Day 7 took us to Salt Lake City in hopes of finally getting the van fixed.
We left the camper behind with Grandma and Grandpa Davies in Talmage and headed to the Ford dealership first thing in the morning. After a few days of warning lights and uncertainty, we were ready for answers. Unfortunately, after sitting at the dealership for nearly two hours, we still had no estimate for when the van would be diagnosed, let alone repaired.
Rather than spend the entire day staring at a waiting room television, Sam and the kids set out in search of food.
What they found was a pleasant surprise.
The neighboring Chevy dealership had a café, appropriately named the GM Café, where everyone enjoyed sandwiches and a chance to stretch their legs in the fresh mountain air. It wasn’t exactly the attraction we had planned for Salt Lake City, but road trips have a funny way of creating memorable stops where you least expect them.
After delivering lunch back to Zed at Ford, Sam and the kids decided to make the most of the unexpected downtime and headed to the movies.
Toy Story 5 was the selection of the day.
Everyone enjoyed it, and for a couple of hours the worries about warning lights, appointments, and repair bills disappeared. Sometimes a dark theater, popcorn, and familiar characters are exactly what a travel day needs.
The timing worked out perfectly. By the time the movie ended, the van was ready.
The culprit turned out to be a faulty valve. Thankfully it was a relatively simple fix and not the transmission issue we had feared while crossing Colorado.
With the van repaired and everyone’s spirits restored, we loaded up and headed back to Talmage. The evening was spent the same way the previous one ended: surrounded by family.
The kids soaked up a few more hours with their great-grandparents, listening to stories, looking through old photographs, and learning more about the family history that stretches long before any of them were born.
One of the highlights of the evening came when Grandpa and Grandma Davies pulled out a collection of toys that didn’t require batteries, charging cables, or Wi-Fi. They taught the kids how to play jacks, a game that quickly proved much harder than it looks. Between stories from decades past, old family photographs, and lessons in games that have entertained generations, the kids got a glimpse into a childhood that looked very different from their own.
Not every travel day is filled with national parks, famous landmarks, or major attractions.
Sometimes success looks like a repaired vehicle, a good sandwich, a movie, and a little more time with family.
Herd Stats
Miles Driven: 2,963
States Traveled: 9
Check Engine Lights: 2
Animal Sightings: Grandpa Davies’ cows
Running Stats
Hotel/Campgrounds Count: 16
Herd Morale: Significantly improved after Ford’s diagnosis
Sanity Level: Back in the green
The Davies Herd 
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