Frances Takes A Vacation, Epilogue

Well, I have come to the end of my journey and this will be my last FTAV blog post. I have had a wonderful time writing and have enjoyed all your feedback and comments. I would like to leave you all with some post trip reflections and observations from my days traveling the great state of California.

I think that every woman should give themselves permission to vacation alone at some point in their lives. Fear was never a factor for me, and the longer I planned this trip, the more adventurous and courageous I became. I trusted my spirit guides and just knew that whatever came about in the trip would be a life learning event. I also trusted that I would always be put in the direction of some healthy, traveling individuals, who were just as interested in experiencing California as I was. I met many such people.

These are some of the things I loved to smell:

Skunk, the wind carrying the scent of cows grazing on a meadow, hay, campfires, dirt, a good steak grilling, Coppertone, hippie boy/girl scent, lavender, milk, clean hair, coffee, fresh warm muffins, trout, lemons, grapes, apples, corn, wine, and sycamore trees

These are some of the things I loved seeing:

Acres of corn, strawberry patches, a city sign that said, "Strawberry, Population 50", Red Tailed Hawks leading the way my entire journey, rolling hills, horses running, the Kern River rapids, the American River rapids, my loving friends, signs indicating I have arrived at my destination, flies that don't bother me, brine shrimp having sex, Karen and Tim's first grandchild, the Redwoods, frogs, country roads, meteors, the ocean, trees swaying in the wind.

These are some of the things I loved feeling:

Ice cold water coming from a water faucet, Mono Lake, hand lotion, tomatoes, Alowyn (Karen and Tim's grandchild), family hugs, rocks, my horse Sweetie's tail smacking me, a hot mineral bath, the wind, emotion from way deep down, a sense of pride in being a native Californian.

These are some of the things I loved listening to:

Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Django, Casey and Tyler, birds calling, the wind blowing, people talking without yelling, Karen, Tim's jokes, the old songs sung by John and Danny, the ocean, encouraging words from friends and strangers, California history, me talking to myself.

These are some of the tastes I enjoyed:

Tempranillo, Tik's Cupcakes, the best oatmeal served at the Cozmic Cafe in Placerville, Latte's, tomatoes, portabello mushrooms, plums, fresh water from the tap, tofu tortilla soup, fresh bread, blackberry muffins, wild berry danish, healthy living, a fabulous red port.

So to all my faithful followers, and womankind as a whole, thanks for supporting me and following my blog. I look forward to next years vacation, whatever it may be. There is still so much more of California that for me has yet to be discovered. Whatever the journey is, it will involve my childhood best friend and her family. Until then....Just Do It All!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig (R.R. Burt c.1986-2004)

Let's play a round of visualization therapy. Now close your eyes and sit back. Imagine a place tucked away in deep forest. This is a place that is so far away from the sounds of a freeway, or other people's voices, that you are amazed that you can hear your own breathing. Now, imagine yourself picking your jaw up off the ground when you hear a voice say, "Hello, Mrs. Burt, glad you have arrived. Your spa is waiting for you." Picture yourself walking through rows of sycamore trees (au natural, call of the wild and all that), to your very own private hot bubbling mineral spa. While you are soaking, you lay your head back in amazement, as you watch these old sycamores that appear as if they are touching heaven, sway to and fro. Then suddenly, you hear the distant singing of birds communing with one another. You have become part of the earth. As your body falls into total relaxation, you say to yourself, "Now I get it." This is exactly how I spent my evening last night. The mineral bath was then followed by a body treatment with a scrub and lotion filled with extracts from the Chardonnay grape, grown in the San Louis area. After an hour of this bliss, I thought to myself, " Hmmm! I wonder what my blood alcohol level is now?" Back to my hotel room, I went to bed and fell fast asleep. This morning was a monumental breakfast. I ordered my usual oatmeal, and without asking, the waitress gave me the senior discount. Ouch! I couldn't handle this so I went ahead and left the non-senior price difference in her tip. I showed her!

Chele's on Pomeroy Ave. in case you are interested. Good but not great oatmeal. At 11:30, I began my trek back home. I decided to take the scenic route to Belmont Shore. I got so excited to be in my hood. I love Long Beach. I stopped and took this picture of Cherry Beach from the Bluff, for Danny Jaurequi. He will know why I did this.

I arrived in LB at 3:30 to smiles, hugs and sighs of relief from Casey and Tyler, and some kisses from three very happy pugs and one delighted guard dog. Click, Click, Click,..."there's no place like home."

Tomorrow: Final Blog for "Frances Takes A Vacation"

San Juan Bautista

After a quick breakfast with Darlene, I continued onward arriving in San Juan Bautista by noon. First on the agenda was a visit to the famous San Juan Bakery. Sadly, this bakery does not make a lemon danish. As a result, in my opinion, Katella Deli still ranks #1 in the lemon danish world. They do, however, make a wild berry danish that is out of this world! I then did a little window shopping before heading over to the Mission. Mission San Juan Bautista is quite a sight. It lies directly on top of the San Andreas Fault and survived a violent earthquake in 1906. Sadly, this earthquake caused the bell tower to crumble. So the Bell tower that Kim Novak falls out of twice in the movie Vertigo, filmed in 1957 (the year I was born), was actually a Hollywood prop compliments of Alfred Hitchcock. Check out the whimsical San Juan Bautista. His eyes move every time you change your position.

So by late afternoon, I landed in my final destination.....Pismo Beach. After a Cosmo on the Beach, I am headed for the Sycamore Mineral Spa in Avila Beach.

Thursday Destination: Long Beach...Home

Change Is The Spice of Life

Guess who I had dinner with tonight? Our own Darlene Hanson, The Autism Whisperer. Turns out, she had business up in San Jose, and since we can never get together in So Cal, we were able to rearrange things and meet here in San Jose. Nice to have a piece of home while on the road. Nice to finally taste Sangria.

Well, I checked out of the Jumping Frog Motel in Angels Camp this morning, and headed towards their downtown area for breakfast and antiquing. Did you know that this town holds an annual frog jumping contest? It's true. The town is actually inspired by the writings of Mark Twain., one of my favorite American writers. I met some wonderful people in town today, and while having a latte at the Angels Camp Mercantile, I ran into a family from Downey, Ca. I was able to navigate from Angels Camp to San Jose, but it was pretty tricky. Thank goodness I have two GPS units in my car.

Today, I am feeling the after effects of caving. Now some people, (like my Idyllwild friend Dave), would support the idea of returning to the thing that made you sore in the first place. Well, not me! I support a manicure and a pedicure. So I did just that. Now, with opalescent blue toes, I will head onward towards the Mission in San Juan Bautista.

Wednesday Destination: San Juan Bautista, landing in Pismo Beach.

My Leap Of Faith, Moaning Caverns

Today, Monday, was my leap of faith day. I made it to the Moaning Caverns, took a tour, and Zip Lined 1500 ft. This is the tower we step off of. It's a beautiful ride way above the trees and rock. The sun was beating down, so when you land, they have a water mister showering you with droplets. Zip Lining is like flying...you get to your destination really fast but you can't do it for to long. This was my new personal adventure and my next place to Zip Line will be in Costa Rica (that's where the pros go).The really bad video I took will come later. After a morning of cave climbing and zip lining, I started listening to the calls from the row of Wineries I was passing. I decided to answer, and which one did I choose? The Twisted Oak Winery.It was the perfect choice. To get to it, I had to drive this "Twisted" dirt road, so to make it entertaining, they posted these really fun signs. When I finally got to the winery, I heard the sound of Jim Morrisons voice singing. This place was blasting the "Doors" the entire time I was there. I knew I was home. So I stayed for a while, tasted some fabulous reds, bought some fabulous reds, and a t-shirt that asks, "Are You Twisted?"

Next Stop: San Jose/San Juan Bautista and a surprise change in plan

Placerville

Has anyone ever had the experience of driving down the road, and a song comes on, and it brings back a memory from long ago, and you are suddenly immersed in a huge overwhelming sense of emotion? I had a weekend filled with that. I had a weekend filled with memories and lots of love. There was non-stop laughter, and silliness, along with tons of bonding conversation, and of course, great music. Meet Karen. She is still so beautiful and so lovely. She has held onto her honesty and family values that her parents gave her. Meet Tim, her husband. He looks serious, but he is so funny. Now here's a guy who has not changed at all. If anyone can stand back and tolerate a couple of middle aged gigglers, he can't be all that bad. He has been so patient with us through the years. Meet Danny, Karen's oldest brother, his wife Claudia, and Ginger, their Mom, beside the Woody.

The weekend ended, well, in a bar. Danny, and John P. played at Poor Red's, a local landmark.

There were so many memories in a short period of time. As Danny said, "We're Lakewood!" He is right...."always remember your roots."

Placerville and Camino....I will return.

Next Stop: Angels Camp.

Old Friends (Simon and Garfunkel)

"Time it was and what a time it was it was, it was..., a time of innocence, a time of confidences. Long ago it must be, I have a photograph, preserve your memories, their all that's left you."

Well, I have arrived in Placerville. As Karen said, "this is a forty year flashback!" We are laughing just like we use to, we are sharing beauty tips just like we use to, and we are talking aging, a new subject.

So faithful blog followers, I will be enjoying my friend, and her family all weekend, and will not be blogging until Monday.

Pictures to follow.

Stay tuned.

Monday Destination: Angels Camp and Zip Lining at Moaning Caverns

El Mono, Day 3, Part 2

Well the day started out with a jolt....double non-fat latte. I made a new friend at the Latte Da. Her name is Cathy and guess what? She found Mt. Whitney and was kind enough to share a photo with me (careful not to miss the picture below). Anyway, I headed out to Bodie and found things pretty dead there. After walking around the ghost town, I went to Virginia Lake for an afternoon of horseback riding. My horse was named Sweetie and guess what she liked to do? Eat. Isn't it ironic that we were paired together? Every chance she got, she nibbled. We talked about discipline and counting points, but she just couldn't control herself. The guide even disciplined me for letting Sweetie nibble. The guide said, "just give her a kick, cuz it's not good for her to nibble. We watch the horses weight." But Sweetie was smart. Every time I would kick, she would start to gallop. That got old real fast. So I just let her nibble and told her, "Sweetie, I totally get where you're coming from." This evening, Cathy and I took a guided tour of the South Tufa at Mono Lake. Mono Lake is a geological masterpiece with an incredible eco system that is rapidly chnging.

Did I see Flat Stanley? No, but I did see Paul Simon (or a good imposter of him) at the South Tufu.

El Mono Motel and Latte Da Cafe, Day 2, part 1

I have arrived at my Day 2 & 3 destination, El Mono. It is located right off of Highway 395, literally. This place is in full bloom with an array of Cosmos, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Gallardia, Lupine, and of course, a ton of Sunflowers. With a direct view of Mono Lake, I am in heaven.
Just to close out Kernville...I hit the Sportsman Lounge at 9:00pm. As I entered the darkened room, a voice came over the loud speaker..."LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, STANLEY HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!" I asked a biker...."did Stanley say where he was headed?" The biker simply replied "North!" So after a quick bowl of oatmeal at the Cracked Egg, (Starbucks is still the best), I was on the road. My highlight for today was to have been Mt. Whitney in Lone Pine. I was so excited. But, I'm embarrased to say, I missed it. Yes, I missed Mt. Whitney, all 14,505 feet of it. It slipped by me. How? I don't know. I stopped in town at a coffee shop. There were tons of tourists who seemed to be frustrating the barrista. When it was my turn to get served, I began to run through my head various versions of "Did I miss Mt. Whitney?" I thought, "Have you seen Mt. Whitney?", or, "Where can I find Mt. Whitney?", or, "Can you direct me to Mt. Whitney, yes the highest peak in the contiguous United States," were all just a bit to ridiculous. So at the risk of seeming uncool and like a tourist, and having the entire cafe drop their jaws and gasp, I asked, "Can I please have a mango smoothie?" Reluctantly, I continued on the road. I stopped in Independence,visited the historic courthouse, and then Bishop. Schatz's Bakery is too crowded and I do not recommend their tuna sandwich.

Thursday: Bodie, and The South Tufa of Mono Lake

Kernville

Well, I made it to my first destination. The Kernville Inn. I arrived at 3:45pm and made great time.I left LB at 10:00am, Casey and Tyler were up, packed the car, and saw me off. After a quick Starbucks run, I headed to downtown L.A. to the Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of Angels. What an awesome place. The architecture hit me immediately. After entering the cathedral, I held my private, "Frances Takes A Vacation Candle Lighting Ceremony. Actually, there was nun peeking over my shoulder counting the candles I was lighting and making sure I paid accordingly. So I told her all about my angels. Immediately following the ceremony, I headed to the gift shop. Now this is a huge gift shop and what do you think immediately caught my eye? No, not the crucifix selection, not the rosary selection, not the multiple versions of Jesus in various poses (on the cross, bleeding heart...)hanging from every wall in the shop, but, the official, Our Lady Queen of Angels wine selection. I kid you not. I could not pass up making a small purchase.

I sat outside the gift shop, enjoying the sun, when at noon, the bells of the Campanella sounded...,ding, dong, ding. By 12;30, I was back on the road.

The drive to Kernville was memorable and a bit melancholy. I thought about my boys quite a bit and lots of happy times in days gone by. How much I had forgotten.

So, I am off to go visit the River. After that, I am headed to the Sportsman Lounge which has been calling my name. There is a buzz around town that a huge celebrity is visiting. Who is it? They call him Stanley, Flat Stanley. I better go check him out.

ps: I am having a heck of a time uploading pictures. Sorry, but I will figure this out.

Wednesday: Highway 395

All My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready to Go......

.....and I am so excited. I have learned a lot about myself while planing this trip. I recall many years of wanting to do something for myself, but the demands or needs of others, a sudden migraine, or an out of the blue fever stepped in, (as they have somehow managed to do again this weekend), swaying me from doing something for myself. Well, enough of that! I'm simply choosing to ignore them. Thanks to my good friend John who gave me lots of Facebook support today. Thanks to Meg, my rock, for being so understanding as I canceled our afternoon outing today.

So, my car has been serviced, I've packed the emergency auto and the first aide kits, I have waterproof matches, glow sticks, insect repellent, lots of water, a reasonable amount of snacks, sunscreen, breath mints, excellent music thanks to all of your suggestions, a trashy novel, camera, Flip, Ipad, and a few pieces of clothing (Remember, Call of the Wild and all that!). I am feeling comfortable.

This will be my last pre-vacation blog. I leave the LBC on Tuesday morning. For those of you who are concerned (Santy), about me taking a solo road trip. Fear not, for I have a heavenly band of angels who will be accompanying me, keeping me safe and listening to me sing out loud. On my dash, my Mom (2008), praying a 9 day Novena; in the backseat, my Dad (2009) and my Father in-Law the Colonel (2002), sipping Portonics as we cruise; sitting like a Beauty Queen on the convertible is my Mother in-Law Lois (2010) saying "Oh honey go faster!"; and on the front bumper will be Aleen (2010), who knew Karen and I as teens, and Davey (2006) Karen's cute and cool musician brother who always got a kick out of our mischief. They both will sound the horn to Placerville, "Brace Yourselves"; and of course, riding shotgun will be Randy (2004), reading the map and saying "this trip is wonderful!" I am dedicating this trip to these angels who have gone on before me.

Thanks Casey and Tyler for being the children you are! I love you Muchachos!

Tuesday Destination: Kernville, Ca

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig (R.R. Burt c.1986-2004)

Well, all good things must come to an end, so...after a bowl of oatmeal on the Boardwalk in Pismo, I'll start my journey home to Long Beach. I plan on visiting a few beaches on my way, arriving home by evening.

I have been thinking lots about my friends and family. I have wonderful friends and family. Heck yeah I do! I appreciate all of you taking the time to read my blog and listen to my stories of long ago. Everyone has been so tolerant of my constant nagging..."have you read my blog today?" I especially love the person who left the message on my office door..."Follow My Blog!"

This vacation is a life statement for many reasons as you all have come to understand. I lost my mojo six years ago, and just haven't been able to find it until now. You are my witnesses, and I am so blessed that I have you all to share it.

Destination: Long Beach....Home

Beach Therapy

Since I was a child, my favorite place to go was the Beach. Any Beach. I love the Beach. I especially love summers in Southern California. In Long Beach, the ocean scent breezes through my windows late at night. In the winter, I can hear the early morning calls of the cargo vessels sounding their horns as if they are playing a game of "last tag" with each other. As often as possible, I try to spend one day of my weekends at or out on the water. Once, while kayaking in the Bay with my friends Meg and Darlene, dolphins came and swam right next to us. It was magical and serene and we all felt one with nature.

Since my trip includes streams, rivers, lakes, mountains, forest and country, I find it appropriate that my last night be spent at the Beach. Early Wednesday morning after Mass at the Mission, I will head to Pismo Beach, spending the night on the Boardwalk (in a hotel, not under it).Once I arrive at Pismo, I will drop off my gear and head directly to Avila Beach for an evening at the Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs, an old favorite getaway for Randy and I. This will be a night that is all about me.

Thanks Jen for planting the Spa idea in my head!

Destination: Pismo Beach

Do You Know The Way to San Jose?

The drive from Angels Camp to San Jose was looking pretty complex, (and I must admit I have been a little nervous about this portion of my drive), so I decided to download a compass application to my IPad as one of the many tools that will be guiding me in the right direction. I am now certain that with the two GPS systems in my car, the binder of pre-printed Google maps I downloaded, and that California map I am convinced is printed in caveman hieroglyphics, I'll find my way there somehow.

My initial goal on this leg of the trip was to spend time with my nephew, however, work has made him unavailable. So my destination is now Mission San Juan Bautista (aka. St. John the Baptist), which has the largest Church of all the California missions. Along with experiencing the history of the Mission, I also have high hopes of catching a glimpse of the ghost of Carlotta Valdes. Carlotta is the elusive, beautiful woman who Jimmy Stewart tries so psychopathically to recreate via Kim Novak, in my favorite Hitchcock movie, Vertigo. Kim Novak falls from the Mission bell tower, not once, but twice. (Some chics never learn). I also was recently informed by one of Tyler's work buddies, that one of his favorite childhood memories with his Mom, was going to the San Juan Bakery, which is down the street from the Mission. Once at the bakery, I will have to experience a lemon danish to honor my co-workers who are addicted to the lemon danish at Katella Deli, in Los Alamitos. This will be...my lemon danish taste-off. I will not be counting these points!

Tuesday Destination: San Juan Bautista, Ca

My Leap of Faith, Literally

Although my departure from Placerville will be heart wrenching, I must continue on my journey.

I seem to recall having an adventurous spirit somewhere inside me. It appears to have been put in hibernation mode since maybe, 2004. Funny thing is, I didn't realize it had been sleeping until I heard,... "The Call of the Wild". Adventure, here I come! This is my response....

Monday morning I will be driving down Highway 49, into Gold Country. I will be entering Calavaras County (home to the Jumping Frog Contest) and spending the day at the Moaning Caverns. This visit will include a cave tour and an afternoon of Zip Lining. Yes, I will be Zip Lining at the Moaning Caverns. The video above is a sneak peak of my next adventure. I call it, "My Leap of Faith".

Monday's Destination: Angels Camp, Ca

Childhood Best Friends

How many of you are still in contact with your childhood best friend? If you are, then you will understand the importance of having an almost life long friend. If you're not, technology today will allow you to find them easily. I have one suggestion, find that person. It's important to have someone who can bring you back to the days when your life was a little less complex and worrisome, and a time when silliness and laughter were so much more present. It is this person who has the power to look at you in the eyes as you are raising your children and say to you, "Remember when you did this?"

A childhood best friend is the one you walk to school with in matching uniforms, have overnighters with, brush and braid each others hair, ride double on bikes with (she always got the handlebars), eat an entire 12 inch submarine sandwiches at one meal and never worry about fat or calories, share new dance moves with, lay around all day watching soaps or do absolutely nothing and have the greatest time doing nothing, share clothes with, make chocolate chip cookies, or Tik's cupcakes in the afternoons to have ready for your dad when he gets home from work, be thankful that she has a cute and cool big brother who is a musician and has lots of cute and cool musician friends, share boyfriend stories with, get your drivers license with, and then, when she finds the love of her life, you reluctantly, but lovingly let her go with him to begin creating their life story together. Did we have fun? Yes we did, and we were always kept safe. We were blessed to have great parents that were always in the wings supervising us. They even trusted us enough to send three 18 year old girls, unsupervised, to Hawaii, which since then has become archived as, "THE FAMOUS TRIP"! It was actually we three girls who founded that slogan..., "What happens in Hawaii, stays in Hawaii".

To this day, I can honestly say, that not one day in my life has gone by since we became friends when I have not thought about her.

So everyone, meet the Mingles! They will be my weekend visit from Friday night through Monday morning.

Destination: Placerville

Frances, Can You Fish?

The answer is...., yes. I've been known to hook a fish a time or two, but that was back in the day. I was better at helping everyone net them in. And boy, could I clean a fish as you can see in my photo.

My fishing experience began in my young days, and with my father. He had no idea how to fish, but he had this fishing pole that seemed to always come along on our family beach vacations to Ensenda in Baja. At dusk, you could see Dad walk down to the shore, bait the line and cast. He was usually unsuccessful. Then, a few years later, I seem to recall a couple of fishing experiences with Aleen my dear friend.

Finally, I met the Master, Randy. A fine fisherman. One of our first dates was fishing. So our family spent lots of time on the lakes along the upper Highway 395 for several years. It was magical being awoken by a huge showering of fireworks above Lake Crowley, signaling it was time to drop your lines in the lake.

So will I be fishing this trip? If I get a hankering. However, I will be stopping at several cities to enjoy the sites. I will set out early Wednesday for Lone Pine (taking in a view of Mt. Whitney), then to Lee Vining (I will have lunch at the Whoa Nellie Deli), then Independence (where Chinatown was filmed), Mono Lake (maybe kayak on the lake) and Bridgeport for some horse back riding. I would love to hear your suggestions for this stay.

Wednesday/Thursday Destination: Mono Lake/Bridgeport

Next Blog: Meet the Mingles

Kernville! Why Kernville?

The Trout Season Opener

Those of you who knew me prior to September 10, 2004, will remember just how important Kernville, Ca was to my family. Those of you who came into my life after September 10, 2004, will soon understand.

I found out in 1987 that I had absolutely no understanding of this thing called a MAP. Randy, a skilled map reader, knew maps inside and out. Why did I need to understand them? He always did the driving! He was so good, he even understood topographical maps and had a huge collection of them. To me, TOPO maps where over sized pieces of paper colored with various shades of green , that took up tons of space. They always had to be "rolled, not folded".

Anyway, Randy and I were "reconnoitering" for some hunting property and long story made short...we bought 11 acres with a small rustic cabin on it. He named it, "The Ranch". Within a few years, we bought 21 more acres above us. The Ranch was Randy's favorite place, and our boys spent many a weekend there. Although we bought the land to hunt on, we never did because we came to love the wild life there. The Ranch is located in the Piute Mountains, right outside of Lake Isabella. This area will be one of my Day 1 stops while driving to Kernville.

Kernville was home to the Annual Burt Family Spring Trout Season Opener. Each year, we would rent a kitchenette room for our family at McNallys. McNallys is the home of the "World's Famous Steaks" and located in Fairview. Over the years, Randy fished the Kern with yours truly, our 3 sons, my father, my nephews, and many of our boys friends. It was at the Kern that I realized Casey, our middle son, was a true fisherman, like his father.These were great times for our sons.

PS: Yes, I saw the movie Psycho, and I took the Universal Studios tour of the Bates Motel; but, if the room I rent has WiFi, it can't be that bad!

PSS: I have a new friend, Ti, who has jumped aboard to help customize my Blog. Thank you Ti!

Decisions, Decisions

I am finding out the hard way that map reading is not as fun and easy as people say it is. I mean, the way I am reading the map of California, there are absolutely no gas stations along Highway 395! My luck, there are probably a million, (as Randy would say), "pit toilets". When I rule the world, and when Tyler graduates from Geography College, I will order him to begin creating maps that contradict Columbus,....(ie., the world is not round but flat). That way, I have a better chance of getting to my destination.

NEWSFLASH!

I had a visit from my brother Mike yesterday. I showed him my travel plans and after he commented..., "That's a lot of driving in one week!". I thought about it and decided he was right. I have add two more days to my vacation.

My new start date is Tuesday, August 10, 2010. First stop, Our Lady Queen of Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles for an official "Frances Takes A Vacation" Candlelighting Ceremony.

Tuesday Afternoon Destination: Kernville, Ca.

My first solo trip that is not work related.

The Project:

• Travel Parts of Southern, Central and Northern California in my 2006 Red Convertible Beetle, by myself, for one week.

The Goal:

• 1.) Visit my childhood best friend Karen, her husband Tim, their children, and all of Karen's extended family who live in Placerville and nearby cities.


• 2.) Find the perfect bowl of oatmeal along my route.

The Challenge:

• I have no map reading skills! None! Zero, Zip!

The Risk:

• Leaving her sons alone for one week in LB and coming home to possible mayhem and disorder.

The Plan:

• I will be leaving my home in LB, Cali on Wednesday, August 11th at 8:00am. My son Casey will be Base Camp Chief at our home headquarters. Each evening, I will be blogging a summary of each days events for my life archives and also for your entertainment. I will be visiting a few places that were significant for Randy and I, spend time with my friends, visit my nephew, but I will also be adding a few new adventures that I will claim as my own.

My Oath:

• I promise to call Casey twice a day so my location is known at all times, I promise not to stray from my planned itinerary (unless I simply can't resist), I will keep my cell on at all times, I will not pick up hitch hikers, I will rest when I am tired, I will eat when I am hungry (yes I am counting points while on vacation), I will lock my doors, I will take my top off during the day, I will pull my top up at night, I will not let the gas tank get below half, but I will have an adventure!

Your Job:

• Enjoy California with me, make comments, give suggestions, share your stories and keep and eye on Casey and Tyler.