would be at best a little stressful. I didn’t prepare myself for 12-hour white-knuckled trip home (For the record, it usually takes 7 hours.)

If you’re driving through the snow this holiday season, here are a few thing you should make sure you have before you leave:

  • An emergency car kit. It’s essential in case you break down.
  • A car cell-phone charger. You’ll be kicking yourself if you break down and don’t have enough juice to call the tow-truck.
  • Blankets and candles. You know, just in case.
  • Tunes. Don’t just bring enough music for the drive — bring enough in case the drive gets stretched out.
  • A repertoire of word games to play with the driver. I was the driver on this trip, and in order to distract myself from the stressful drive, my friend and I played 20 questions and other games the required just enough concentration to distract me from how much the roads sucked.

  • Gas. Don’t fill your car with just enough to get there — have extra in case of a detour.
  • Food. Yeah, you can plan to stop for lunch in a certain place, but in case you don’t make it by lunch time, be prepared for the onset of grump-inducing hunger.
  • A map of the route. During our drive, the main highway was closed because of an accident. I know the area so I knew what the best detour route was but I might not have been so lucky.
  • A shovel. You might have to dig yourself out in case you hit the ditch. Or better yet, bring some strong men if you can.
  • Winter Tires or chains. This isn’t a necessity — I made through a high mountain pass on a road that was like a skating rink with my trusty all-seasons — but they might be worth it to you. They’re highly recommended and even required for some roads here in the Rockies.

Other tips? Make sure to clean off the sludge from your headlights — winter falls quickly this time of year and caked-on mud can really limit your visibility. And check the road conditions online before you go.

Above all else, take it slow if the roads are slippery. No appointment is worth you risking your life for.

World’s Largest Ice Caves

by Neil Woodburn on

Ice caves are very different from normal caves. They have a strange feeling about them, as though they are not from this planet, and one has just temporarily stepped into their world when spelunking their depths.

There are many ice caves throughout the world, but the Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves in Austria are some of the largest known to man. They are located within the Tennengebirge Mountains near Salzburg and stretch for a remarkable 40 kilometers. Only a portion of the labyrinth is open to tourists but it’s enough to get a taste of what the remaining network is like: a truly mesmerizing palate of Mother Nature’s handicraft.

For a photographic journey through these amazing caves, click on the link below and delve into the icy realms of Eisriesenwelt–the World of Ice Giants.