2016-03-14 thru 03-16 - The Trip West and Palo Duro State Park (Amarillo, TX)

The RV life is sometimes quite challenging.  During the week before we left we gave the RV a bath (no small task). We greased the jacks, added water to the batteries, checked the tire pressure, blah, blah, blah, …  We noticed the insulation over the motor had started to fall down (unlucky). We managed to get some in on time and get it up (lucky).  Then that we saw some oil leaking out behind the driver side front wheel (unlucky).  The Freightliner Service Center was an hour away and took us in the next day (lucky). The wheel seal had gone bad and $500 later a new one was installed.  While there we had the change the oil, filters, etc. (another $500).  Then we turned on the refrigerator (off for the winter) and it was actually hot not cold (unlucky).  There was no time to get a new one, so we bought a small apartment/dorm size and got it up and running (lucky).

3/14 (Monday) - We finally left on our trip west.  While driving thru Mississippi we noticed the engine started to overheat.  We pulled over to find our fan belt had blown apart (unlucky).  We had an extra on board (lucky) but it had to go around numerous pullys and we had no clue how it went on (unlucky).  We found someone 8 miles away who was willing to come to us (lucky).  They (2 mechanics) didn’t know how it went on either (unlucky).  Vaughan and the 2 mechanics with the internet finally figured out how to get the new one on (lucky) and we were on our way.   

By 5:30 we were past Memphis and looking for a place to stop and sleep.  Most areas in Arkansas were flooded and all truck stops, Walmarts, & rest areas were full (unlucky).  I finally found a nearby RV park who said they could take a big rig (lucky). They forgot to tell us that it was underwater (unlucky).  At 8:30 we were finally able to get to a Walmart that had room (lucky), however, it was right along the interstate and the road noise kept us up all night (unlucky).

3/15 (Tuesday) – On the road at 6AM and got almost to Oklahoma City when a car in front of us threw up a rock and chipped our window right at eye level on the driver side (unlucky).  I quickly made reservations in Amarillo TX for an RV park (lucky) and called Safelite Autoglass.  However, they couldn’t get to us until 6 days later (unlucky).  I promised them our first child (they didn’t know that we have no children) and they rearranged their schedule to fit us in (lucky).  The window was repaired just in time for us to go to a wonderful dinner and the Big Texan restaurant – one of our favorites.

3/16 (Wednesday) – It should have been a day of rest after all we had been through but we decided to go to Palo Duro State Park south of Amarillo for a little hike (6 miles round trip).  It was worth it. There was a climb up to the base of the twin peaks called The Lighthouse that was pretty rough but I made it.  I stayed at the base and took pictures of Vaughan climbing the last section – my fear of heights would not allow me to go to the top.  He took pictures at the top and then of me sliding back down the scramble. I should not have lost that 25 pounds before our trip – those rocks were hard!

Here are a few sights along the way.

The lighthouse from a distance.

The climb up - the easy part.

Here is the final climb to the base of the lighthouse.  I stayed down here.

Below is a picture from the top - taken by Vaughan.

Can you spot Vaughan "waving his arms in the air like he just don't care".

Now the "slide" down - lots of loose sand and gravel - sorry, no pictures of me on my butt.

Tomorrow we start out again and head towards Moab. No telling how far we'll get.