Hey fellas. I'm hoping some of you can help with info and advice.

My wife's father is in emergency surgery as we speak.  He's at the Alpena Medical Center with an upper GI bleed.  It's pretty serious.  We have 2 small children, and I have work, school, and 2 small children.  I can't go, so she's going to have to make the 13+ hour trip by herself, at least until she meets up with family in Flint.

My questions are:

Where can she stay?  Is there any recommended hotels in the area that are clean but low price?

The weather looks brutal to a born and raised Southerner.  What are travel conditions like in the area?  What roads should she take and/or avoid due to weather conditions?  She may be leaving in the morning.

Any info on the area, or advice, is greatly appreciated.  I may cross-post to GD due to traffic.  

Thanks in advance.

Since no one else has posted I'll give you some input but I'm not local to Alpena.  My wife is from the nearby area.  We went to a wedding in Alpena a few years ago and stayed at the Holiday Inn.  It was a nice place but I don't know if it will meet your cost requirements.

Since she's meeting relatives in Flint that pretty much means she is going up 75 or 23.  I'd recommend 23 which joins 75 just below Flint.  There are some highway routes that are a little more direct from Flint to Alpena but if the weather is bad it will probably be better to go up 75 to Gaylord and then over to Alpena.  Her local relatives should be able to give some good winter route recommendations.  Winds are high and snow is falling in SE MI so I wouldn't expect road conditions to good.  Have her take her time.  Stock that car with some water, snacks, and a warm blanket and don't let the gas tank get under 1/4.  Good luck and best wishes.

I don't know if there are any locals from the area on this forum.  Not a lot of people live year round north of the rifle line.  Make sure your wife's car has good tread.  It's cold enough salt dosn't melt ice.  Like alread mentioned snacks food water and blankets or sleeping bags are a must.  Add kitty liter for putting under car tires, and a battery based phone charger for emergencies.  I would reccomend keeping half a tank as a minimum that far north as gas stations can be spaced apart up there.  

She should take 75 up.  It gets more traffic, and has more pit stops.  I hope your wife has experiance driving in snow because right now is a bad time for a southerner to learn.

I worked on the newspaper in Alpena for 18 months in the early 90s. I remember there was a Holiday Inn on US 23 on the north side of town. It's still there, but it's now called the Sanctuary Inn.

http://www.sanctuaryinnalpena.com/

Reviews

She'll take Route 32 east from Gaylord. I think it's about 1.5 hours from Gaylord to Alpena if I remember correctly (Google Maps says it's 1:20). There's very little along that stretch. About halfway is the wee town of Atlanta, and then Hillman a bit east of that.

Thanks to all of you for your information.  It has been extremely helpful, and factor in to multiple decisions. My wife is calming, and we're going to check the situation early in the morning and make a decision on her leaving.  She may wait, if things continue to improve, or she will leave if it doesn't improve.  We talked her mom and brother in to stopping over in Flint for the night.  Your information was helpful in both decisions, directly and indirectly.

My wife's dad came out of surgery, and it went well.  They found the bleeding points and got them repaired.  

It's very nice to know that there is a community out there that will provide help, as well as kind words, with it's needed.

Thanks, and I may be back in this thread looking for more advice.

Glad to hear the surgery went well.

Good to hear that the surgery went well.



I have family in Alpena and Presque Isle, and live in the Flint area. We also used to do some business up there, and I've made countless trips up in all conditions.



If she is going to meet family in Flint, then I would recommend taking US-23 up the east side of the state. I-75/US-23 run together as one freeway between Flint and Standish (roughly 65 miles north of Flint) and split off at exit 188. This route is well travelled, and while it's not a divided highway or expressway it is one of the better ways of getting to Alpena from the Flint area. There are decent amenities and stopping areas, and the road conditions on US23 will probably be better than taking M-32 across from Gaylord (the strong north winds and a few inches of fresh snow over the past couple of days have made the east/west roads pretty slick in places). That stretch of M-32, while nice country, can be a real drag. Likewise with M-65, which on the map might seem like a good route, it is sparsely populated and wouldn't be my first choice for my wife in the winter.



The former Holiday Inn, now Sanctuary Inn, as other have recommended is not a bad place to stay, although I have not been there since the name change. It's pretty much right next to the hospital and we used to have family events there. There's a Best Western on the west side of town that I have never been inside of, and a Day's Inn too I believe. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with any of the Mom and Pop hotels/motels since we usually stay with family.



Alpena isn't a huge town but there are plenty of services and assistance able to be rendered if your wife finds them necessary.



Our thoughts are with your family, and we hope to hear more positive news!



BD  

My recommendation is to take 75 to 23. If she has a problem along 23 there are a lot of small towns and that means people will be driving by frequently if she ends up on the side of the road.