After over a year of planning, the day finally arrived for us to take our massive Family Road Trip down to the magical entertainment of Disney World!
Day 1 went really well, with little traffic on Route 95 all the way down to Baltimore, where we then went on 695 to the Francis Scott Key Bridge. I was battling the winds occasionally on the drive, and I was worried about making the bridge crossing. We took our time and did 45 mph along the crossing, and while blown around a bit, it was pretty manageable even though I was white knuckled. With regular rest stops and fuel ups, the kids were doing very well. In fact, it was just the first 45 minutes that they fought over space in the truck cause they were cranky and just woken up by us.
As afternoon approached, we began to play the ruse that we couldn't trust the GPS, as it was trying to keep us going into the cities which I can't do with the trailer (like the tunnels in Baltimore for example). Taking 301 from Baltimore instead of 95 was a great idea by the members on the Keystone Forums, as it made the drive enjoyable and soon we were just above Richmond VA. Now, we played more on the "lost" theme and crossed into North Carolina and made our way to Fayetteville where our hotel awaited. It was bit tricky with the parking lot layout, but we managed to convince the kids we were lost, which made Madison upset a bit, and we backed down the long narrow lot to our room for the night.
Disappointed faces on the kids.... so sad.
Fueled up for the next leg of the trip, Day 2
Day 2 -- NC to FL
Up and ready to go, we got back in the truck and topped off the gas at the station out front. Being just off of 95, we were up to speed and rolling down the highway. Not more than 45 minutes or so, and we crossed into South Carolina and pulled into a rest area to make the big announcement to the kids,... and here is how it went. ( Click here to view bigger on YouTube )
So, with a new found excitement for the trip, we were off, heading thru South Carolina, Georgia, and around Jacksonville. We arrived in Starke Florida,.... which is a town past its prime and is quite starke,..... but, the kids were still excited to be in Florida!!
Parked at the hotel in Starke FL
We had another surprise for the kids tonight. Since we have been saving for this trip for a while, we also got each of them a Disney Gift Card that followed there personality so that they could have some money lessons on our trip. I explained I didn't have 'extra' money to be getting souvenirs and things, and that this was theirs to use how they wanted, but once gone it was gone. They seemed pretty happy about it.
Isabella with her Tinkerbell Card
Madison with Cinderella on her Card
Allison with the Inside Out Characters
Day 3 -- Everything started off normal and we were on our way south out of Starke Florida making good time and the kids were excited that today was the day we would be at Disney,... and,.. it was only 2 hrs away, not another full day on the road,..... well,..... at least we thought.
The Breakdown
Well, it was a chance that this would happen, and on our final day about 1 hr remaining in our Quest to Disney, we were on highway 75 south of Ocala Florida when we had all types of notifications popping up on our dashboard. Battery Not Charging, Engine Overheating, and lights everywhere. We quickly made way for the shoulder and coasted down to a stop. Opening the hood, I saw shreds of belt everywhere. The main belt in the front of our V-8 engine was shredded and the smell of burnt rubber filled the air. I set out the safety cones behind the camper and began to call AAA for help. As the tractor trailers swayed the camper and truck, I off loaded the kids to the tree line for safety. Upon some further inspection, we had the tensioner pulley on the engine seize up and get twisted on its shaft, locking up the works and shredding the belt.
On the side of Highway 75, south of Ocala FL
Making the best of the shade and snacks while we waited
The broken Pulley and piece of the main belt
AAA said they had someone on there way, so I used my Google-Fu to track down some Chevy dealers nearby. One in Ocala, and one down south of us in Wildwood, both seemed very helpfull over the phone. Also, via text with my Dad and Brother, we diagnosed things a little and I was able to give the Chevy dealer a little more information. About an hour and a half later, Interstate Tow arrived with a flatbed. He was able to have three passengers in the second row of his extended cab tow truck, and Madie and I in the front bench. Silverado on the flatbed, and Camper in tow, we made our way down the highway to the Chevy dealer.
We setup a quick camp in the outer parking lot of the dealership and the service tech, Paul, helped get us started. Suprisingly, they were able to get us done rather quickly and we were back in business. A new pulley mount and assembly, along with a new AC belt and Main belt,... and the exchange of a few benjamins, and we were on our way. I took it for a quick test drive up the road first before going back to the parking lot to hitch up the camper. This whole ordeal set us back about 4 hrs, but we could have been a lot worse. Luckily, it wasn't something worse with the truck.
Camping at the Chevy Dealer,.... doing some reading.
We made it down to Target to get our groceries, then to Orlando Stroller Rental / Tanner Scooter Rentals, to pickup our chariots for the week, and then we made it finally under the Walt Disney World arrival arch!! I was never so happy to see a mouse!
Arrival at Fort Wilderness was simple and well organized. Soon we were off to our site, 1221, to get parked and leveled before still trying to make our dinner reservation at 6:40 at the Trails End Restaurant.
Check back,... many more posts coming up in the next few days/week!
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