Newport Beach: Part 1

We went on our first family road trip! 

Destination: Newport Beach

Distance: 707 miles

Driving Time: 11 hours

We left Friday night after dinner and stopped in St. George for the night. When we pulled into St. George, we noticed that our AC fan was making grinding noises. We decided to have it looked at first thing in the morning. We spent the night at the Red Lion Hotel. We got a good deal on the hotel through Priceline Express Deals, but we were a little disappointed in the quality of the hotel. We had 2 queen beds, so P1 and I shared a bed, and P2 and dad shared a bed. We kept the kids up during the drive, so they would crash when we got to the hotel. But alas, they hardly slept. P2 kicked dad all night, and P1 would randomly give me kisses and hugs. Silly kids!

First thing in the morning, I took the car into a repair shop. They replaced the blower motor for a couple hundred dollars. More than we wanted to pay, but we were still feeling good that we were able to get it fixed so quickly (under an hour).

We left around 10 am for Las Vegas. We stopped at Memphis Championship BBQ for a delicious lunch. Then we stopped at Duck Creek Park for the kids to play. It was a nice park with a splash pad.

It was very hot! So we got back in the car, ready to drive the rest of the way! Well, about 45 minutes outside of Baker, California, our AC completely died. It was hot and miserable. Baker is the only town close by, and they have 1 auto repair shop. So we made the stop, and learned our AC compressor was busted. And they could fix it that same day for a mere $1300. Yikes!!!

Well, we got the kids inside the air conditioned gas station, and got some drinks to cool down. We considered driving to Barstow (an hour away) to get it fixed for cheaper. We made some calls, and learned it would cost about the same. And did I mention it was 110 degrees outside? An hour ride would have been miserable.

We decided to have them fix it, but turns out they had to send someone to Barstow to get the parts. We were stuck in Baker for 7 hours, with 2 toddlers. What a nightmare!!! I kept wishing that I would wake up!

The kids really did pretty well. We watched a lot of shows on my kindle. At one point, P2 was throwing a fit, and I was trying to hold her. She just kept screaming and crying. One of the ladies that was working at the Subway in the gas station came over and gave the kids Zootopia stickers. It was so nice of her, and I may or may not have started crying.

At one point, I cried out in my mind for Heavenly Father to let me see His hand, and know He was aware of us. Instantly, my phone received a text message from a friend asking how the trip was going. I was able to vent to her, and feel better about things. It is easier to go through trials when we know that Heavenly Father is watching over us.

We survived the ordeal and were back on the road at 8:30 pm. We pulled into the beach house at 11:30 pm, tired and exhausted!

Note to self: Next time rent a car!!!! (If there ever is a next time...)