SATURDAY & SUNDAY JULY 18 & 19

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 18 & 19:

No words. To describe our “adventure” (aka nightmare) or relief at its outcome.

        We left Cachuma Lake around 8:30, and stopped in Santa Maria (home of Michael Jackson's infamous child abuse trial) for breakfast at McD's. A beautiful ride up to San Luis Obispo, where we elected to take coastal Hwy 1 by the coast for a while. At Cambria, we headed inland again to the 101, as there's no way off of Hwy 1 between there and Monterey/Carmel . . . you drive thru Big Sur if you stay on Hwy 1, and we didn't want to do that with the RV. Being prudent, right??

       And the ride wasn't bad on the 101 – patches of pretty wine country scenery. Historic Hwy 101 approximates the old El Camino Real (The King's Highway), the old foot and wagon path which ran the length of Alta California, along which the 21 missions were built, typically a day's journey apart. The time went quickly; we were making good time.  We'd be in Carmel by 2 or 3:00 at the latest. As we approached Salinas, Bill entered the address of our next RV park into the Garman. Since we hadn't had WiFi while we were at Cachuma, we weren't able to do much researching of the best route ourselves, other than old-fashioned maps. So we relied on Miss Hoity-Toity to direct us.

       Well, she evidently thought that the shortest route was on a county road G20, which traverses east-west through the hills between Salinas & the Monterey Peninsula. After a mile or so, we noticed the posted sign, “10% Grade.” Gulp. Mild panic. But no place to turn around on this windy, narrow road; we were committed. Had to pull over a couple of times to let things cool down, but thought we'd made it OK. And, in fact, it looked like we had as we descended the crest onto Carmel Valley Road. Bill pulled over to let the truck rest and cool off, and for us to catch our breaths as well. Then, when we went to start again, nothing. Not the issue of the engine not starting – we think we have that one figured out. No – it was an issue of no transmission.

       After waiting an hour or so for all of the fluids to get completely cool, Bill tried again a handful of times. But nothing. So time to get on the phone to AAA. More good news – we'd supposedly used all of the service calls allotted during our membership year, so we were pretty much on our own. They did give us a phone number of a towing service . . . long story short, after 3 or 4 calls to various towing outfits, they all declined – didn't have the equipment to haul the RV, didn't know where we were, etc. After looking each other other with a kind of desperation, Bill said, “The RV Park is only a few miles down the road. I'm going to bike down there and get someone to help.” I decided to go with him – no telling how long it would take, and we decided it wasn't a good idea for me to be there by myself for who knows how long.

        Pedaled for all we were worth for about 5 miles on the highway, up some good grades (and down some, thankfully, and some stretches pretty level), then a little over a mile on a side road. We fell hot and tired into the office and simply said, “We need help” to the older lady there (the owner, we found out later) and blurted out our sad story. After offering us some cold water, she said that she was going to call her son, who had a heavy duty pickup, and he'd be able to help. (He evidently helps run this place.) She just calmly said, “We'll get you in. Don't worry.” Our first glimmer of hope. He came around a while later while we were restoring ourselves on the porch swing out front. He just needed to put the hitch back in his struck, and then told Bill that he could drive it and hitch up the RV. Oops – another little problem – our Dodge is still connected to the RV. Problem solved – Bill had a chain which he could connect to the 2 vehicles to pull the Dodge away, once it was unhitched. We asked the guy (Mike) if he didn't want to come with and keep on eye on things - no, he trusted Bill to do what was necessary. A BIG glimmer of hope. In fact, we told Mike that he was a walking answer to prayer. He just smiled.

        Drove out to the Dodge. By now, at least 3 hours had passed. And even though the temperature wasn't that hot – in the low-mid 80's - with the windows closed, it got much warmer inside the truck, which we so stupidly didn't think about. Pappy was in distress. It's a good thing I didn't get to him first. Bill did. When I saw that he was in bad shape, I became hysterical. Bill again had the presence of mind to order me to get lots of cold water from the RV and pour it over him. Which I did repeatedly. Praying all the while. After a while, it was apparent that he was coming around and going to be OK. I just sobbed with relief. If the story had had a different ending, we would have eaten ourselves alive with guilt.

      So now that we knew Pappy was going to be OK and just needed to rest in the shade, it was time to attend to the truck(s) and RV. Another long story there – just as we starting to take off, the security pin on Mike's hitch failed, and it released the RV with a thud on Mike's truck. Yet again, Bill figured out what needed to be done.

      By 7:30 or 8, we were finally securely hitched and on the road. 6.4 miles had never seemed so far!  Mike was there to greet us and backed us in – I told Bill to ask him to, as I didn't think Bill had it left in him to wrestle with that tonight. Mike's done it 1,000 times and made it look easy. When I walked over to him to offer inadequate thanks, he just put his arms around me. Utterly amazing . . . we always thought that most RV'ers helped each other out, but we've never experienced anything like this. Talk about being made to feel Welcomed!! And when Bill told him what happened with the pin coming loose and the trailer falling on his pickup, he just said, “Those things happen.” (Although, the bed of the truck was pretty smashed in from an accident his son had had, so it'snot like we'd damaged a pristine vehicle. But still . . .) Bill's going to call salvage yards Monday to see about a replacement tailgate. 

         So as we unwound going to bed, we of course talked about all of the pieces that God had provided in answer to our helpless prayers: within biking distance of the RV park, that we actually had bikes and it was safe to ride them in the breakdown lane & shoulder, that it was daylight, that it was this particular RV Park, with Mike & his mother being the people here, more than willing and able to help in a HUGE way, that we had a big holding tank of water in the RV to help Pappy. And that my Bill is so calm in a crisis. And, actually, going to bed in our own RV in a beautiful RV park in Carmel, with our Pappy, seemed like a miracle in and of itself, given where we were a few hours earlier.

       Oh yes, virtually everyone to whom we told our story said, “You tried to haul your 5^th wheel over the Laureles Grade (what the locals call County Rd. G20)???!! Yep, lots of people have fried their transmissions trying to haul something over that road!” 

 

 

        Slept in Sunday, (after hearing some hard rain last night!) and did some serious R & R most of the day. Didn't mind being outside, because still mostly overcast today and even a little drizzly. Bill got hold of a transmission place in Carmel (referred by Mike), as well as a tow service (we realized that I had my own individual AAA membership and we could add service calls to my account . . plus, it was just the truck which needed to be towed now). He drove out to meet the tow truck, and followed him in to Monterey to the repair shop, and then back here.

       Mike said we could use his truck today, so we went and got some groceries up the road. Grilled thick burgers for dinner and ate outside. Perfect evening.

         This is an absolutely wonderful RV park, in an absolutely beautiful setting. It's a challenge to get to – that last mile or so off of Carmel Valley Rd becomes extremely narrow at the entrance to the park. I don't know what would happen if a big rig like ours met another one in the opposite direction – no way there'd be room to pass. But once you're in, it's marvelous. It's a small park (maybe 35 or 40 sites), and the sites are narrow. But there's tall shrubbery and trees between each site, making for virtually total privacy. Lovingly landscaped all over the park, especially in the gracious patio area.

       

 

 

 

Another very peaceful, serene place. Hardly a sound at night, except the frogs croaking from the nearby river (creek, now). And the owners . . . have I mentioned that they go faaaaarrrrr beyond the extra mile???!! We booked here (Carmel by the River) for 2 weeks. Wondering if we might extend . .. we'll know more as we see what happens with our truck. 

 

  Challenging, but inviting, driveway entrance:

.

                                            Mike's truck parked in front of our RV:

                                             There we are on 2nd row, with window in the back: