Family Travel has its trying moments.
With a heat index of over 100 degrees Amarillo Texas is no place to get stuck without AC. The boys an I decided to just tough it out until we got to my folks house in Tyler, Texas. The poor old truck had other ideas.

Still Hopeful for an Easy Repair
A Warning Sign
I had a possible warning signal. The truck’s air conditioner went out on Sunday. Ok, we are tough, we can roll down the windows, and travel early in the morning. The family trip got a late start out of New Mexico heading into West Texas. Scattered rains and cloud cover made the trip bearable as we rolled into our camp site at Palo Duro, TX at 1 am in the morning. We did not even unhitch the trailer just opened the windows and flopped into bed. Our little Colorado camper does not have AC!
Mutiny Brewing
I underestimated the heat in Palo Duro Canyon in July. By Wednesday, faced with a possible mutiny of my fellow travelers I found a swimming hole. West Texas A & M offered the public use of the university pool for $5 bucks a head. Yippy! Saved by a lazy river and a water slide from heat induced crankiness, we hopped in the truck headed out the winding 10% grade canyon road to Amarillo. A quick stop in town and then off to the pool by lunch time.
Honey – I called a Tow Truck
Without air conditioning the Texas Tea & Premium Water Store called our names so we stopped to investigate. Happily wandering back out to the truck with a large glass of sweet tea I turned the key. Cough, Cough, silence went the truck. Huh? Alright, this is why I bought
Triple A. Triple A dispatched a tech to diagnosis the problem. Must be the starter the Triple A Tech concluded, should be a quick fix and not too expensive. I called the tow truck.
This is All Part of the Adventure
The tow truck came quickly. Hey, this is all part of the adventure I told the boys. Now we get to ride in a tow truck! We were hopeful that the truck part could be replaced quickly and we would be on our way to the pool soon. Maybe the mechanic could even fix the AC. The ford dealer provided snacks and a courtesy shuttle out to the local sports store while we waited for the truck to be fixed.
Travel Always involves Problem Solving
Sometimes it is as simple as reading a map to choose the best route. Often you have to ask for directions or help. Want to find out what happened next e with the Joyous Truck?
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