My family is Ironman tough

I've never really had an awful travel experience. I've been delayed, I've had cancellations, but I've never had to cancel a vacation or even spend a night in a place I wasn't prepared to be. So my heart goes out to my parents and what they dealt with coming to visit me this past weekend.

Here's how strong the parental instinct can be:

1. They spent ~6 hours on the tarmac in DC waiting to fly to Atlanta on Thursday. Given it was over two stretches, but that's 6 horrific hours on a plane. But not going anywhere.
2. They finally arrived in Atlanta about an hour after their flight to Seattle left. Which left them in the ATL airport at midnight. It wasn't exactly jumping.
   
3. None of the nearby hotels had room. I found them a place 15 miles south of the airport.
4. The airline did manage to get them a ticket. Arriving in Seattle on Saturday. Night. Remember, they were supposed to arrive on Thursday evening. My mom is devestated.
5. My sister arrives in Seattle (she made the connecting flight) at 1:00am.
6. My folks decide to buy one-way tickets on two other airlines to get to Seattle on Friday night (1:00am Saturday, actually). They nearly miss their connection in Vegas, but eventually arrive.
   
7. We spend a weekend in Seattle. It is pleasant. The weather is great. I have to work Saturday and Sunday.
8. Folks fly back east on Tuesday morning.
   
9. They make it to Spokane before being forced to land because of a sick passenger. This is literally 45 minutes into the flight.
10. They miss their connecting flights in Atlanta and are forced to spend ANOTHER night in Atlanta. I hear my dad getting a rental car and think he may be considering driving back from ATL to DC (10 hours) rather than waiting for a flight on Wednesday morning. But the airline gives them hotel vouchers and they stay.
11. I assume they will make it back home tomorrow, but at this point, who knows.

So, mad props to my parents (and sister) for putting up with the hassle of cross-continental travel. It was great to see them. Since I know they aren't coming back for a long, long time.