Our Weirdest Detour Yet: From a Burning Car to Trading My E-Bike

Michigan is one of our home bases, so we came up for the summer to give the bus (and us) a breather from the road. It gave us a window to handle all the things best tackled while actually in-state: doctor appointments, dental checkups, eyeglass runs, and plenty of elbow grease on our property. Our friends have opened their home to us while we wait to get vehicle access to our land. (For now? Walk-in only. The plot thickens!)

We also finished the catio! Phil and Bean love it. Heddy? Too scared. Scabbers? Full-on diva.

Also, we had a minor vehicular drama…

We tried a bold left turn that turned into a jackknife moment in the road. In the scramble to unhook and reset, Zach forgot to pop the car out of gear — super easy mistake. A half-mile later, we saw smoke.

🔥 Yup… dragged it, and it caught fire.

But get this:

A kind soul had already called 911

That same person knew someone who could tow it free of charge

We were back on the road within the hour

Our car may be toast, but the outcome could’ve been worse. Zach had the fire mostly out before responders arrived — quick thinking for the win.

Sightseeing in the bus post-fire? Hilariously impossible. So we revisited our e-bike dilemma — too powerful, not my jam. Then, at a PEV event, someone actually offered to swap a car for it.

What?!

We’re now rolling around in a modest but magical Honda — nothing fancy, but absolutely perfect for exploring all the weird attractions Michigan tosses our way. And yes, geocaching is back on the table! You try doing that every mile in a bus…

The whole detour didn’t just leave tire marks. It left stories, lessons, and the occasional smoky reminder to listen to your co-pilot (hi, me).

If you’re headed our way, our page of Things To Do in Michigan has plenty more weird stops.

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