Monday, December 18, 2006

Vacation Part 3 - Tuesday from Hell

Tuesday the part was supposed to come in and the Jeep get fixed. The truck was supposed to be there around 10 and the Jeep done before noon. So we get up, pack up (after 3 nights in one spot, that was fun) and drive the 50 miles to Las Vegas. We drive around town a little to see what's there - Las Vegas has a nice downtown area - really small town feel and a square with some great looking Victorian style houses on it. By the way, ever see a Pueblo style house with Victorian trim? Interesting - I should have taken a picture, but I was driving.

We get to the dealership around 10:30 - no truck yet. We start unloading the rental car and re-packing the trailer... don't really want to pack the Jeep yet since it may have to go on the rack. Mark starts piddling. Fortunately, I have a book. 11:30 - still no parts truck. Around noon, I suggest we go get some lunch. We get back before 1:00 - still no truck. The truck finally shows up around 1:00. Around 1:45, they come to push the Jeep into the service bay - the Jeep still won't start. Around 2:30, it's fixed!!!! Yay! We get it loaded up and start out. About a mile down the road - check engine light comes on. We turn back around. Same part is blown. Somewhere one miraculously appears. They put it, we leave. We've already cancelled the reservation for Moab for that night. About 3:30 we finally get on the road. It's going to be late, but we can probably still make Moab.

About 15 miles down I-25, Mark calls me since I'm following in the rental car - the check engine light is on again. We know where the dealership is in Santa Fe, so we decide to leave it there. I extend the rental on the rental car and we cancel Moab for the night. The dealership won't be able to even read the codes until early the next morning and if they have to order the part... we know this drill by now.

So, we make the decision to drive as far as we can and still go see Moab, even if Mark can't go rock-crawling. We get to Farmington Tuesday night, but have to pay for a hotel room since the Holiday Inn is booked up.

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