Uh-oh. Car trouble!

We were driving along minding our own business when we heard a pop. Thinking we had a flat tire, we pulled over quickly and backed up a little bit to a safe spot. When we got out, the tires were fine, but the engine didn't sound so good. Scott immediately said, "We blew a spark plug."

We were in the middle of nowhere. And had no cell service. But less than a minute after we open the hood of the car, another car turned around and pulled over and asked if they could help.

Scott and the other gentleman took a look at the engine and we decided that they would drive me to a phone to call AAA. We thought we would have to go about 25 miles back to West Glacier where we had just departed from. But only half a mile down the road we saw a ranger station and another half-mile we saw an Inn. The people didn't want to stop at the ranger station. They later told me they had just been reprimanded for letting their dogs run. So they dropped me at the inn and waited while I called AAA. 

AAA had good news and bad news the good news was they could send a tow truck and they can tow the car to the nearest mechanic which was in Kalispell 33.2 miles away. The bad news was my premier membership doesn't kick in for two more days because I purchased it five days ago and there's a seven day wait period, So we would have to pay for the trailer to be towed.

They gave me the number of the tow company so that I could call them directly to order a second tow truck, since the first one would only take our car and two passengers.

When I call the tow company the one driver who could take both of our vehicles was free and said he would see us in about two hours.

At this point the couple who drove me to the inn to use the phone took me back to our car to wait with the rest of the family.

Upon arriving back at the car, I was greeted with frantic questions of "where is the Advil? Kik has been stung 12 times!"

Apparently, Jo and Kik were headed down to the river and came upon a bees nest in a tree that they didn't see.

After administering the Advil, Scott and I talked about the situation with AAA and decided that I would walk to the ranger station half mile around the corner to see if we could drop the trailer there while the car was towed into town.

After trying multiple campgrounds in the park, the Rangers agreed that we could drop the trailer at their station, which was not a camping area. However, our tow truck driver told us it would be about the same cost to hitch up the trailer and drop it at the ranger station or to drive the mileage and then he'd do the hitch up for free.

So we loaded everyone and everything up. 

Everyone in the cab! 

It was a pleasant ride as the tow truck driver let us watch the slideshow on his phone of all the different accidents he has towed and told us stories.

He taught Kik and Sy had unload the truck.

We did have a goal to do laundry today, and that was accomplished across the street from the Napa auto-parts where the tow truck driver dropped us off.

Good night from Columbia Falls, Napa Auto Parts RV Park. Hopefully, we'll be fixed up in the morning. 

Friends, if you get an email saying we're broke down and we just need you to wire us $1000 to get us home, it may be legitimate!  (: