9/6/16

Oh Boy: Boise

If you're thinking we were supposed to be in Stanley tonight, you're right. What. A. Day. It wasn't a bad day all around, and it will end well. In the middle we had a little trouble in the form of mechanical problems. Looks like the wish I made back there in LaGrande didn't take.

So, let me back up to the beginning. We were in Weiser. The park there was nothing special, but the sites were level (always appreciated), and although we were situated right next to US 95, the traffic slowed to nothing overnight, and it was very quiet. We both slept well, even if the kitties were kind of on the turdish side. They're starting to get restless from inactivity, unfortunately. Nevertheless, it was a nice morning for a sunbath on the catio, and Smitty is all about his sunbathing.


From there, we had a little business to take care of in Ontario, which is just across the border into Oregon, After that, we were back across the border into Idaho to make our way approximately 200 miles to Stanley. We drove about 100 miles and were nearly on the final leg of our journey when we pulled off the road to admire the view. We'd been traveling along the Payette River all the way, and it was very scenic. You'll notice there is smoke in the air, and fires had recently burned in this area. We aren't certain where the smoke was coming from, but there were no fires nearby. In any case, we enjoyed the river. We were stopped near some rapids.


Look upstream just a few feet, and it was smooth as glass, and very inviting. It was tempting to take off our shoes and wade in, if it weren't for the rocky embankment we'd have to climb down and then up again. Never mind.


A little to the right, the rapids smoothed out and there was more still water. Lovely.


There was no cell service in this area, but I'd wisely checked my quilt shop app earlier and discovered this little shop in Garden Valley, Idaho, just about 50 miles southwest of Stanley.


We stopped in there, and I'll tell you about that in a separate post.

Here is where things turned to sh*t. We've had a very (emphasis on the *very*) intermittent problem with out truck not wanting to shift into gear after the engine has been off. It usually means turning the engine off and then back on again, and then all is well. (This would indicate a problem with the electronics, rather than a mechanical problem.) Wouldn't you know it, but after crossing the border into Idaho, the problem worsened considerably, and when we tried to leave the quilt shop, it was a no-go. A kindly gentleman who happened to be nearby helped us with moral support as much as anything. It was quite a trying hour or so before we were able to get the truck into gear and head on down the road. (I'll spare you the details of the plugging, unplugging, restarting, resetting, and four-letter words.) Still, it meant heading back to Boise...about 50 miles in the opposite direction...and straight to a Chevy dealership. 

We did stop long enough to check into an RV park for the next two nights at least. Without turning off the engine, we unhooked, and Mike drove the truck to the nearest Chevy dealership for repair. He's on his way back as I write this with a rental car, and it looks like we'll spend the next few days in Boise while we wait for repairs to be completed. Oy. We have the worst luck. If we ever invite you to travel with us, I'm warning you, just say no.

We're hoping the repairs won't take long and that we'll still get a chance to head back up to Stanley, but we'll just have to wait and see.

18 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Oh no - your travels are always eventful, even if the event isn't planned. Fires, smoke, snow storms, floods, mechanics - geesh!! At least you made it to a nice little place and I hope things work out.

Quilting Babcia said...

Bummer! Maybe time to trade in that truck. Here's hoping you can be back on the road by late tomorrow at least. And, there must be at least one quilt shop in Boise.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

So sorry. Hubby headed to Indiana on Friday, to go hiking for the weekend. 1.5 miles from Indiana, his car stopped. It had to be towed to a dealership. Unfortunately, the tow truck was late, then the dealership was closed for the night. I picked him up and we finally got home after midnight. Guess what? The dealership only does oil changes on the weekend, and, it was a holiday weekend, so, they wouldn't even look at the car until today (then they misplaced the keys). Hopefully it will be ready tomorrow. It's a long drive back to the dealership. Glad you have your camper. Hope it can be fixed quickly. NOT FUN!

quiltzyx said...

Arrrrghhhh! Sorry about the Trans problem. :(
The river is beautiful, hope the campsite is a good one.

CathieJ said...

Sounds like it is time to turn lemons into lemonade. I hope you can enjoy the rest of your trip. I can't tell you how many times when I was a kid my mom had to have the car towed on vacation. It was always an adventure.

QuiltShopGal said...

Hey, I'd travel with you guys anytime, any place. Great adventures. This may be part of your destiny, just to get you to relax and enjoy. Boise can be a fun place. Your photos certainly bring back memories for me, traveling to/from Boise, along the river. I hope the mechanical problems get worked out quickly and you can be on your way. In the meantime, I hope you find joy and relaxation.

QuiltShopGal
www.quiltshopgal.com

crazy quilter said...

So sorry for your troubles! The last thing you need when on the road, at least you were not in the middle of nowhere and had to call a wrecker to pull you somewhere. I hope everything gets repaired quickly and with not much cost so you can be on your way to the destination of your choice. But I would still travel with you troubles and all! You always have the best views. Take the kitties out for a long walk so they sleep tonight! Be safe

Beth said...

Oh, bummer. I'm glad you weren't stranded away from a campsite, but I'm sorry you have to deal with this, especially on your way out.
Thanks for the pictures of the river, Barb. It reminded me so much of traveling with my folks, when we used to go on family vacations when I was young. My dad was a stream fisherman and he would spy a good river or stream, pull the car over, and we'd scramble down the hillside and cast our rods. That would be when I'd pull out my book as well, feeling very "Caddie Woodlawn" and loving how beautiful it all was. Such sweet memories.
Hang in there, you four.

Debbie said...

sorry to hear that the evil travel demons camped in your engine. Hoping it is quickly fixed and you can resume your adventures----which I enjoy reading especially now. That river looked so inviting..

Ray and Jeanne said...

Sorry to hear of the problems or misadventures that you are having. Now you have another couple days of rest. Wish you were closer to that river...but you could drive back. Try to enjoy these days. ~Jeanne

Kathy H said...

Sorry to hear about your car troubles. Always a worry when traveling far from home. Hope you find something extra fun in the area that you wouldn't have usually seen.

WoolenSails said...

That is a beautiful river, would love to camp there.
A shame with the truck and not fun when you are traveling with a camper, glad you were able to get a spot while you wait. We had that happen on a trip and the repair place was great, took us right in, found the parts we needed and had them delivered so we got to our cabin, even if it was late at night, but at least we didn't have to wait a day.

Debbie

gpc said...

What a beautiful river. And always good to have the chance to practice those four letter words. It's a perishable skill, after all.

Christine M said...

What a beautiful place Barbara.

Dar said...

What a vacation nightmare. Hope the rest of the trip is smooth sailing. Say, have you ever thought about a canoe boat trip -- on a smooth scenic river/stream. Very relaxing and no mechanical problems to look forward too! lol

Lyndsey said...

What a shame. I hope where you are staying has some good walks or views or something to amuse you both while you wait for the truck to be fixed. The photos of the river are beautiful (and so is Smitty)

Brown Family said...

It would be hard to resist wading in the river. Car/truck problems always happen at the worse time!

Lucky Duck Dreams said...

Dont worry its not you. Everyone traveling in vehicles has issues. We once had to leave our suburban and camper at a dealer in Cheyenne two days into our trip and get a rental to finish our three week trip.