Aaand we're down but not out...

Drama at the Ramada


Entry 5


I could tell you about the 108 degree heat today. Or, I could tell you about the 'shortcut' dirt road suggested by the really cute waiter that almost shook us out of the RV and caused a twenty minute detour before we finally found a place to turn the monster around. I could tell you about the 30 minutes Nix (formerly cousinN... I just like Nix so much better... it's what I call her when we're driving) lasted trying to drive the beast down the highway! *lol* I could tell you about the amazing soda/gas station we stopped at and had dinner: Pops Soda Ranch.  I could tell you about the wildfire that shut down 35 and forced everyone off the highway...


I could tell you about all of that. At the end of the blog I'll post a few pics of those cool places. But the real story? Is why I'm sitting in a Ramada Inn with Nix and Mads in my room and my bffC and Gman in the room next to us and the RV parked outside the door with a hole in the roof. 


Are you feeling the Chevy Chase love yet? 


So pulling out of Miami, Oklahoma, this morning we were happy and ready to push on to Amarillo, Texas. We planned on taking historic route 66 for most of the afternoon and then when it got dark heading back to the interstate and into Amarillo. As my dad says, the best laid plans of mice and men...


The RV started acting funny just outside of Pops Soda Ranch. I couldn't get it started. There is an emergency switch on the dashboard, and by pushing it down and turning the key I finally got the beast to start. We forged onward.. Somewhere outside of Clinton, OK, we couldn't find bffC's phone. It was turning into a bit of drama so I stopped in a gas station and turned off the RV. When the cell phone was located everyone went to the restroom and I waited. When we all loaded up I turned on the RV and had zero luck starting it. We were about 180 miles from our destination of Amarillo, Tx. Finally I got the beast running again and as I merged onto rte40, the RV started lunging and the lights on the dashboard kept flicking off and on and the engine kept cutting out. I pulled off the highway and couldn't get back on. I was on business 40 apparently. I called cruiseamerica and got a tad testy with the guy. I was REALLY trying to remain calm and polite but it was HOT and I was tired and I had already spent time getting the rv fixed once... :(. So I realized I couldn't get any closer to Amarillo, the RV was barely moving. I drove into Clinton, OK and started looking for a hotel. The first three we passed were not okay. I was determined to find a decent place to sleep that had a name I recognized. 


Up ahead in the distance? I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim... I had to stop for the night... oh wait. Got carried away there. I saw the sign in the distance "Ramada Inn" and had to stop for a red light. Again? The RV cut out on me. Emergency button pressed, key turned... and we lurched into the parking lot.  I saw the lobby in the distance I was ready to pull in next to entrance when the lights and power steering and brakes all died at once. I was coasting into the lobby, uh... literally. I put on my brakes to stop, but the RV had serious forward motion - she was MOVING of her own weight and volition. For a moment  was worried I couldn't stop... No need to fear loyal readers, the AWNING of the hotel stopped the RV for me.  And as I plowed into the awning of the hotel and heard metal crashing into metal I thought... omg. Did I really just plow into the awning? 


So, I used the emergency starter again put the RV in reverse and as I heard both the awning and the roof of the rv grinding, and saw plaster and metal falling,  I put my head on the steering wheel... and low and behold the darn RV stopped flickering and starting working just fine. Really? REALLY????


I'll be getting a new RV sometime tomorrow. I don't care if the old beast now runs like I do after a cup of coffee in the morning. There will be a new RV seeing as there is a HOLE in the roof now where the vent cover used to be and I believe I whacked the air conditioner. Mads calls it sun roof; I call it a gaping hole. Besides, I have had enough of electrical drama and fridges that don't work and and and...


Luckily, we're all laughing about it and I have to call cruiseamerica at 8am in the morning. I suppose the 'good' news about it all is that if we had made it to Amarillo, the nearest rental location woud have been Albuquerque... from here the closest cruiseamerica is in OK City... only about an hour and a half away.


So, Mads is curled up with me... she had a little bit of a difficult time when she saw me get upset.. I didn't remain upset and she calmed down and now we're sitting here in the nice, chilly hotel room with the hat she just made on the loom Nix got her. She looks cute, Gman just came over 'visiting' and is getting Pringles crumbs in my bed. Life seems to be rolling along as it should be. Tomorrow... new RV, new start and maybe a little pool time. That is, if it isn't 110 degrees!


Peace everyone.


And Happy Trails.

MaryKate


pics: 


Breakfast - some of the best we've had! Certainly the cutest and sweetest waiter:

Pops Soda - an awesome lunch/dinner:

Gman waiting for dinner:

The walls of Pops Soda Ranch:

Best Soda flavor ever:

Wildfire (lots of ash and cinders swirling all around us):

RV damage, hotel damage will have to wait until tomorrow, however, :

more RV pics: