Seemingly the hottest day baceame our departure day. Pushed back from two previous target dates. We just couldn’t accomplish all that we had before us. Home schooling played a role as the undertaking of teaching three different ages was bumpy at first but thanks to our perseverance, kids and parents alike and Laurels excellent planning we have established a routine that is working.

Months of planning, endless long days filled with late nights preparing for an undertaking of proportions we had not completely envisioned and it was finally here.

The closer we came to leaving the longer our lists became. Our lists had been thorough and well thought out but there were things that came up. Silly things that we should have thought about.  Like putting air in the tires of the coach. You would think it would be just like putting air in the tires of a car but it it isn’t. It is more like putting air int the tires of a semi truck. It was someting I didnt give two thoughts about. Really I just figured we would swing by a gas station and get gas and air in the tires and we would be on our way.

I tried to make sure was done the day before we left but a standard gas station air hose didnt work. That left me scrambling to find s solution. Kyra and I had hooked up our tow vehicle to take a test drive and figure out thre Gregory Circus train calle Windryder5. Up the 73 freeway a few miles and by a gas station to fill the tires with air when I discovered my dilemma of a standard gas station air hose inadequate to make the bend to fill the tires. Two gas stations later and valuable time wasted we were still not closer to getting air in the six tires. I even tried my own air compressor however it was too small to push air into the tires which require 92 PSI. Completely frustrated I called up the local Chevron station that handles auto repair and sure enough, he said bring it by and low and behold he got us filled up. It still left me with out a solution on the road as he used a specialty air nozzle that is not available at most service stations. So we decided to hit the road and find a more permanent solution along the way.

The nights before our departure were longer than the previous months of long days that had left us exhausted and sure we had not completely prepared. Never the less we were finally going. Our seven AM target departure time turned to eight then nine and finally ll:38 AM. Not the romantic departure we all imagined after our bon Voyage party but a shove off comprised of our close family and a prayer for safe travels and blessings along the way. We were too exhausted to comprehend that this was finally happening and too uncertain of the road worthiness of the Gregory Crazy Circus Train dubbed  “Windryder5” to be comfortable on that first days journey. Never the less it was here, we were going and our first destination of Hurricane Utah, Quail Creek State Park was programmed into the Garmin.

The Windryder5 took some getting used to as with the tow vehicle she is sixty feet from bow to stern. Plus I am sure we overloaded her a bit. We tried, oh we tried not bring too much but gee whiz we are going to be gone for a while and there are certain things you just have to bring. So we loaded more things and more things until finally I started turning them away at the door on departure day.

Most big rigs are courteous but not all as we had a couple white knuckle moments but all in all she seems steady out of port and up for the task before her. The Cajon pass was of my first concern as I know it too be a long grade with a lot of truck traffic. Since we are towing a truck I was sure the added weight would put us in the slug lane going thirty-five miles per hour. I was close, we managed to stay between forty-five and fifty. The Windryder has a towing gear, (thank you manual) which improved the performance over the standard drive gear and made the grade manageable and less daunting.

Our first night was spent in the parking lot of the Mesquite Nevada Walmart. By eight-thirty I was too spent to drive the remaining hour and a half to our first campground. A bit disappointing but on the bright side, Walmart here is open twenty-four hours and close to gambling. Oh yeah and hot, 90 at midnight as I write this.

Our first night was sleepless as we tried to settle in even with the AC blowing. By 3:22 am all three kids were wide awake. Instead of fighting the tide I got up and we all went into Walmart and wandered the isles until nearly 5:00 am. Thank goodness for the twenty-four hour state. About ten minutes in the kids said, “Dad, check out this beetle”, I said that’s not a beetle and yes readers it was in the food section.