Our last full day at the cabin was largely spent relaxing and enjoying the nearby surroundings. After travelling hours and hours over the past couple of days – and with a whole lot more travelling staring us right in the face – it was nice to just lie in the sun for a bit.
Of course the vehicles still looked like crap, so we decided to head into town for a car wash. This would be second wash for me on the trip since mud seems to be very common where we are staying. After the first washing I noticed a shimmy at higher speeds, so I was looking forward to cleaning the wheels a second time to try and alleviate the problem. Not learning from the first washing encounter, I still managed to spray muddy water on myself during the process. I’m very happy to report that the second washing took care of any caked on mud around the tires and it rolls like a charm once again.
Others in our group wouldn’t be so lucky. We all washed our vehicles at the same time and took to the interstate simultaneously. The out-of-balance issue worsened on one other SUV, so he decided to go back and try again. After washing it a second time it was still not right, so he knew it was time for professional help. A local garage was open and available to do the work. It turns out the spokes of the wheel were hollow and mud had caked in behind them throwing every tire out of balance. After a thorough cleaning and rebalancing he was back on the road. Grand total for the job: $42.
We also took one last ride through the field on the same trail the boys and I took at the beginning of the week. Everyone was along this time and was able to enjoy the view of the mountains from a different vantage point.
As I write this, the kids, with whom we’ve shared a room this week, are packing up in preparation for tomorrow’s departure. Hannah and Cari are keeping me entertained as they perform the sniff test on various articles of clothing. I’m not exactly sure what music I’m listening to, so I think I’ll have to wrap this up.