We had a wonderful breakfast at the Provinos Saturday morning, before heading west - for the long 10 hour drive home. (Little did we know it would be 15 hours!)
Morning view from Provinos Guest Room . . .
Always so hard to say goodbye . . .
Just 45 minutes into our drive down the mountain - everything turned off on our car and it started smoking from the hood. Mike managed to get the car to the side of the road which was amazing as the breaks and power steering went out too. We called 911 and a Highway Patrolman came and turned his lights on for us until a tow truck could come and get our car off the road. A little over an hour later - we were able to leave in the police car (the girls and I) and Mike with the tow truck driver.
My view from the front of the police car as Mike watched as they hitched the Pilot up on the tow truck. Poor Bear had to stay in the Pilot for all this - he must have been like, "Where are you all going!?!?" :)
About 2 hours later, we were safely off the highway and at Georgetown Visitors Center, just 3 miles off the road with our beloved Honda Pilot that was no longer drivable. We called around to find a rental van to drive home to KC in downtown Denver and we towed the Pilot to a Honda service center in Denver as well.
Sarah and Mark kindly drove down to Georgetown to help transport us with all our snow/ski gear, luggage and Bear, to the rental place in Downtown Denver! Thank God for them!
By 3:00 p.m. we were back on the road and driving west! We arrived home safe and sound around 1 a.m. in our rental mini van - which the girls thought was so cool by the way!
Below is our last view of the Pilot - Mike told me to take everything out of it, just in case we never see it again. As we knew, it was almost 15 years old and this could be the end for our family car that has served us so well for 15 years.
When he told me to take everything out of the cubbies, etc. I teared up, as I said, "This is the car we bought new when we were pregnant with Molly for our future family we were dreaming about."
Kate, without missing a beat, quickly quipped, "But now you have your family -
so it's OK to let go of the car, Mom."
I will always remember bringing the girls home from the hospital in this car and even loading up the car seats to and from grocery store, doctor visits, preschool, etc. SO MANY ROAD TRIPS and so many memories - but yes, it is just a car.
So, as we drove away that day - we reflected on how very grateful we were that we were not in an accident when the car went out - (turns out a piston went through the engine and huge hole in bottom of engine) - Also, very grateful we were not in the Eisenhower tunnel - as we had JUST driven through it. If that were the case, we would not have had anywhere to pull over and would have just been hit.
Feeling so very grateful - and know my Mama was watching over us that day, I am certain.
❤️
{Georgetown Visitor Center}
