Day 7 - Frozen

Cool Boy

Well, it couldn't last forever. That happy and successful feeling we went to bed with disappeared at 1am when Mike and I woke up FREEZING and realized the furnace wasn't working. We get out the rental guide and start trying to trouble shoot the issue. Nothing works. Actually, something does work- Mike and I as a team! We actually don't even bicker and just try and work together for over an hour trying to solve a fairly significant problem (it was below freezing). When nothing works we put on an extra layer of clothes and pull Arlo into bed with us for warmth. We take Lo's sleeping bag and wrap a second sleeping bag around G and add a towel over him in his up-high bed. That's fucking teamwork!!!! I don't sleep well, but 3 of us get some sleep. Mike doesn't sleep at all after the incident and has to drive so I go do laundry at the club house and let the kids "play pool," aka swing the sticks around and throw balls. The pool table is a mess anyway and the owner says, "yeah that's what the all do, don't worry." There are comfy couches and a CD player with two random CDs so I'm happy as a clam hanging out, but a little worried about our furnace situation.

HOW WILL I EVER DECIDE?!?

Around 9 (we think?) Mike gets up and we call Cruise America with our problem. After talking to other RV owners in the camp, they say a valve issue is a common problem and most of them travel with electric space heaters just in case. Interesting fact! Also would have been great to know before landing in rural Utah, when we were at Walmart and Target a few days ago. After talking to C.A. mechanic, they decide we need either a mechanic (which would be off our route, and probably not until tomorrow) or a space heater. The encourage us to find a space heater. Oy. We go to a completely useless Family Dollar with no space heaters or hats (every gosh darn camping trip I kick myself for forgetting winter hats. When will I learn?!) and I buy terrible long sleeve shirts for $4 for the whole family. We hear Bryce, where we were heading, had snow the other day so it's either space heater or bust at this point. We are told by (useless) Family Dollar clerk that the thrift store is the only place to find a space heater. We stop at thrift store and the little old lady volunteers are using a space heater in back while sorting donations and I try and beg for it, saying pathetic things like, "we have a baby and he's freezing." It's rock bottom for me, trying to guilt little old lady do-gooders out of heat. They mention the hardware store in town usually has them. THANK YOU! They are correct, and I gleefully buy two little happiness makers. I ask Mike if maybe the RV was just mad we didn't give her a name before we started, and Mike says the name should be "Cool Boy" now. I thought it was a girl, but Cool Boy works. As a token of my affection for Mike driving I buy him some sewage hookup gloves. Now that's romance!

We go to the world's most family friendly grocery store to stock up and the boys happily play on Mater and ride the merry go round as many times as they like ("sweetie you just keep coming in and getting tokens as many times as you like!").  I unfortunately find out in Utah family friendly means no liquor and so my campfire dreams are dashed when I try and find beer. HOW WILL I LIVE?! Oh good we still have Vodka and wine. I haven't drank hard liquor since before I was pregnant with G but if I must...

                                            Graham calls this "bouncy cheeks" so no one gets wet with kisses.

We hit the road to Bryce after a quick lunch and the boys fall asleep. We are back on track!  We drive through part of Bryce on our way to Cannonville, where I our campsite is. So cool! We drove through a rock tunnel and saw our first Hoodoos. Scenic Byway 12 is pretty awesome.

Hoodoo Voodoo

For once the boys were looking out the window!

We make it to camp and the view is AMAZING! What a gorgeous place to park your house for a few days. The night is clear and the air is perfect. We all go on a mini hike around the hills behind the campground and then the boys hit the playground while I make dinner. The KOA sells beer! As we watch the sunset and have an awesome mexican dinner I think how great life is. We have a super late sunset and make smores while hanging outside until after 8. 

Accomplished hill climbers.

These faces make me happy.

Such miserable children! ;)

I'm pretty proud of this shot.

And that I made this kick ass dinner right before I took that shot.

No one actually ate a s'more. I don't blame them, so gross!

 After the boys fall asleep, Mike and I have movie night and watch one of the movies we downloaded while we had a signal. (Note to all off the grid travelers: download stuff in advance and switch out movies every chance you have a strong network. We had exactly one day in 12 that we had network long enough for a download). "Lost in America" is the perfect movie for us and we make popcorn and cranberry vodkas in our "suite." Perfect reward for parents who handled the no heat situation with grace.

MacGeyver movie theater.