Fly or Drive....Which is best????

We just returned home from our trip to New York on Tuesday (Pictures coming soon). I just have to say that we were questioning whether or not it was worth flying. We left on Tuesday the 29th of July from XNA (Northwest Arkansas airport). We were of course in a rush to get there and when we got on the plane we sat, and sat, and sat for 1 1/2 hours (they say due to weather in Atlanta where our layover was). Then they had us all get off the plane for 45 minute before reboarding. We were afraid that we were going to miss our connecting flight because we only had 10 minutes to run from gate 19 to 2 in a large airport. We ran it, got on the plane as we were the last ones and then guess what?? Thats right, we sat, and sat, and sat for 2 hours before taking off. This time it was a mechanical issue. We arrived in New York between 1:30 and 2 am. Got our rental car at 2:30 and it then took 1 1/2 hours to find our hotel which was in New Jersey. 13 hours later we were there. The girls did great though and did not cry or complain the whole time. They were very good to get there at 4 in the morning and still sleep.

Now for the airplane ride home. I called the day before our flight to make sure we had seats all together and was informed that our flight had been cancelled due to weather in Housten (our layover city). It's the beginning of August!!! Anyway, they were able to change our flights, but it also meant that they changed our departure city as well. At the time we were thinking great! They changed it to Newark, New Jersey airport! I spent the next hour and a half changing reservations etc and waiting on hold to arrange everything. When we drove into Newark we got lost---could not find our hotel---or should I say we could see our hotel, but the roads are so messed up we could not get to our hotel. We kept calling the hotel and they would tell us we were going to the wrong direction. Well, if you've ever driven it you would know that the road just keeps turning around and around and in the dark we were definately lost for 1 1/2 hours. Not a safe place to drive around either! We found out that there was a specific little turn you were supposed to take and then take a U turn and another messed up turn to get there. Reading reviews on line it sounds like we are not the only ones who have had that problem as well. Anyway, we got to our hotel safe and at 5 the next morning we were out again heading to the airport on the shuttle thank goodness. Lynar took the rental car back late the night we got in! We got to the airport 1 1/2 hours early and barely made it to the plane---lines were very long and then our whole family luckily got picked to get extra searched! Thank goodness Lyndee likes to talk that I think they were very fast to get us out of there!!! Ha Ha!! We love all of Lyndee's stories!! We were on a direct flight and everything went well, we got there safe, but of course our luggage didn't. Katelyn's small car seat arrived and our box full of extra's arrived, but no 2 big suitcases! They did arrive later that night. I do have to say again how our girls traveled so well the whole time!!! They love to travel and to be on the go. We had a great time, but next time it may just be as cheap and fast to drive. I'll post pictures soon!