Dairyland or Bust! Part 2

Our second day of driving was a little bit more eventful than the first. We set the alarm for 5 am, but all three of us were exhausted ... we accidentally slept through the alarm and at 6:45 by some miracle Dan woke up. We got ready pretty fast, ate continental breakfast, and then hit the road!

Dan was awesome and drove for the first two hours while Mariah and I slept. By this time we were well into Minnesota. Only one state away from our destination!! We were pretty excited. We pulled off in Albert Lea to take a bathroom break and switch drivers. It was my turn to drive, I got in the car, turned the key and ... blub blub clink clank clunk ... the engine died. We tried it a few more times, but the engine wasn't starting at all. Dan and I were pretty frustrated at first. We've put a lot of money and time into our car this summer to get it in tip-top shape, so for it to breakdown in the middle of Minnesota . . . it was annoying. Here is a picture of Mariah and I when it wouldn't start:

bummed

We were worried that because it was a Saturday we would be unable to find a mechanic shop that was open. We walked a few blocks to a mechanics, but they didn't have any technicians in who would be able to fix the car. We tried a place right next door. They too didn't have a technician in, but they were really nice and gave us the number to the one place in town that was open, as well as to a cheap towing company. We called them up right away and they came to help us out.

getting towed

Sad. Day.

Getting all fixed :)

It took about three hours to get fixed, but thank goodness it did! Apparently the fuel pump had totally died, so the engine wasn't getting any gas to it, even though we had a full tank and everything else was working good.

Finally on the road again!

Blessings from the day:

1. the nice man at the gas station, who not only asked if we were Christians, but then proceeded to say a prayer for us and our car. He also let Mariah and I play with his dog.

2. Being close enough to walk to a mechanic shop

3. Getting the number of the cheapest tow company in town

4. Finding the one place in town that was actually open on a Saturday with knowledgeable mechanics

5. Being able to get the car in to the shop and fixed in less than 3 hours.

6. Arriving safely to our destination :)

Happy Arrival!!

After the car got fixed we had about 6 more hours of driving. What was originally going to be a 2 or 3 o'clock arrival ended up being closer to 7. But, we made it in one piece, and were so excited! We arrived in Wisconsin a little later, a lot more tired, and a lot poorer than expected, but we did make it! It was an adventure getting here, but now we're ready to sit back and enjoy the vacation and the beautiful cabin and lake.