The End of the Road

Every ending is a new beginning, but we wondered if we would actually get to the end so we could start again.

The drive from Yermo to Santa Cruz was uneventful, if long. We had hoped to perhaps stay in Paso Robles for a little wine tasting, but the temperatures were too hot to leave the dogs in the MF. So we made it home, parked MF, and didn't go back into it for about 2 days, we were that thankful to be out of it.

After a full day of unpacking and then cleaning out the dog hair, it was time to return MF. Here is its finally voyage down the road.

I had located a dump station nearby the CruiseAmerica return center, but that is when the fun began. When we arrived, there was a Class A ahead of us doing its dump of the tanks. After waiting until it was finished, the Class A wouldn't start. So he asked for a jump. After setting that up, and jumpstarting the Class A, it wouldn't stay started. Turned out he had run out of gas. So he went to get gas, then I jumped it again, but it wouldn't stay on. After about 1 hour of this, I was ready to burn it down in place, since it was apparent it wasn't going anywhere. But the dump station owners figured a way to back in MF close enough to the dump station to allow me to clean out the tanks, and I high-tailed it out of there. For all I know, that Class A is still there, rotting.

Then I went to the gas station right next to the return center to fill the tanks (they would have charged $7/gal if it wasn't full, which actually is pretty close to what gas is in CA these days ;-). But the pump would only put $85 of gas on the credit card. So tried again, and it rejected the card, so I had to use a different CC. At this point it seemed that gods were conspiring against us, and that we would never be rid of MF.

But we did get it returned, and we were free and clear.

Overall, we had a great time. There is some great scenery in the US, and everyone should get the opportunity to see it. If you can stand the driving, aren't on a time schedule, and able to deal with unforeseen circumstances, it is an experience you don't want to miss.

It also helps to have a very strong relationship with your partner and family, because there will be times it is tested. We are very fortunate to have all of these items.