Picture this...Driving bumper to bumper in Portland traffic at 5 mph. Suddenly you realize your power windows don't work. Hmmm, what would cause that? You play with the door controls and notice your mirrors don't work, the locks won't move and lights start flashing on the dash board. You start getting nervous because you are in the center lane of a 3 lane freeway. You test the gas and brakes...still ok. Then your car starts lurching and you realize you are seconds away from a dead vehicle. You try to turn your hazards on...nothing! You try to signal to the right to let people know you need off...NOTHING! Your hands start to shake...all of a sudden a window opens up in the left lane and you are able to maneuver your car to the left shoulder with no power brakes or steering. You sit there for a few seconds in shock and try to reassure your 3 children that it will be OK when inside you are wondering how!
(Just to add to the adventure, you are driving alone with your 3 kids and dog in a packed-to-the-gills ready for a weekend of camping, van)
You remember you have road side assistance and call the insurance company. They say someone will be there in an hour to take you to a repair shop. You then realize it is 5:30 and by the time you get to a shop, it will be closed and it is the start of a holiday weekend. You call your hubby and tell him what happened. He is 5 hours away so he cannot be your knight in shining armor. He suggests calling the tow company to see what your options are. You follow his advice and find out the tow guy also runs a repair shop and he tells you his mechanic has agreed to stay late to fix your car. Phew! You are going to be OK!
The above scenario is EXACTLY what happened to me Friday afternoon as the kids and I headed out to meet Justin near Newport for a weekend of camping and fun. We had said a prayer before we left and I firmly believe because of that prayer, I was able to safely get off the road and despite being nervous when I realized I was in trouble, I was quite calm through the whole thing. I was able to reassure the kids and keep the tears at bay. It was pretty cool as we sat and waited for the tow guy, La-La noticed we were parked right by the Portland temple. All we could see was one spire with the Angel Moroni on top.
That calmed all the kids down instantly. We went to the repair shop and the mechanics were very kind and patient with us. From start to finish, we were back on the road in 2 hours with a brand new alternator and everything working properly!
As we were driving out of Portland, a beautiful full rainbow appeared and we knew it was all going to be fine! We made it o our campground on the beach at 11:pm and Justin and his friend Craig finally got there around midnight. We set up the tent in the dark and in the rain and finally hit the sack at 1:08 am. I was already EXHAUSTED and the trip had just began!
We woke up to a dripping wet tent with puddles inside and out but that did not stop us. We just put up some tarps and went on with our day, muddy and wet! I had bought some Newport Aquarium tickets a couple months ago so once we were fed and dressed, we headed out to the aquarium.
(This is how an almost 12 year old enjoys a kid play area)
I had heard that it is an amazing place and a must see if you are in the area. I did enjoy it, but I have seen better at zoos and even a small place in Crescent City, CA was more hands on. We still had fun and enjoyed ourselves.
After the aquarium, Justin wanted to try to catch some crabs. We got some bait and headed to a recommended pier to throw in the crab pots.
As we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed the blinkers were not working and the battery light came on! We parked and the car died!!! How could that happen? We just had it fixed less than 24 hours before! While Justin went crabbing, I called the mechanic in Portland and he said the battery probably got worn down the day before when the alternator was going out. He suggested getting a new battery. It was 4:45 and the nearest place was closing at 5. Our friend Craig helped jump the car and we headed to the nearest Les Schwab. We were almost there and the car died again. Craig jumped it again and we managed to pull in to Les Schwab at 4:55. They were not happy to see us but they did install a new battery so we figured we were good to go and headed out. As we pulled out, the battery light came on again! We were stupid and did not turn around and have the repair guys check it out. They were thrilled to see us go and we did not want to tick them off more so we left. I called the mechanic in Portland again and he said the alternator was probably shot so we needed to get it tested! UGH!!! So now it is Saturday night on a holiday weekend and nothing is open!
We decided not to let it ruin our weekend and there was nothing we could do so we just went on with our plans.
(While everyone was in the tent, Cody jumped up on the table hoping to find some yummy left overs...I love his busted guilty face!)
Unfortunately we had no luck getting crabs so we went back to camp empty handed but fixed a wonderful meal of BBQ chicken, dutch oven potatoes, corn on the cob and finished it with a beautiful sunset on the beach and smores on the fire.
Sunday we woke up dry (once we put the tarps on, it quit raining...figures!) and after breakfast we headed out to play.
We found a bunch of sea lions on a beach so we got up close to them. It was pretty cool to watch them maneuver their huge awkward bodies on the beach and listen to them cry out.
Then Justin really wanted to go crabbing again so we tried a different pier. We needed a few supplies so while the boys and kids crabbed, I went to the local Ace hardware. I asked them if they knew of anything open to check out our alternator. They didn't know but one of the workers said he could test it for me right then. He pulled the positive connection off the battery while the car was running and it instantly died. This confirmed that the alternator was not working and he said once the new battery gave out, we would be sitting in a dead car again. Great!
Nothing was open anywhere on Sunday, so we decided to just enjoy our day and figure it out Monday!
We went on a hike to this beautiful lighthouse and were able to go on a tour inside it. The glass inside is original from the 1800's. It was beautiful!
Once again, Justin's crab pots came up empty (I shouldn't say empty because he did catch some but not any keepers...too small or female) so we went back to camp and made another yummy dinner complete with dutch oven cake and we finished our day on the beach with another beautiful sunset and cold wet girls from playing in the surf!
Monday morning, we cleaned up camp and headed out, desperate to find a mechanic. We talked to the guys in Portland and they said if they had to, they would come to us. We pulled in to a Chevron to ask for advice on who to ask, and the battery finally gave out.
I walked back to the Ace shop to see if the guy who helped me before was there and if there was any way he could help us install a new alternator. He wasn't there but the other workers helped me find a guy who does repairs. I called him and he agreed to help us out. Justin and Craig left the kids and I on the beach and headed to North Bend (1 1/2 hours a way) to get a new alternator.
While they were gone, Jim the mechanic came and started charging the battery while we waited for the new part. The boys finally made it back and after much pulling, near death, (the mechanic was under the car and the tire jack that he used to lift the front of the car started slipping but he made it out) and a few tightened bolts, we had a working alternator AND battery! The mechanic did the same test the Ace guy did but this time when he disconnected the battery, the car kept running! Finally! So you may wonder why a new alternator would quit working like that? Believe me, I am wondering the same thing. Some people told us if the battery is too worn down and you install a new alternator, it can blow the new part. Or they also said sometimes alternators are not made right and you just end up with a bum one. We don't know exactly what happened in our case but thankfully we got everything working and no one was hurt in the process. We got our money back for the bum alternator so it was still spendy but it could have been worse!
The kids and I finally left Waldport at 5:45 pm and pulled into our driveway at 10:pm. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend full of fun, good food, and time with Daddy for the kids and me! The car troubles just made it an even more memorable Memorial Day weekend!
