Day 79 Salt Lake City to Moab, UT

We abandoned the Brittons in Salt Lake City this morning and headed for Moab, UT. The shop foreman told them they would be out of there by 1:00. We've heard that before. They told us 2 days, it was 13 days. So we hit the road about 10:00. After leaving I-15 on UT 6 the scenery got better. Also the road got more challenging. 5% down for 8 mi.

Then 7% for 5 mi.

Must be Indians living out here.

Then 100 mi down the valley.

A group of Prong horn.

Getting close to Moab.

Landed at the Portal RV park.

After we got settled in, the first thunderstorm we have seen in months moved in. It blew, then it poured, then it passed.

Heidi doesn't like storms. She hide under the table.

During the storm we heard from the Brittons. They are on the road at 6:00 and all is well. They should be here by 11:00. Maybe.

Day78 - Salt Lake City, UT - September 15, 2011

We must digress a bit.   Lon noticed that the coach had started to creak a little bit when they pulled out of Arco, ID on the way to Yellowstone about a week ago.  The creaking continued to get louder and more frequent as we worked our way to Jackson Hole.  In Jackson he put on his coveralls and crawled under the coach for a layman's inspection.  Not good.  The ball joints were looking like the Alaskan Highway had taken their toll.  I guess it was the Britton's turn in the barrel.  Lon found an authorized Spartan chassis dealer in Salt Lake and had them order the parts so they'd be there on our arrival.  They missed the overnight cut off by an hour, the parts had to come from Lansing, MI.  They'd be in on Thursday the 15th.

Up early leaving Jackson we arrived in Salt Lake about 2:30.

We went straight to the dealer so they could verify what Lon suspected and see if there appeared to be any other issues.

This was a good sign.  No problem they said we can have it fixed by tomorrow night once the parts come in.

So on Thursday, the 15th we had the coach there at 7 am so they could be ready when the parts came in at 9 am. Leaving the coach, we went to Temple Square which is the area of the main Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Temple.

               In the visitors center they had a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it appeared in 33 AD.

While there, Tim the service advisor called.  It seems they need special tools to install the these ball joints and Spartan Motors as a matter of course, sends them with the parts.  While the parts did arrive the tools did not.  They blamed it on the UPS pick-up driver.  Rrrright!!!!  No work could be done without the tools.  Back to Temple Square.

                        We sat through an organ recital on the 12th largest pipe organ in the world.

                                     Checked out the old temple now used as an assembly hall.

                                                               Took some more pics.

                                  Click to enlarge an see the bride on the edge of the infinity pool.

Then we went back, picked up the coach and pulled back into the RV park.  Heidi got excited when she heard us come creaking in. She thought it was the ice cream truck.

We washed the car.  Pam and Gail went grocery shopping.   Then Gail made us all some delicious burritos.

Early to bed to get the coach back to the repair facility at 7:30 am so they can get us back on the road by tomorrow.  Maybe.