Big Apple vacation turns into a frosty adventure for Turlock group

What started as a nifty girls getaway to the Big Apple turned into a lesson in adapting quickly to circumstances.

A group of six women and girls from Turlock planned to return Monday from what’s become an annual vacation to New York City. But with a potentially historic blizzard bearing down, it seemed clear that was not going to happen.

“Flights were getting canceled like crazy,” Sonja Iltis said. So the women acted fast, securing what apparently were the last two rooms in the Mariott Marquis, where they are staying.

“We didn’t even have to move rooms,” Iltis said Tuesday.

She said the storm didn’t put much, if any, of a damper on the trip. “We’ve been doing plays, lots of good eating, walking, museums,” she said.

The only real impact is that the theater where the group planned to catch a movie closed due to the weather.

Even seeing the transportation ban put in place Monday was an adventure.

“It was quite dramatic,” Iltis said. “The streets were absolutely deserted. There was not a car, not a person. It was absolutely amazing.”

The group plans to fly back home Wednesday, the first flight that could be arranged. In the meantime, everyone has been enjoying the unexpectedly extended stay. The girls in the group, 9 and 13, were not exactly crushed about missing out on school. But they came equipped with plenty of homework to make up for any lost days.

Iltis said there never was a concern about whether things would work out for the best. “When we went to get another room, the woman working the desk leaned over and grabbed my hand,” Iltis said. “She said, ‘We are going to take good care of you.’”

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Big Apple vacation turns into a frosty adventure for Turlock group."