Land of enchantment my ass!!!

Like all good stories, there has to be an exciting ending. If this post went something like, " and they lived happily ever after" it would just be boring. I would have prefered it that way, but then again i dont do boring.

Ahhhh Texas. We had passed the Big Texan, home of the 72 ounce steak on the east side of Amarillo. Too late for steak anyhow. It was late when we rolled into town, and by this time we were both beat. We slept late, gave the car a cursory check, no leaking fluids, nothing falling off, all fluid level ok. I cleared the myriad of dead insects from the windshield and we started our treck home. It was going to be our last day in the car, and it was going to be a long one. Just over 11 hours. I had warned Regina that while the west was beautiful, it was pretty flat, wide open and boring after a while.

We found a spot for gas, then trecked down to see Cadillac ranch, right off the 40 west of Amarillo. Ten old Cadillacs buried. There were swarms of folks, spray cans in hand tagging up these cars. There was one spot on one of the cars where the paint had to be at least six inches thick. We grabbed some pictures and hit the open road. The weather was nice, but windy, and since the speed limit was 75, we opted for top up travel.

Cadillac ranch

Cadillac ranch

Amarillo to the New Mexico border was uneventful. crossing into New Mexico was uneventful, and the lack of any type of law enforcement meant that i could reduce the number of hours in the car by increasing the speed. Good plan. If you have even driven out west on the I-40, you will agree that you can see for miles. In all directions. Good for spotting smokies. We saw none. I never got to triple digits, unless you include the speedometer "bounce". We cruised into Clines Corner New mexico for fuel, M&Ms and some walking around. We were greated with the usual nice car, what year is it, etc that we had been so used to. Typical in New Mexico where the drivers waving at us, taking pictures at speed, giving us thumbs up, and other kind gestues.

We should have gone around

Now i have made the trip through New Mexico on I40 too many times to count. Each time, including the one three weeks ago, was plagued with, ... Lets say issues. On one trip had a clogged fuel filter on a rental truck. Another lost a trailer tire while towing a vette. Three weeks ago on the way east with the Dart, the carburetor wasn't playing nice. All of it in, or very close to Alburquerque. Ive got nothing against New Mexico, just that my vehicles do not like it. Now as i said we were sub triple digits, for quite a while, things were going great, we were making great time. But we were both ready to be "home". I had been in the car and away from home for seventeen days. I was away so long i needed a haircut. We were both tired, but the car was comfortable, great job on the seats. Then, without as much as a warning, unless you count the hiccup in the hotel parking lot the night before, something let loose in the transmission. There was a quick noise, then the car lost speed, and the ability to shift. Luckily, in the wide open of New Mexico, there is a lot of room to pull over. Once at the side of the road, with the car coasting with the clutch in, i let out the clutch with the car in neutral. It lurched to a sudden stop. The shifter was functional, but there was no neutral. The clutch would keep the transmission disengaged, but something was amiss. I quickly went to work, pulling out the jack and tool box and the change of work clothes. With Regina in the drivers seat working the shifter, and me under the car, i could find nothing externally wrong with the shifter or the transmission. Having only second gear was not going to get us home any time soon.

 

Side of the road in New Mexico

I made quick work with the ipad to find a location in Alburquerque with a car trailer and a truck to pull it with (you suck U-haul). My insurance company covers towing so that was set too. Now, let me set the scene. Im on the side of the road, 30 miles outside of the city, its hot, probably 90s, and we have one bottle of water and a broken car and it's 3:00 in the afternoon. The truck rental place closes at 4:00pm. Its gonna take a small miracle to get to Phoenix by Sunday, let alone Saturday night. The flatbed tow truck was hooking us up within 8 minutues of my phone call!! I called the rental location to beg and plead that they wait till i got there because i was desperate. We arrived fifteen minutes before they closed. The employee felt to bad that i wasnt using the truck for anything other than towing and gave me 50% off the rental. Now i was only faced with, how was i going to get a non driving Dodge Dart onto the trailer? I had the tow driver unload the car at the top of the sloped parking lot. I asked to go in back and talk to the guys that fix all their trucks also do general vehicle repair. I only saw two guys, but once they saw the car, there was suddenly six or seven guys pushing the car, asking what else did i need. By 4:15, we were loaded, full of fuel and on the road.

Once back on the interstate, i realized we were hungry, thirsty, and there was not much chance for conveniences, since we already passed Alburquerque. In a short distance we saw an exit sign and next to it was a hand printed sign "Fry Bread". We were in Indian land, and if they are making fry bread, im stopping. Now remember New Mexico is wide open. This exit was merely an exit. No services, no buildings. Just a Ford pickup, an enclosed trailer, and a lot of Indians having dinner. Two fry breads, several bottles of water and a Pepsi later we were on the road.

The remainder of the trip was dismal. I was bummed about the car, but elated that i had made it as far as we did. We crossed into Arizona around sunset. Regina watched National Lampoons Vacation movie. The Griswolds started in Chicago. I went there. The Griswolds had gone to Dodge City Kansas. So did I. They went to the Grand Canyon, and we were merely 2 hours away. They dropped off Aunt Edna in Phoenix. That is our final stop. For this part of the trip. We arrived home at just about 11:30. We made it. The car was on a trailer but we had made it. Im not sure what John would have done if he broke down in New Mexico. But i can assure you, he would have perservered and made it to Phoenix. I was glad to have my own pillow, and see my wife. I fell fast asleep and already took two naps today, Sunday. Im tired.

I had planned on 19 days, 17 states, and 6,000 miles. I was wrong. The car and i had covered 18 days, 19 states, and while the car covered 5,539 miles on it's own, i towed it for 451 miles for a total of 5,990 miles. As i was cleaning the bugs and road residue off the car and Regina was cleaning the inside of the car, I told her, if the car wasn't broken, i'd put my bags back in and do it all over again. I dont really have a plan developed yet, but as i said i am a man of my word. I'll rebuild the transmission, drive to exit 194 of the I40 in New Mexico, turn around, and come back to Phoenix. And as a promise to myself and Regina, continue on to the west coast.

Thanks all for hanging with me for 3 weeks of my life. Feel free to comment on the blog. It has been a great experience. Ill let Regina post her final thoughts and i have one more short blog entry for later.

 

Wow. I only was picked up from Iowa, but i loved it. It was a fantastic journey through the country, (or part of it,) and thanks. Thanks for checking out the blog, thanks for commenting, thanks for watching.

I can't believe its already August. I flew to Iowa on the thirteenth of July, and came back yesterday, the fourth. Its been a 22 day vacation for me and i'm exhausted. My school starts on the thirteenth. My summer sure was fun, but it flew by too fast.

Finally getting clean in OK

AZ border

 

Our new ride home

 

Still looks cool :(

4 more hours till home

 

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