Home

Photo & Journal Index

Email Scott

Email Caroline

Turnpike Blowout!  
02/07/05 - Near Homestead, FL (Photos)

Our first Cavalier malfunction on the highway

 

Driving north past Florida City, we started talking about how ole Chevy-girl could use an oil change, and maybe get her tires rotated.  So we're trying to figure out what our mileage was the last time we got tires.  As we're discussing the tires, driving 75 mph or so on the turnpike, we have a blowout.  Rear passenger side.  It was surprising how relatively normal the car felt to drive even after the tire went.  So, we were able to pull off the road where we briefly debated using our AAA membership to get some assistance.  But since we had nothing better to do, Scott decided to go ahead and put the spare on and drive back into Homestead to get a new tire.  Of course, just getting to the spare was the most difficult part of the process, as nearly all of our worldly belongings reside in the trunk.  Which meant we had to scatter our stuff on the side of the highway.

 

Things went smoothly, Scott changed a tire while Caroline snapped photos and re-packed some of our luggage.  We drove back to Homestead and found a tire place that was about a half an hour from closing, where we were able to get a new tire put on.  Our main mechanic, a New Yorker by the name of "Brain" (no, I did not misspell Brian), warned us to leave Homestead, head north, don't get trapped there like he did.  I informed him that we had no intention of moving there... he seemed quite relieved - for our sake.  "Them Cubans think they own the place!".

 

We were back on the road before six, and figured we'd start looking for a place to spend the night.  But apparently, once you drive past the  last exit for Ft. Lauderdale, there is absolutely NOTHING on I-75 for the next 90 miles west.  Not even an exit.  They call this stretch "Alligator Alley", and apparently this time of year you can see lots of alligators lounging near the side of the road.  Since it was dark, we saw nothing except for the thousands of mosquitoes that decided to smash themselves into our windshield.  We ended up stopping off at the next exit, near Naples, to enjoy a night at the Comfort Inn in one of the last non-smoking rooms available in Naples, apparently.  It was a long day that started with breakfast at Blue Heaven in Key West and ended with a fine dinner at the Taco Bell at exit 101 off I-75 near Naples.