Cordrays Crapped Out at the Cracker Barrel
Sometimes a Camping Spot, Other Times, a Parking Lot
If everything goes as planned, we will be able to leave the Flagstaff, AZ Cracker Barrel parking lot in the morning after a three-night stay. We landed here on Friday after calling to see if one could overnight there awaiting the big ham radio festival on Saturday. Of course, be our guests, the employee gushed. Wow! Ok, sounds great. We enjoyed a Planet Fitness shower and then motored in and had our dinner inside, as a thank you for our stay. We tucked in for the night and slept well, along with at least 30-40 (or more) nomadic types. So much for the no camping rule! Never have we seen so many at one Cracker Barrel. Whatever. It's one night, I thought. The Coconino National Forest was suddenly closed recently due to fire danger all around Flagstaff, for the next two years. I think we found all of the campers who didn't get the memo.
Next morning we did the usuals, preparing to arrive at the ham fest when they opened. Dan had a list and a plan to win the raffled off radio, like he had at the Yuma ham fest a few years ago. He was on the edge of his seat with excitement, but when he started the engine, it sounded like a small forest creature being gnarled, chewed up, and then spat out with a thud. Rut-ro, Scooby.
Dan did the hasty examination and learned that the serpentine belt was shredded. While we have a brand new spare belt under the bed, this will not be a parking lot repair. It's a big job. Plus, we have to know what caused it to happen in the first place. At 296,000 miles, the question of whether it's a big woooo hooo that's all it is, or the final lap for good ol' Erik van Home is on our minds. Aye, he sure has been good to us. We know that day is coming and have been actively looking for our next ride, but we do hope that day is not tomorrow. We have put ourselves through the paces of what we will do and how we will live until it is fixed or replaced, but for now, we wait.
97 degrees on blacktop under us and a neighbor who hit the edge of the trailer with his school bus hasn't helped, nor did his offer of taking us to dinner at, wait for it, Cracker Barrel. He issued the invite from beside the driver's side door where he had been chatting with Dan for most of the day. The damage was minor and cosmetic, and since hail damage that happened on our grandson Abe’s day of birth already made our trailer look like a monkey beat it soundly with a ball peen hammer, we saw no need to press for compensation. The engine blew in this guy’s school bus when he landed here so he just bought another one and is actively wrenching on it and idling right next door, complete with barking dog that he screams at causing ours to bark. We have no choice but to fling open the windows and bask in his exhaust and constant pounding, hammering, and chattering with his helper. Yay, the bonus round.
Sandra, the restaurant manager, was very sympathetic and also willing to let us sit here until the tow trucks come on Monday morning. Trucks. Or one making two trips because we have the van and the cargo trailer and flat bed would be a flat mess. We spent the morning tying down everything that might fly during the tip up and short 1.4 mile journey to the repair place where we will hopefully manage to exist with pups in the cargo trailer while they assess the issue. Check out the name of the street where we are located. Once, we busted a fuel pump and were taken to Soccoro, New Mexico, which means “help" in Spanish. Nice touch, Great Spirit. We feel your presence in every move we make.
I will state for the record that we have had Cracker Barrel three times and I have single-handedly nearly devasted the clearance candy rack. Chocolate helps, especially when wrapped around shredded coconut. I will be more than happy to avoid the place for a good long while, but oohhhhh are we grateful for the friendly folks (hi Joey!) at this restaurant who have served us and have been so friendly and understanding! You never know from whence help will come. Being prepared for emergencies is important no matter where you are, and the Cordrays are nothing if not prepared. Every little thing is gonna be alright.
Blessed are we who did not crap out on the freeway between here and Williams, or in another spot where we wouldn't be as welcomed. As always, we are divinely led and protected. We have lawn chairs under shade trees to share with our fellow road warriors, green, green grass (the desert dog duo roll and rejoice in that fact) and a community front porch with rocking chairs and a lot of little kids who make the dogs' tails wag. There is often a clamshell full of leftovers and extra walks and cuddles. The doggies ain't cryin’.
It's fascinating to me that we spent some time at our last camping spot evaluating our passion for road life and making a new two year plan that included spending as little time at home base as possible. We have been ready to replace our chariot, but who doesn't want a little one more time around the block? Less than 4 hours from home, we have enjoyed our time away since the end of April. Now we wait to see what happens next on our nomadic journey. For now, we are safe and sound, grateful, hopeful, and blessed. Y'all stay tuned and we will let you know how it all turns out.
Sitting, but not spinning,
Brenda Cordray
“The Desert Rose"
I could think of better places to be, but none better to be with than you and the pups.
Thank you for expressing our current situation so eloquently. You always make things so much better.