Spares

Q:  What do a fuel pump, distributor cap, spark plug, and throttle cable have in common?

 A: They're all examples of small, inexpensive parts that will leave you stranded if they fail.

So?  If you're planning on going a long ways in and old car you should probably carry spares, unless you're feeling exceptionally lucky.  A hundred dollars in small critical parts is cheap insurance against the stress of finding yourself in MacGyver mode just to get home.

We drove 250 miles with it like that

Yeah, we learned our lesson from that one.  There's a certain level of relief that comes when you hear the clutch cable snap and think, "Hey, we've got another one of those with us!"  Now, instead of being completely helpless on an island in Lake Superior, it's possible to fix the problem and continue the trip.

I said possible, not 'babytown frolics'

Other times, though, you just can't plan ahead and you have to get creative.  One of the pop-top bolts broke on our last trip and and a conveniently-discarded tent stake came to the rescue.  That was probably the only time I've been happy about the campers before us leaving something behind.

It looks like an 'L' but it's totally a 'W'

Still, parts are nothing without the knowledge to put them to use.  If your understanding of a car doesn't go much beyond adding gas then a box of spares won't do you much good.  Like anything, it just takes time and practice.  The more you learn the less intimidating it becomes.

The great thing about an old VW is that you can tell it was built by people.  Real humans made it in the first place, so (presumably) you should be able to fix it without the help of a robot or a computer.  Sometimes it's funny to think of Klaus or Hermann, back in the Wolfsburg factory forty-some years ago.  Someone had to have put that first clutch cable in there.  If he did it, I should be able to do it, too.  Those are the kinds of thoughts that go through your head when you're on the wet ground with grit dropping in your eyes hoping you'll fix it to get home.

Kickapoo River Trip

This weekend we took a short trip to one of my favorite areas in the state- the Driftless Area. It is one area of the state that was not touched by glaciers, so the river valleys and rolling hills are very picturesque.  We drove the "slow" route by taking the winding Highway 33 through the tiny towns of LaValle and Hillsboro.  This part of Highway 33 should really be considered a scenic drive.  It winds through the wooded hillsides, through small towns and past Amish farm pastures.  It's a great change of pace and very relaxing.

View from the top of Wildcat Mountain

Just past Wildcat Mountain State Park, we stopped in Ontario and rented a canoe to take a trip down the Kickapoo River.  If you ever have a few hours to spare on a summer day, I would highly recommend making an excursion to take this trip.  The canoe rental rates are reasonable and you can choose whatever length of trip you feel like, from 2 hours to the entire day. 

Luckily we had started out early in the morning and were one of the first to set out down the river.  The current drifts lazily as it winds around back and forth through the river valley.  The portion of the river that we traveled is very scenic.  It cuts through areas with steep rock ledges where the trees stretch out, springs trickle in, and deeper pools swirl in the currents.  The river twists and turns so frequently that you never know what's up ahead.

 

 

rock outcropping                 lazy paddling    

another mysterious bend in the river...

 

           A sunny swimming spot!

The water is clear and shallow, and the sandy bottoms make great areas for wading in to cool off.  Early on in the day we saw a lot of wildlife at the river banks.  Kingfishers and swallows swooped from the tree tops to the water and families of ducklings and muskrats paddled along the river edges.  Later into the afternoon, just as we were ending our trip, the sandy banks started filling up with groups of people and families out for the day to enjoy some swimming and a lazy drift down this winding river.