Traveling and...

Travel for 2012 begins.  And stops.  And starts.

But let me start from the beginning.  I left AZ on Thursday morning.  Temp in the 80’s already. Destination The Slabs.  Driving east on I-10, enjoying the scenery, Savage Garden CD playing.

A sudden banging, rattling.  Slowing, then stopping and pulling over as far as possible I get out thinking that something has fallen off the truck or camper.  I walk carefully around.  Nope.  Everything looks as it should.   Hmm, must have run over a bit of road junk I hadn’t noticed.   Start up the truck and immediately realize I have no steering.  Very NOT good.   The side of Liberty (my fifth wheel) is maybe 3 feet from the traffic lane and rocks alarmingly with each passing semi.  

A call to AAA.  Please allow a commercial here.  Best $55 I ever spent.  They will come and tow you,  or provide whatever service you need.  For traveling, if you don’t have it – you should. 

I had a long hot hour to observe that the side of  I-10 is liberally littered with bits of tires. 

The Toe Truck (no pun intended, that is the name of the company) arrives, a special one that can pull both Big Red and Liberty.  The trip into Blythe, CA is hot as the toe truck has no air conditioner and open windows don’t help.  But I’ve been rescued and am heading west.  
Bulldog Emergency Auto Repair takes a look and points out the broken pulley on the power steering pump which caused other pulleys to fail and of course the serpentine belt.    $900 and change.  Parts won’t arrive until 8:00 am the next morning.  

Day Two.

It’s hot.   A hot wind does not help.  The camper is an oven.   A very long day.   Finally at 2:00, Big Red is repaired.   It takes me 45 minutes to get him hooked to Liberty (a long boring story about angles).  I'm Anxious to be on the move, but the shop owner recommends waiting for a couple hours until the heat begins to wane, thus easier on equipment.  I realize he’s right.  Two long hours sitting in the shade at the park.  AC feels good as we head,at last, SW on Hiway 78.  It’s a beautiful drive, that takes longer than it should as I need to keep stopping for photos.  So much easier to do when flying – no need to stay on a road in your own lane!

Deserts DO have dunes sometimes!

We arrive at Slab City at 8:00 pm and align Liberty so breeze will flow through open windows and doors – it helps some.   Sleep is possible but not comfortable. 

Day Three.

I’m here to get set up with solar so I can be free of hookups.  Mike’s Sun Works comes highly recommended, but I’m still amazed at how he and two crew,  smoothly install all the needed bits.  
 
I now have a 140 watt solar panel, converter and inverter.   I can look at the display on the wall and watch my batteries charge!   I can flip a switch and plug in whatever I wish.

Day Four.
Dawn.  On the road and heading north on Hiway 111 then northwest on 210.   I miss the turn to I-5 and realize it when I see an exit for Aqua Dulce.  Oh well, make the best of it.  I take the exit and enjoy a lovely afternoon exploring Vasquez Rocks Park.   But that will be another blog entry, later.

Ended the day with my first Boondock – in a parking lot of a closed Burger King.  Located conveniently next to a huge apricot orchard – the perfect place for a lovely walk  before settling in.  It’s seventy-something  - just right.   I was not alone, truckers and others have found this spot as well.    Just proves that Hiway 99 needs rest stops.  I spotted one between Santa Clarita and Fresno and it was closed.

Day Five.


My how time is flying.  Today I’m going to Yosemite National Park.  I will wake tomorrow with mountain views.   My plan was to drive north to Merced and then turn off for the park.  But going through Fresno, and talking on the phone, I spot a sign “Highway 41 North – Yosemite”.    Spur of the moment I turn to this new route and am enjoying  scenery much like Texas Hill Country, then the Sierra’s begin.  Just past Oakhurst, I see smoke billowing behind me and thinking the truck has overheated, immediately turn into a pullout.  (There are many along 41 as it’s a 2-lane road with lots of grade and curves).   I’m about to open the hood, when a gentleman who pulled in behind me runs up and says “Your truck is ON FIRE!”    He announces he’s a retired fireman and asks if I have an extinguisher.   I grab it out of Liberty and he does the honors.  Flames from under the engine are out.   Two firetrucks arrive, the guys crawl under the truck and announce it’s transmission fluid that was burning and still dripping. 

Three firemen and George, form a consensus

Another call to AAA.  But it seems I’ve used up my “allowed number of tows in a year.”  Geesh.  The tow costs $80 which is not as bad as expected, and I’m delivered to Sam’s Transmission and Automotive, in Oakhurst, a shop that comes high recommended by all the firemen and the CHIPS officer that arrives.  All is all not as horrible as it sounds.  Rescuers are kind, and friendly and this overnight outside a garage comes with comfortable 70’s temps and mountain views.   It’s to be another $700 to fix the blown seal on the transmission and to re-do the serpentine belt which was put on incorrectly by Bulldog Repair in Blythe –don’t go there folks!

Day Six.
Early.  Beautiful morning.  Slept like a baby in coolness after watching a movie on Netflix.  Don’t know what the day will bring, or how long I’ll be here awaiting completion of repairs, but I’m open to what will come.    Life is after all, an Adventure.