A good imagination goes a long way on a good blog post but nothing gives it legs like a good story. This one began on a 1990 family ski trip. Winter blizzard on Interstate 70 slowed us down to a crawl and our 2nd car got rear-ended in the snow & blow. But we kept moving until they closed the highway around midnight in Limon, Colorado. We hated being marooned but relieved as the going was nearly at a crawl and the closing was in everybody's best interests. We got lucky with the last motel room available in town; everyone in one room. The next day we ate a late breakfast and went on to ski.
I never liked Limon much to begin with. Truck stops and discount outlet shopping malls, nothing but prairie halfway between Denver and the Kansas line, the middle of nowhere. Five years and three ski trips later, troubles that laid us over or spoiled something became synonymous with Limon, CO.
So Covid-19 put old folks like me on a leash for two years and I am just starting to do camping road trips again. Yesterday we headed west on I 70; spent the first night in Russell, Kansas. The plan today was to reach Walsenburg, CO. With a fuel stop in Burlington, CO the truck refused to start. All of the electrical accessories worked fine but turn the key to start and nothing; no clicks or dim-outs. Checkin everything I know to check, the only/best guess was something with the starter.
This is on Sunday, July 3, day before Independence Day. I called AAA and they sent roadside help but local tow service was not answering their phone. I’ll give AAA credit, they really work to save your bacon, even on Sunday before a Monday holiday. They found a tow service from farther away; you’ll never guess where. The tow truck driver confirmed my suspicions about the starter and asked where I wanted it towed. He recommended a mechanic shop near his shop in Limon, 80 miles away. What can I say!
So we are stuck here at La Quinta Inn in Limon but the repair shop won’t open until Tuesday, day after tomorrow. I thought about sleeping in the camper, in the parking lot at Interstate Diesel where the truck and camper are parked. My traveling companion nixed the idea. We can see the truck & camper from our room and there is an IHOP restaurant at the truck stop across the street.
Add bad news to the scenario. We have reservations to ride the Narrow Gage train from Durango to Silverton, CO. Thursday and no way of knowing when Interstate can get the parts and do the work; won’t know until they open on Tuesday. From Limon to Durango is a long, full day of driving. That makes tomorrow a long, full day of making contingency plans and IHOP pancakes. I texted my daughter a photo from here and she fell off the porch. O..M.G. what is it about Limon? I do't know but nothing will surprise me. The story has just begun and will be unfolding for the next three weeks.
I never liked Limon much to begin with. Truck stops and discount outlet shopping malls, nothing but prairie halfway between Denver and the Kansas line, the middle of nowhere. Five years and three ski trips later, troubles that laid us over or spoiled something became synonymous with Limon, CO.
So Covid-19 put old folks like me on a leash for two years and I am just starting to do camping road trips again. Yesterday we headed west on I 70; spent the first night in Russell, Kansas. The plan today was to reach Walsenburg, CO. With a fuel stop in Burlington, CO the truck refused to start. All of the electrical accessories worked fine but turn the key to start and nothing; no clicks or dim-outs. Checkin everything I know to check, the only/best guess was something with the starter.
This is on Sunday, July 3, day before Independence Day. I called AAA and they sent roadside help but local tow service was not answering their phone. I’ll give AAA credit, they really work to save your bacon, even on Sunday before a Monday holiday. They found a tow service from farther away; you’ll never guess where. The tow truck driver confirmed my suspicions about the starter and asked where I wanted it towed. He recommended a mechanic shop near his shop in Limon, 80 miles away. What can I say!
So we are stuck here at La Quinta Inn in Limon but the repair shop won’t open until Tuesday, day after tomorrow. I thought about sleeping in the camper, in the parking lot at Interstate Diesel where the truck and camper are parked. My traveling companion nixed the idea. We can see the truck & camper from our room and there is an IHOP restaurant at the truck stop across the street.
Add bad news to the scenario. We have reservations to ride the Narrow Gage train from Durango to Silverton, CO. Thursday and no way of knowing when Interstate can get the parts and do the work; won’t know until they open on Tuesday. From Limon to Durango is a long, full day of driving. That makes tomorrow a long, full day of making contingency plans and IHOP pancakes. I texted my daughter a photo from here and she fell off the porch. O..M.G. what is it about Limon? I do't know but nothing will surprise me. The story has just begun and will be unfolding for the next three weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment