Cross Country Trip Day 31 (Saturday, 7/25): To Grandpa's House

The morning started out ok. We got loaded up, but I was having problems with my iPad not charging and shutting off without warning. It was my road map (although I did have an atlas in the van and my "dumb" phone in case I needed to call for directions). We left mid morning, intending to get in to Dad's in the early evening.

We said g'bye to Chase and drove on down the road, skirting the Parks (almost entering them when I got a little turned around) and made it in to Wyoming. We stopped a couple times for gas and breakfast and potty breaks. 

Then disaster struck.

My van stopped working. We pulled over to the side of the road. Could not turn over the engine. I called Michael (who had looked at the van when I'd been in Utah), my Dad, I called AAA, I called the insurance company, I called Travis. And then I had to call 911 so they could send a trooper to find me on the highway because I had NO IDEA where I was! Just 40 miles from Casper, WY. No mile marker, no road sign, far enough from the town I didn't want to walk back (in the 90-degree heat). I had some Guardian Angels sent to help: a kind man came, helped push my van more safely off the road (Zoë learned which pedal was the break!) and then he let my girls sit in his air conditioned cab while we waited for the State Trooper and the tow truck. Two ladies from town also came and kept us company while we waited. The king then followed me in the tow truck to Casper where he dropped my daughters safely at the mall (easily 2 hours out of his way!) where my Dad then met us with his friend who had a flatbed trailer to tow my van back to Newcastle (and then he took it to Rapid City). 

Dinner was spent at a shopping mall in Casper, WY. I got some cute flip-flops!

Turns out, my fuel pump was bad. OUCH. That was an expensive repair. And, I wonder if it was bad gas outside of Yellowstone, or if it was inevitable (considering I was having issues with the van turning over even before that- I'd even had Michael look at it when we were in Utah). The repair made us stay an extra day in Wyoming, which wasn't bad, but meant we would miss being able to go to the Indianapolis Temple open house. Some major disappointments.

Travis was so patient and understanding and kind. He didn't bat an eye about the possible expense, and was supportive and sweet on the phone. My dad was a Knight in Shining armor, coming to the rescue with a car and a tow truck to take us home so we could spend time with him and my Twin Cousin instead of hanging out in Casper, WY for a fix. And then the strangers who stopped and helped us at the side of the road. So many blessings, even if the breakdown was not a seeming blessing.

The only picture I got from the day: eating dinner at the Mall

It was interesting packing 6 of us into Grandma Jan's tiny little five-seater car (Shhh, don't tell the state troopers!), and driving fro Newcastle to Dad's house. But, we made it safely, if late (2:30am!).