Mid afternoon as we drove the Parkway listening to “The Murder of Mary Russell ” just as the story started to resolve a persistent beeping intruded. Looking down at the dash I saw STOP ENGINE and  CHECK TRANSMISSION showing. I immediately  pulled to the verge there being no shoulder. While we waited to get a call through to Coach-net our long time roadside service, I started the engine and resumed driving. About a mile further the engine derated, it would not go above an idle. I rolled along until I saw a stretch of verge that seemed rather level and got about half the coach off the road. I immediately went to a bin where a set of road side emergency triangles have resided, annoying me from time to time, in all three of our coaches since 2001. I set them up at the prescribed  distances and waited for Kelly at Coach- net to do her magic. 

And Waited. . . And waited. 

It is Saturday afternoon and the closest large city is Jackson MI about 70 miles to the south, and we are on The Natchez Trace Parkway. Maximum speed 50 mph. 

Kelly worked hard to find a tow service that could move this beast. While we waited we had visitors. The adminstrator of the French Camp School stopped by twice to make sure we were okay. A family stopped by to offer the names of towing services in the area. Others stopped by to ask if we needed food or water or any things else. The days of true Good Samaritans exist on the local scene.

Hugh, County Sherriff officer, stopped and parked his cruiser with the lights on as twilight approached. Jay, the tow truck driver arrived and determined that indeed there was no way for him to tow GeeWhiz with his equipment. In the process I started the engine and pulled onto the pavement so he could try. Eventually the decision was made to proceed as best we could in a procession with the Sheriff’s car in the lead and the tow truck with all his lights bringing up the rear. I could not get the engine to accelerate above idle. So the procession moved at 5 to 7 mph for maybe 3 miles into a lovely pullout “Hurricane Creek” where we leveled up and made our home for the night with the Sheriff’s blessing – and I guess the NPS as well.

The story will be resumed in the morning with a bigger tow truck and a less wonderful camping spot in a repair yard.

Stay tuned!