White out.

When your handy GPS flashes a traffic alert that tells you there are "whiteout conditions, with less than 100 meter visibility for 75 miles" along your planned route, it may just be a good idea to take a different route or turn back.

Matt has been working nights the past few days so I have been left with the nearly impossible task of keeping the kids quiet during the day so he can sleep. By 10am the task is unbearable and it is time to take the party on the road.

Today, I decided to take, OK drag, the kids to an antique mega-shop down near Nuremberg. I packed lunches, grabbed movies for the kids and loaded my ipod with the last few chapters of my audio book, and we were off.

About 10 miles down the road I got a traffic message about the above mentioned "whiteout" conditions. I hit "ignore" after deciding that it must be referring to some other area because there was not even a remote chance of snow on the radar for the next few days.

About 20 more miles down the road I found myself in those whiteout conditions and I learned that "whiteout conditions" doesn't have to have anything to do with snow.

When there is snow on the ground and the clouds or fog is so thick that it is actually white, you can't really tell the difference between the ground and the sky. That my friends is a whiteout.

It was beautiful and eerie all at the same time, not to mention downright dangerous. I know there are trees, hills, and little villages along the autobahn where I was driving, but I couldn't see them, not even a hint of there being anything in the distance other than more white stuff.

We arrived at our destination safely, found a lot of fun things there but didn't buy anything I was looking for, stopped in Rothenberg on the way back home to get some snacks and coffee, and then jumped back into some even more ridiculous whiteness.

I could see enough of the road in front of me to keep my speed up and we never encountered any accidents on the road, but next time, I'm adhering to the warning.