Miguel and Ramón are in trouble with their family. The cousins were almost expelled from school for fighting, and just as they're finishing up their final year in middle school, their grades have dropped. Miguel's father Rodrigo-who has raised Ramón since the loss of his father-has decided the boys need to be punished. So instead of going on the family's summer vacation to Santa Fe, they'll stay with their Abuelita Rosa in a remote town in Arizona and do chores around her place. Dreading a long, boring month, the boys get started on the extensive list of tasks they are supposed to complete. Soon they find something interesting: a two-wheeled Vespa scooter. Excited, the boys decide fixing the scooter might enliven their stay. If they can get it to run, they'll at least be able to get around town. The next morning, though, Miguel and Ramón wake to a quiet house, and they're shocked to find their grandmother unconscious in bed. When the ambulance takes her away to the hospital, the boys are left alone and unable to contact Miguel's parents. Suddenly, the scooter seems to be the only answer to reaching their family, and so the boys gather bare essentials and begin the long trip to New Mexico. Miguel and Ramón quickly learn that traveling across the country isn't as easy as they had expected. But along the way the boys see many wonderful sights and meet lots of interesting people. Most importantly, Miguel and Ramón will discover a lot about themselves through their growing independence.
