The adventure and excitement continue

We had an uneventful departure from Port Hueneme, and smooth drive through Los Angeles/Pasadena and beyond (thank heavens!), landing in Calico Ghost Town. We have been there a few times and the kids always enjoy it, and they all decided they'd rather go there right away and be in the familiar, than go somewhere completely unknown. I have to admit, it was weird for me being there without the hubs.  It is somewhere we've enjoyed as a family, and it seemed odd not being a complete family, a feeling that I think I will become overly familiar with this year.

Here are a few photos from our trip.

Resident Cowboy

Outside of Maggie's Mine

Trying to get one shot of all four as we started day one

Mine carts beat Minecraft hands down

Charles is, of course, breaking out 

Relaxing

Four in a tub...

In the crazy house, apropos? 

As we enter Maggie Mine

Because they are all crazy!

Farewell, Calico!

While in Calico, we realized there was a little issue with the hydraulics that work the stabilizer jacks. I double checked the fluid before we left Port Hueneme because the jacks seemed to be slipping or sliding or something in the night while we slept. Fluid was okay when we left. When we set up at Calico (in the dark), the jacks sounded and felt wrong, and sure enough I could not get a stable setting without manually adjusting them (they are supposed to be auto-leveling). I checked the fluid the next morning and the reservoir was empty. Uh oh!

I called our dealership and talked to one of the service guys who mentions that there is a additive that has been recommended by the manufacturer, and tells me to try and find it local to me. I explain that I am struggling with internet on my phone only (and spotty at that) and he said he'd call me back and let me know if he could find it. The kids and I headed to Calico to explore and play for a bit. He called back a bit later, and had a location 45 minutes away that carried the fluid (a Caterpillar dealer, oddly enough). C read the attached MSDS sheet on the way home.

We piled into the car and drove 45 minutes to the town and picked up the product we needed, as well as additional hydraulic fluid and returned home for supper and bed, and I put the additive into the reservoir (in the dark) and cycled the jacks twice to re-level, then we all went to sleep. In the morning, I prepared for us to leave, and cycled the jacks (again) and pulled them up. I check the fluid and it didn't even register on the dipstick. )insert swear word of choice(

Panic set in, but I knew that once the jacks were up we would be fine to hit a new town with better, or at least more abundant services. So, we headed back to Calico town and went through the mine that we had missed the day before, and went to do the craft we had planned, then hit the RV, docked it all up and prepared to hit the road.

There is a lot that one needs to do to prepare before one drives. I had two issues this morning as I was distracted by the thought of hydraulic failure and issues with the jacks. First, I disconnected everything but the electric, then pulled the jacks up (you leave that connected and fire up the engine to run the jacks, or you could disconnect it and run the generator, but electric is better), and almost drove away with the electric still connected - this would not have been good! Luckily I was hesitating and being indecisive and looked out my mirror and saw the cord. Doh!

Next, I was flustered because I couldn't get my electronics to work in the RV. The camera that lets me watch the car that we tow behind, the radio, and (gasp) my charger for my phone. We left Calico without these things and I was okay, but I could not figure out WHY they wouldn't work. Texted hubby and asked, "what am I forgetting?" He knew exactly what it was (Battery switch from store to use) and at least that was working.

Meanwhile, I had called a few different repair places in Vegas trying to see if I could get anyone to let me come in this afternoon (which is apparently a pie-in-the-sky desire). I did get in touch with someone who talked me through the what-ifs in my head and told me I was doing the right things. Once I got off the phone with the tech, I felt confident that I was driving the right way and doing the right things. I went and checked the hydraulic fluid and planned to add a quart, but it was full. What the what?!?!

Insert photo of Nevada line that won't load

Decided just to do it, took off and headed for Vegas, or more specifically, Nellis AFB, which is where we rest our heads this evening - Desert Eagle RV park on Nellis. I actually bought the kids TV dinners at the Commissary (which is HUGE and lovely and I want to explore more later), we came back and they "cooked" their own dinners and played a little Wii, and now we are all going to crash for evening.

We are safe, we are mobile and we are stable. All good things.