Note I have posted 3 days at once to catch up - Wed Thurs & Fri, scroll down to Wed for the start of the sequence

Day 44 Friday March 31

Judy was up early, she was totally packed and went out to have one or two last Pickle Ball games.  She got back to the RV about 9:05 and we left for the airport at 9:15.  We were doing fine until traffic ground to a slow crawl on Hwy 10 just before Banning.  Hwy 10 is 4 lanes wide and I can usually cruise along at 70++ mph.  We kept mostly moving but at a crawl.  Finally, close to the beginning of exits to Palm Springs we passed a bunch of police & emergency vehicles off to the side and what looked like the remains of one side of some kind of RV.  Traffic now sped up and we got to the airport by 10:35, only 5 minutes after our deadline time--so no problems.  We dropped Judy off at Allegiant’s baggage check-in & left.  Sheila wanted to find a particular store in Palm Springs that reputedly has a great selection of swimsuits which they sell for one price—only $30, so we drove in towards town, stopping to get some directions at Del Taco.  When I pulled out, after a 10 minute stop, all of a sudden there was a message on the dashboard display panel saying, “Engine overheating, stop driving.”  I finally found a place to pull over, (a Bus Stop on the main street in downtown Palm Springs & popped the hood.  A cpl of guys from a city road crew came over to see if they could help.  Together we discovered the radiator reservoir was empty.  We added a btl of water we had and the road crew offered a second bottle.  They directed me to the nearest gas station about 2 blocks away so there we went.  The mechanic there said--from the wetness on the engine it looked like a hose somewhere had blown & he said he could smell antifreeze.  He said we shouldn’t drive it and as it was still under warranty we should go to a Ford dealer.  I called Ford Road Service to see about that & they dispatched a tow truck that arrived in about a ½ hour and took us & the car to Palm Springs Ford, about 10 miles away.  It is now early afternoon on a Friday.  They got the car in quickly so we would know if it was something minor or not and checked it out.  They discovered that a rock or something had somehow flipped up and punctured the radiator. It then overheated & blew the A/C hose out which emptied the rest of the water.  Now, of course, because it was an impact with something and not a part failure, it is not a warranty repair. Also, because the rad has to come out and be replaced, they couldn’t do it in the couple of hours before they close for the weekend but will have it fixed & ready by Monday, as they have all the parts needed in stock. The Ford service person, Alex, phoned Enterprise & said to give us the Ford Co. rate as our car was in for repairs.  So, we got a shuttle down to Enterprise, just a few minutes away and picked up a white Chevy about the same size as the Ford.  We then drove back to Hemet where the RV is.  Enroute we passed J & M family Restaurant at State & Stetson so stopped for one of their meals from their list of daily specials for $8.97 each.  I had the ‘All-you-can-eat Fish & Chips’ & Sheila had Filet Mignon. The meals included soup or salad, and dessert.  However, add in our drinks, (tea & Rasp. Iced tea) tax, & a tip and we spent $26.95, still, not bad for a nice supper.  Then home to the RV to change and out again to the Diamond Valley Arts Centre for a play, “Helen Hunt Jackson and The Trial of Sam Temple” connected to the Ramona story that occurred right here in San Jacinto in 1883. (San Jacinto is a community just east of Hemet with State Street the dividing line, similar to Port Moody & Coquitlam but smaller in area). Finally, at 9 pm, we arrived home for the night!  The car saga will continue on Monday when the plan is to check out of GVP in Hemet, drive the RV and the rental car to Palm Springs, drop off the rental car, pick up our car and drive to the casino near Algodones, (2 miles to the border), Monday afternoon, evening or night for Sheila’s dentist appointment on Tuesday.