We survived Gila Bend

We bid farewell to Yuma on Thursday morning (1/29/09) the fun we had and the nice people that we met. We will definitely be visiting our 2 WA state couples - Sally & Lloyd and Ann & Al when we continue our trip this summer to Oregon & Washington.

Well we decided to stop half way between Yuma & Tucson on Thursday which happened to be Gila Bend. I am reminded that this place has the distinction in the summer as being the hottest place in the country. Anyway, we stayed in a RV park located directly behind Holt's Shell gas station off Hwy 8. As hard as it is to imagine the place fills up every night with snowbirds..i.e. old people. What a busy place between the truckers, the RV park, Subway, Mexican food restaurant, HOTEL, (all at a Shell gas station folks) and of course the Mexican selling his pottery & stuff from Mexico....it was a jumping place. It was a good nights sleep & this morning we wanted to get an early start. After Will hooked up the Saturn we couldn't get the car to start up. Of course my first thought is suicide or nervous breakdown....remember we are in the desert in the middle of frigging no where who's going to fix anything? Anyway, Will patiently fooled with it & the fuse we have to take out to tow must be installed before I guess the car will start. We thought we had driven before without the fuse put back but I guess we were wrong. OK, now can we go???? After pressing the buttons to get the slides in (so we can drive) the jacks are next to come up, Will hits the button & they start & then STOP....they are stuck, half up, half down....can't drive that way. I of course can't believe this is happening and start running for the manuals to find out what to do. After reading & not finding anything, I want to call the dealer when one of the RV residents.....TOM, knocks on door & says, are your levels stuck? He then comes in & tells us he had an RV like this & it happened once to him & you have to push 2 buttons together, unfortunately, he's not sure which 2 buttons. As Tom said, "I went to sleep last night & don't remember yesterday." Anyway, Will gives him the driver's seat & Tom starts pushing buttons, and God bless him, he finds the right two buttons, which of course I immediately write down for future reference. Well, we bid Tom a big thank you & farewell to him & Gila Bend....I won't be coming back.