Mike and I decided that we needed a cheap weekend away to camp and relax. We decide to go somewhere fairly close to Anchorage and went to South Rolly Campground near Willow Alaska. We loaded up the camp gear (tent and rain tent borrowed from Samantha and Hans), grill, food, some wood and the Kayak and away we went. There was a 40% chance of rain all weekend but we decided to chance it an go anyway. It rained the entire way to the camp ground but once we pulled into the camp ground it nearly stopped. We got the same camp site we had on Labor day weekend last September, right on the Lake! We set up the tent, rain canopy, Mike got dinner going and I took a cruise around the lake. We had corn, fruit, and brats for dinner and made som'res for dessert. While Kayaking we both saw loons! A family of loons with a baby! we hung around our pitiful fire and went to bed.
Saturday we slept in... it was blissful! Then had yummy french press coffee, eggs, and bacon for breakfast. We each did some Kayaking, walking around the Campground, and I did some reading. After I got back from Kayaking Mike decided we would drive up Hatchers Pass for the afternoon to Independence Mine. I had not been there yet so away we went. We decided to take the back way up the pass from Willow. The road was really windy and had some steep drop offs. For the most part it was well maintained but there were sections of gravel that were a bit rough. Once at the mine we walked around the deteriorating buildings for a while and then went on an "Adventure" up the valley and then down and then back up to this cross thing, in search of a lake that I think I made up in my mind. On our hike back down it started to rain a little. After getting some Gold Fish for a snack we started our drive back to the camp ground.
We decided to take the gravel road back to the campground... be adventurous. About 15 minutes into our drive back the low tire pressure light came on in the Veracruz. We waited until we got to a pull out and stopped. Mike got out and looked at the tires. And informed me that there was a rock stuck in our back drivers side tire, I was like a rock... OK a rock is not going to pop a tire. (Little did I know) I got out and you could here the air coming out of the tire. We decided to change the tire and head back into town. It took about 15-20 minutes to change the tire. In that time about 10 cars drove past, one slowed down to wave and a blue truck stopped to see if we needed help. But Mike had it under control and we drove back into Palmer and then Wasilla and then back to the camp ground, not finding any open tire repair shops. We had a super yummy dinner of hobo packets, played a couple of games of Yahtzee (Mike beat me), Kayaked and read before calling it a night.
Sunday we got up had some coffee, oatmeal, and zucchini bead for breakfast. We both went Kayaking and then started to take down Camp. It took a bit of organizing to get everything back in the car with the addition of a full sized tire but we did it. Our drive home was a bit longer then our drive out because we had to drive 50 mph the entire way, with the little tire on. Once home we unpacked, did a quick trip to Kohl's and Fred Meyers, I did some baking (Hummus, zucchini bread, and rice krispie treats) and then we watched the movie Fools Gold.
Today Mike took the Veracruz to the dealership to try to get the tire fixed... The service department took the spear, I mean rock, out of the tire and told us there was no way to repair it. A "cheap" weekend away turned out to cost us $240 for a new tire, to replace a tire that only had 1,340 miles on it. Oh well so is life.
(I will post pictures soon)
Dear Callen,
