This trip was travel Annie and Jake style, with all of the quintessential elements of a Jake and Annie adventure. There was romance, danger, excitement, disappointment, suspense, anger, adventure, desperation, salvation, and resolve… We really need to be keeping better track of this stuff for our memoir.
You’ll have to wait for the memoir for full details but here is the summary:
We drove to Northern California, Southern Oregon last weekend to see the Redwoods and attend the wedding/reception of a good mission friend of Jake’s. The cloudless, 85 degree weather made our visit to the National Park like a summer visit without the crowds (we saw almost no one). Gorgeous drives through massive stands of Redwoods, as well as a walk through a narrow moss and fern laden canyon that led to the ocean (and beautiful coastline) was our Friday. I sang at my friends wedding, and that was pleasant as well.
Saturday we stopped off again at the Redwoods and had a nice stroll through an incredible stand of Old Growth Redwoods along the Smith River (one of the last undamed rivers in the west).
We were on our way to the Medford temple to attend the wedding ceremony when the car flashed an “add oil” warning. Fantastic. Long story short, our car wasn’t short on oil but the oil pump was broken… We had the car towed to Grants Pass, missed the wedding, and had to figure out what to do with ourselves. We couldn’t get a rental car until Sunday so we spent an afternoon being homeless in Grants Pass. We looked beat and were carrying everything we needed for the day… I think some other homeless people asked me for drugs in some cryptic way. “Hey, you guys going to Wal-Mart…wink wink…?” After I looked at him kind of confused, he quickly retracted and left…
We were fortunate to spend the night in a Motel (the result of one of the amazing acts of generosity we were blessed with that weekend). The next morning we found out that the car we were promised at Budget was not available…”I’m sorry…not available?” Apparently I had imagined my entire conversation with a sales associate the day before… who apparently was the manager…. One of us was imagining things for sure. Anyway no car….the end of our ordeal was so near, and then… it was gone. We have incredible friends in Eugene, the Stockdales, who are the kind of friends that you could ask to drive 2 1/2 hours to come and get you because you’re stranded…so we thought we would ask. They came and got us!!!
It really was a good weekend… just…expensive….. Chloe (our Audi) has once again put herself on the chopping block… We love her, but man she is killing us slowly…
I drove down to Grant’s Pass last night to go retrieve her, we are back in the saddle now.
7 comments:
Oh guys I'm so sorry, that sucks. We drove to the coast once and the oil plug came out (in the middle of no where) and we lost all the oil immediately and had to have my sister come pick us up since it was too late to even go anywhere to buy more oil and another plug. Just so you know, you totally should have called us Saturday. It's no fun being stranded. We love you guys.
Hi Annie and Jake! I loved seeing those pictures of your trip, and catching up with you here. Hope all is well! xoxo.
That was a interesting story. it made me stressed to read it. but you guys are the types to make the best of things. funny about the walmart thing!
Oh Wow! I really hate cars and having to depend on them. YOu can really get a long way from home and have something happen with cars. I guess a horse and buggy has it's drawbacks as well. you can't get very far, but I like walking:) I am glad that you got to see some beautiful stuff on your adventure. Glad that all is well now. see you soon mom
What an amazing trip! I have always wanted to see the redwood trees!
That is not fun. Nor was that the plan.
Hope your car starts cooperating. :-)
No way! NO WAY! That is the pits--and the trip had such promise! I totally feel for you and the car troubles. Remember that white construction looking truck of ours? We had this brilliant idea of buying it to move from Arizona to Oregon . . . the idea bombed when the engine went out in Utah. $5k and three days later . . . we arrived in Oregon and for two years tried to sell it . . . we never could name such a beast. I'm glad that you love Chloe enough to name her . . . and bring her home. Hopefully she learned her lesson.
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