It Was Bound to Happen

Tuesday, June 12th

     We left the Forest at 7:30, coffee shop 7:45-8:15.

     Began long descent and Rhoda did it again.  Yesterday I had some trouble with her coming off the Tioga Road on long descents - hard shimmying and shaking.  She was braking OK but her body went all screwy.  Yesterday we pulled off twice to give her a rest and a cool down but had to go slow to control her.

     Unfortunately most of the trip this a.m. was down, down, down, for miles and miles and I could only go about 20 - 25 miles per hour.

     When we got to Moccasin and turned off on to Rt. 49 we thought we were home free.  DO NOT TAKE RT. 49 between Moccasin and Mariposa!!  All hairpin curves, ups and downs, narrow AND cliff- hanging.  I thought the Colorado Monument was bad last year!!  The same cliff-hanging but this also had all the hairpin curves and I could only go about 20 mph with Rhoda dancing all over the road.  Good thing there wasn't much other traffic.

     Anyway, when we got to Mariposa, turned on to Rt. 140, got gas and stopped for coffee (for me) and donuts, we got to talking to the owners about business and I just happened to ask about a diagnostic mechanic (don't I sound like I know the lingo) and he sent me to the perfect grease shop - just like when my "kids" and I traveled to FL and needed service badly on Saturday before Easter in Sumpter, SC and we found "Bubba" the same way - by asking someone.

     First, the owner gave me a talkin' to about driving in "the hills" and having the rear something (I promise I'll ask again what it is) checked every other oil change.  He knew right off that I had burned the rotors and so needed new front breaks.  But they checked it out while we waited and yes that was it.  His wife/office manager gave us a ride to the library for 1 1/2 hrs. while that work was done.  BUT the OTHER bad news was, when we got back to the shop, ALL FOUR tires are/were checked/cracked BADLY on the sides and needed to be changed IMMEDIATELY!!  He was even hesitant to tell me to drive the 50 miles to the next town where they had my size tires.

     I know, you're thinking, oh they saw her coming!  But I really don't think so if you could see this operation.  So the decision was made that they'd get the tires in by 8 tomorrow and then we'll be on our way by 10 good as new - or better than before anyway - much better.  I think we were pretty lucky that nothing had happened to us with these 2 pretty serious issues.

     Of course I'll be fasting for the next 6 months but at least Sally & I'll live to tell our stories.  As I often say - things happen for a reason - usually.

     So, another, sort of, relaxing afternoon at about 90 degrees with only 1 hr. of free internet,  and the 6th day without cell service - sorry Judy, Jeff & Katie, Linda, Vonnie and all.

DATA:

mileage:  71                         gas:  $81  at $4.19                        campground:  KOA  $50

Bob Blackburn's Mountain Auto & RV Center, Mariposa, CA  highly recommended and amount paid -   

        well let's just say, you can't put a dollar amount on it.

20 Mule Team & more desert

Sunday, June 3rd

     Got off Rt 15 after many enjoyable days and veered more north toward Bakersfield, CA on Rt. 58 (with lots of trucks again:)

through what I found out was the Mojave Desert, past Edwards Air Force Base (the western home for the shuttles that couldn't land at Cape Canaveral), pass many wind mills clustered on top of all these funny little moguls 

Those aren't wheat fields, that's all sand/dirt

and into Bakersfield.   Unfortunately, not giving advanced notice to, I went to pay a surprise visit to my cousin Kathy Sue in Bakersfield and of course she was off to the beach but did get a chance to visit with her husband and get some valuable information about entering Sequoia National Park.

     In Bakersfield we got onto Rt. 99 and the whole route north to Visalia, the median was just overflowing with these pink and white flowering bushes - so pretty and so pleasant to look at.

   

      In Tulane, just shy of Visalia, we stopped at a CA Visitors Center and were surprised to also hit the:

Very nastolgic for me who visited my mother's family farm every year, in Western NY (and is still in the family and run by my cousin and wife and sons).  I hate to admit that I remember seeing all of these items on the farm and most of them being used at that time.

Have you seen what tractors look like today!!!

 
    We turned off onto Rt. 198 and drove through some beautiful country with hills, greenery, agriculture - fruit trees and grape vines and Kaweah Lake.  Beautiful!  Stopped at a great little fruit - fresh & dried & nuts - stand and had a charming visit with a young man learning English who gave us many samples of his apricots, white peaches, gold grapefruits, orange blossom honey, dried peaches.  And we bought it all.
     We found our campground in Three Rivers which again - pretty iffy but fine and the location is peaceful with the small rapids trilling on the river, hills, birds, and fresh fruit!

 Sequoia tomorrow!!  55 degrees, rain and snow at night!!  And I dared to complain about the heat:(

DATA:

mileage:  269                      gas:  $50  @ $4.25 (you can tell we're in CA)

Campground:  $27

Of interest:  Roads:  Twenty Mule Team (in the town of Boron) as in Borax for those old enough to                             

                                             remember

                                  Buck Owen Rd.

                                  Merle Haggart Dr.

           Gertie called  Hagaman Rd -- Hog in the Road - we just couldn't find one.