Today I was blessed with visiting Jane (my sister-in-law) and Patricia (my mother-in-law). We went to a beautiful service at St Martha’s Catholic church in Murrieta, California.

Patricia taught me a lot about Life and was more of a mom to me than my own mother was; I love her deeply and always will.

I so wish I lived closer so I could see her every day. Look at her beautiful smile!

First solo road trip ever and I’m so excited to get started. While I’ll miss my Road Trip Warrior (aka Ryan), I know this opportunity for us both is important.

Got the surfboard loaded and the trailer washed the night before. Little did I know that the trailer tabs had expired so first thing in the morning, I’ll pick up the new tabs that I just ordered via the web. 🙂

Day One – September 3, 2011

Left the house at 10:30 and by the time I had the tabs, got gas, stopped at the bank and then stopped by the trailer dealer for a lesson on how my awning works, I was on the road by 11:30.

Made it to Grants Pass right at 7 PM and had time to get the trailer set up before dark. NOTE TO SELF – get a flashlight!

Here are two pics of my truck and trailer at the Moon Mountain RV Camp in Grants Pass OR – beautiful campsite – very level – didn’t even disconnect the truck. I’ll have to remember this place – very, very nice and the owners are warm and friendly.

My beautiful Bianchi Milano Cafe Racer is ready to go too! The bike rack for the trailer ladder works great!

During Day 1 drive, the ABS light came on. Quick email to Blake (my mechanic) and I know there’s nothing to worry about.

Day Two – September 4, 2011

Day 2 I work up about 7:30 and was ready to pull out at 8:30. Blake said to check brake fluid – it’s full so I’m on the road again!

Found a Chevron station – no diesel – but the lovely gentlemen there pointed me to one with easy access for my truck/trailer and yes indeed; it was just where he said it would be.

And of course, when I asked the lovely older gentlemen there about the brake fluid, he asked if my ABS light came on. Oh yes, I said. He told me he had a truck just like mine and that would happen in the heat when he was using the “tow/haul” feature. This confirmed what Blake had told me so I was grateful for the blessing of confirmation. And the ABS light isn’t on today at all.

Coming down the hill, Mt Shasta was breathtaking – even in the haze.

Not sure where I’ll be staying tonight – I’m thinking I’ll head to 101 and take the scenic route.

More later.

Decided to go to 101 from Redding. Hwy 299 was the most scenic route I’ve seen – ever! It took almost all day but oh my gosh – it was BEAUTIFUL!! Here’s a pic of Whiskeytown Lake which is 8 miles west of Redding.

Have I said I love my truck yet?? Well….. I really love my truck! It handled the winding mountain roads with that heavy trailer like nothing was there! And of course, the ABS light never came on again.

I decided to find a place to stay before it got dark. Angels abound and led me to the Riverwalk RV Park in Fortuna, CA. Nice level spot with full hook ups!

The coastal weather is moving in now – I so love the California coast!! I can feel it’s Spirit in my Soul. It’s going to be chilly tonight – and I forgot a jacket. So I’m going to bundle down in my cozy home-away-from-home.

And I didn’t even text or call Ryan once today! He needs a ‘vacation’ from Mom too!

Matt’s surfboard fit nicely on the side of my bedroom in the trailer. That was a huge relief! I was so worried about how I was going to get it down to him.

Day 2 has been extraordinary! More tomorrow….

Day Three – September 5, 2011

I am getting an early start today as my destination is Malibu and I’m wayyyyy up in Northern California. 11+ hour drive but all along the coast so I’m excited to get started. More later.

Very long day. Just got back from seeing Matt and Marley. Surfboard has been transferred and Matt and I watched the latest episode of Breaking Bad. I’ve got a few pics to share but will upload them in the morning – gotta sleep.

Here are the pics from Day Three’s adventure. The drive from the very northern part of California (Fortuna) was beautiful. Driving through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park reminded me of a camping trip we went on with my dad and my Uncle Bernie and his family in Sequoia National Park. As a kid, I remember being awestruck at the sheer size of the gigantic redwood trees and they took my breath away today too.

In the midst of this natural environment rests a little tourist site that I just had to stop and visit – if only to get pics!

I can only imagine the Life Story of the person who decided to plant themselves in the midst of this wondrous natural environment!

I arrived at Day Three’s campground – Malibu Beach RV Park
at 9 PM so it was dark. When I made my reservation, I choose to reserve an “ocean view” site; it was a little more expensive but it sounded incredibly nice. Anyway, arriving in the dark, I asked the young woman if the spot was ‘easy to get into’; she assured me it was.

Well, imagine trying to back my 30 foot trailer into this site! Go too far and you’re over the cliff! No thank you!

I requested a ‘pull through’ spot since I was only staying one night and she was very accommodating.

The view from the campground is extraordinary! Ever since I was small, I’ve loved the ocean. Camping at the state beach parks with Kyle, my dad, brother and sister brings back so many fond memories. As I grew older and was on my own, I use to put Sarah – my precious cockapoo – in my backpack and ride my bike from Hollywood down to the ocean via Sunset Boulevard. This was when I lived on Hillhurst Avenue just south of Franklin in a little cottage apartment. I was 21 years old and I remember being so very poor; my rent took most of my income so I had a space in the back of the cottage about 5 feet by 3 feet where I grew zucchini. I can cook zucchini a thousand different ways!

A pic from Day three campsite.

A huge RV just pulled along side me and now I can’t see the ocean from my trailer so I guess it’s time to pack out and head out to my Long Beach RV park where I’ll be staying until the 13th! Whew…. it’s been a long journey just getting down here but I’ve learned so much about myself and what I’m capable of. It will be so nice to plant the trailer and myself for a good long week at the beach.

Day Four – September 6, 2011

Before going to my Long Beach RV park, I went to Camping World and bought a few little things I needed for the trailer. Since this is the first long trip with her, I’m finding little things I need so it was nice to find a Camping World not too far from Long Beach.

I arrived at Golden Shores RV Park around noon and even though check in isn’t until two, they let me check in. The spot I have is right next to the pool but since most of the people here are full time RV’ers who live here, it’s not used too much so it isn’t noisy. I was able to back the trailer in just fine with plenty of room for my truck. I set up the awning without any difficulty at all. I also found a nice spot to park my bike when I’m here and keep it locked up too; I bring it in the trailer when I leave and at night, of course.

Looks like Matt is pretty busy with work this week; he wants to have a sit down talk which means he’s got a lot on his mind.

Tomorrow I’ll definitely be going for a bike ride. There’s a lovely beach bike path that runs right along the RV park and Matt just asked if we could meet for a late dinner after he gets done with work. Sounds like a wonderful vacation day for sure!

Day Five – September 7, 2011

I so love my campsite here! Woke up this morning and made coffee. Checked in with Kyle and Jane and got on my bike for a ride on the beach. The bike path is perfect!

I rode for 10 miles in total; from my campsite to Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier.

The guy in the red swim shorts is actually middle age (whoa – look at that bod!) and smiled and said hello to me. *blush*

The beaches were almost empty – it being a Wednesday and all. And yes, I had to think twice to remember what day it was!

This solar powered boat was stowed just off the pier – really odd looking for sure.

And this beautiful Light House reminded me of Pat (Mark’s mom) who I so hope I can visit with while I’m here. I love her so much; I know she would love this picture too.

And I’m always reminded by something that I run across of my own Life Purpose; for some reason, this photo of a lone ocean bird on the round buoy gave me pause and reason to reflect ever deeper.

On the agenda for the rest of today is relaxing, reading and a late supper with Matt and Marley!

After some jockeying around with plans – we finally met up at a Korean BBQ place – which was very good! Here’s Matt and Marley.

Day Six – September 8, 2011

Another incredibly hot day. Part of the bike path was closed due to some tv/film making activity so I found myself on a side road where I stumbled upon this beautiful sea bird; who let me get quite close! Queen Mary is in the background.

I finally found the “bike path detour” and stopped to lounge on the grass by the light house and watch the pelicans dive into the ocean after fish. The Queen Mary was across the channel and I really wanted to figure out how to get over there.

There is a bridge with a bike path that worked perfectly. Because it was Thursday, there were very few people around. The Queen Mary is a hotel/tourist attraction – with quite a history. Funny how I lived here for years and never thought of seeing it – now I want to go inside – but don’t think I want to enough to pay the high cost!

Planning to visit Kyle Friday.

Day Seven – September 9, 2011

The weather up until today has been 90+; it’s been nice and cool in my home-away-from-home thanks to the AC but I love open windows and fresh air. This morning dawned like a whole new season! It was mid-70’s and very pleasant. Windows open and lots of fresh air!

Kyle and Larry drove down from Fontana today, along with their cute grandson – Alan.

We had a terrific time catching up. Went for lunch at Shoreline Village (Chili’s) and then spent some time back at the ranch (my travel trailer) where Larry fixed the TV for me – woo hoo!

Kyle and I’ve known each other since 7th grade – let’s see – that’s like over 40 years!!

Love and miss her so much!

Day Eight – September 10, 2011

Thunder and lightening plus some showers this morning. Had to adjust the awning because it was acting as a rain barrel with the way it was set up. Who would have thought I would run into rain here! LOL

On today’s agenda is a pedicure this morning, followed by a trip to a local book store for some browsing and then I’m off to Regina’s for some wonderful home cooking! Matt, Marley, Vincent and Amber will be there too.

More later………

Regina cooked THE best meal I’ve had in a very long time! It was so much fun to see Vincent and meet his lovely GF Amber.

Matt and Marley made it out too and we worked on getting Dad’s slides into a digital format that both Regina and I can work with. I’m going to work on doing some of the correcting and then will send Regina the thumb drives with the slides all converted to digital format with the views correct. Wow… what a trip down memory lane too. Here’s one of the pics that I found that I particularly love; it’s my brother Kevin’s 7th birthday picture. I’m 8 and Regina is 5. I love how Regina is so happy here and you can see Kevin concentrating on holding his birthday cake perfectly. Kevin died when he was 23; not a day goes by that I don’t think of him.

Day Nine – Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ten years ago today many innocent men, women and children were murdered by terrorists who attacked us using hijacked airplanes. God bless and keep everyone impacted by that terrible tragedy. Our country has changed so much since then.

Day Ten – Monday, September 12, 2011

So much to process about today that I’m going to wait until I can sort through my feelings.

I was working hard at fixing the old photo slides my Dad took of us that Matt turned into digital images and decided to drive up to LA to see my child hood home. I met the woman living there and when I explained who I was and what the house meant to me, she allowed me to come in and take photos.

So much to process about that.

I’ve been here a week and have only seen Matt 3 times and we didn’t have a chance to really talk at all; so much to process about that too.

Heading home early tomorrow – hope to be home by Thursday evening so I have a 3 day weekend to rest.

More later.

Day Eleven – Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Left Long Beach after a bit of a struggle (my own fault) hooking up the trailer. I didn’t notice that the anti-sway bar was preventing the hitch from fully locking until I fiddled with it for quite a while. I felt pretty silly when I saw that the anti-sway bar was touching the ground and preventing the hitch from fully engaging.

*rolls eyes*

I hit the 710 about 9 AM which turned out ok as it meant I was a bit behind the morning rush hour. I did hit a bit of stop and go traffic on the 405 near LAX but other than that, it was a pretty smooth exit.

I never imagined I’d make it all the way to Redding, CA but I did. I’m staying at the Durango RV Resort in Red Bluff CA – which is just a few miles south of Redding. I arrived after hours but they have a night host who was very helpful in getting me set up in my nice, level pull-through spot.

I may just be able to make it home by Wednesday evening – which will be nice.

I’m still processing the whole trip as far as Matt is concerned, as well as being given the opportunity to see my childhood home and take photos. I’ll do a separate post about both at some point.

All and all, it’s been a very relaxing trip. I love my trailer – it’s so nice to have your ‘home’ with you. I also enjoyed having so much time to just enjoy the beach – that was a very pleasant surprise.

Home – Day Twelve – Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Thirteen hours and 15 minutes from Red Bluff, CA to Covington, WA. Whew….. My feet are swollen and I’m ready to relax and then go to bed. Will be posting some photos of my childhood home – then and now in a separate post soon!

Please click here to watch Dylan’s “Mad as Hell” moment – an absolutely truthful rant about what’s happened to our country.

And if for some reason that is removed, here’s the transcript.

Dylan Ratigan, Mad as Hell: His Epic “Network” Moment
August 9, 2011

We’ve got a real problem…this is a mathematical fact. Tens of trillions of dollars are being extracted from the United States of America. Democrats aren’t doing it, republicans aren’t doing it, an entire integrated system, banking, trade and taxation, created by both parties over a period of two decades is at work on our entire country right now.

Show Transcript

Dylan: What are you talking about $4 trillion?

Karen: $4 trillion, I’m saying…

Dylan: We owe $70 trillion. [cross-talking 04:29] a $4 trillion solution, which is basically just a way for the Democrats to avoid dealing with this until 2017. I’m not here to talk about plans to deal with this till 2017. I’m saying we’ve got a real problem, and I’m tired of Republicans and Democrats who either want – Republicans who want to burn the place to the ground and Democrats, with all due respect, who want to offer a plan that gets it through the end of their second term of their presidency, and then screws me and my kids when it’s over! And until we do that, we have to deal with the extraction that is at foot, it is the reason the financial markets are behaving the way they’re behaving, it is a mathematical fact! This is not some opinion; this is a mathematical fact. Tens of trillions of dollars are being extracted from the United States of America. Democrats aren’t doing it, Republicans are not doing it, an entire integrated system, financial system, trading system, taxing system, that was created by both parties over a period of two decades is at work on our entire country right now. And we’re sitting here arguing about whether we should do the $4 trillion plan that kicks the can down the road for the President for 2017, or burn the place to the ground, both of which are reckless, irresponsible, and stupid. And the fact of the matter is until we actually, and I’m sorry to lose my temper, but I tell you what, I’ve been coming on TV for three years doing this, and the fact of the matter is that there’s a refusal on both the Democratic and the Republican side of the aisle to acknowledge the mathematical problem, which is that the United States of America is being extracted. It’s being extracted through banking, it’s being extracted through trade, and it’s being extracted through taxation, and there’s not a single politician that has stepped forward, Susan, to deal with this.

Susan: Yeah, but there’s only one right now, the leader of the free world, whether you like it or not, the President of the United States is arguably one of the most powerful individuals we have out there, and he’s our President.

Karen: But, Susan, what you’re saying is exactly the point that Dylan is making. It’s not about one guy; it’s about all of them.

Susan: No, I actually disagree. I think Dylan – it is about one guy.

Dylan: I agree with her. It is about one guy.

Karen: What would you like him to do? What do you want him to do?

Dylan: I would like him to go to the people of the United States of America and say, “People of the United States of America, your Congress is bought, your Congress is incapable of making legislation on healthcare, banking, trade, or taxes because if they do it, they will lose their political funding and they won’t do it. But I’m the President of the United States, and I won’t have a country that is run by a bought Congress. So I’m not going to work with a bought Congress and try to be Mr. Big Guy, ‘I’m working with a bought Congress’, I’m going to abandon the bought Congress like Teddy Roosevelt did, and I’m going to go to the people of the United States and I’m going to say, ‘You’ve got a bought Congress,” and until we get rid of the bought Congress, which is Jimmy Williams constant point, which is get the money out of politics, and until a President says that’s the problem and says he’s going to fix it, there is no policy that I can possibly see no matter how brilliant your idea may be or your idea or my idea or her idea or your idea at home, is that idea will not happen as long as there’s a capacity to basically fire a politician who disagrees with me by taking funding away from him. Is that a fair assessment?

Jimmy: Money in politics is the root of all political evil. It is corruption at its worst. And until we step up and kick that out of the park, it’s going to be the same system all the way.

Dylan: And only the President can do that.

Jimmy: No, no, no, Congress has to do it, too. Congress has to do it, too.

Dylan: But I’ll tell you what, how bad does it have to get? How much money has to be extracted? How many things have to be heard?

Karen: [cross-talking 07:59] tax. Okay, physically, what do you do?

Dylan: You go and give a speech to…

Karen: Right now.

Dylan: Yeah, right now. You say…

Karen: And then what happens tomorrow?

Dylan: Tomorrow, what happens is you begin the process of actually investing in solving the problems, so I come out and I say, “How?” I create an infrastructure bank with 2% blending immediately. There’s – once I explain to people the problem, once I explain to you that you have cancer, once you understand how screwed up your trade, tax, and banking policies are, believe me, you will have no issue when I incorporate an infrastructure bank that I fund with repatriated offshore money that I bring in and then use to create 2% direct lending to every business in America because when you realize that the banking system is fully corrupt and defrauding us, and I come out and say that, which is what I want my President to do, then at that exact moment I say, “You know what, we’ve got a screwed up situation here, people. You all know it, and now I’m going to admit it.” And as a result, not only have I admitted it, but we’re going to begin the process of solving it like grown ups. They did in World War II, they did it after the Civil War, they did it in Latin America with the Brady Bond; we are not seeing it happen now.

The panel stays a little more emotional than I anticipated getting at work this afternoon, but what am I going to do? The middle-class attempting to fight back in Wisconsin…what today’s big recall election in Wisconsin tells us about the mood in America; Ed Shultz joins us. And then Wisconsin, the jumping off point for our latest blog on DylanRatigan.com, as Wisconsin is a state where two-thirds of corporations pay zilch in taxes, while teachers and cops pick up the slack. That doesn’t sound like fun.

25 years ago today, I was blessed with bringing Ryan Hickney into the world.

He’s an incredibly beautiful Soul; sensitive, often shy with new people, kind, compassionate, trustworthy, helpful and very, very resourseful when he sets his mind to it! He’s also the bravest Soul I know! He’s had so many challenges and he’s never given up. He is 1/2 of my legacy and I’m deeply proud of him!