So our trip was very fun, we got a lot done, but it started off very very badly.
First of all – it turned out to be the hottest day of the year when we left home. And the A/C on the truck didn’t work. So we were BURNING. That’s ok, we would manage… But about 7 hours into our trip we were near Pendleton, Oregon, heading up a mountain (called “Cabbage Hill” by the locals) when the engine overheated in my husband’s truck. We pulled over at a scenic overlook and took a look at it – it seemed to cool off so again we proceeded up the mountain. About a minute later we overheated again and pulled to the side of the road. Fluid is pouring out of the engine, the water pump was not working, and we were stuck half way up this mountain! A young couple stopped and told us where we were. We actually had a cell signal so we called GEICO and they dispatched a tow truck and taxi to us. Things were looking good, there was a Dodge dealer in town who could fix the truck no problem.
Well….the taxi arrived and me and the girls rode down to the Dodge Dealer. It was 5:30 pm on a Friday. You guessed it….they were going to close for the weekend. But the staff were awesome enough to give me the phone number to a nearby weekend mechanic’s shop. When husband pulled up with the tow truck I told him “We can’t stay here – they’re closed for the weekend and there’s only one place in town that can work on the truck.” So the tow truck driver told us to all get in the truck (hillarious, all 5 of us in this truck that seats 3) and he drives us over to this weekend garage. It’s closed. We know no one. And the driver had another call to go on. So….it was not looking good. Hubby called 411 for a rental car – Enterprise was closed. I told him to call again and we got Hertz. They were still open – for 20 minutes. And they had 2 cars left – a sedan and a minivan! We took the minivan and they offered to pick us up. We were a block away! It was a God thing!
So we got this new minivan with AIR CONDITIONING!!! YAY! We spent the evening in Pendleton and in the morning went by the shop and told the owner we had to leave but would be back in a week. He was a Christian – and it was such a blessing that he was there.
I hate, hate, hate car trouble. I am not one of those handy people that can fix cars or even has an understanding of cars. But God had a hand in this situation. There was a pull out so we weren’t stuck on the highway, the cell phone worked, people stopped and told us where we were, the tow truck driver was accomodating even though he didn’t need to be, there was a rental car place open…. We even had a great dinner at a lovely park and it was a nice break in our trip.
We ended up coming home early because of the added expenses (car rental and repairs to the truck) and it’s been great. I’m so happy that we’re home again. God has been good!
