Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Like a Band of Gypsies We Go Down the Highway

Here's a recycled picture of me trying to hide from the camera when I lived in Leggett, Ca. in 1985.

Well, I'm this close to being done with planning my California roadtrip. I also had me a little meltdown tonight and gave myself a timeout before I got my ass up and moving again. I've never planned a trip of this magnitude without other adults before, and it's been a little draining.

If you'll recall, originally I was going to try and be all cool and groovy and not reserve rooms or tent spaces and just go where the wind took us and not be on any schedule. Then about a thousand dollars worth of car repairs and new tires made that dream impossible. We are now working on a shoestring budget and we can't really afford to be that fucking hippie about our trip. Man, I hate reality. At one point, I informed the girls of the fact that we wouldn't have the kind of money I thought we were going to have and asked them if they still wanted to go if we couldn't afford to do some of the things we thought we were going to be able to do. Coadster said she didn't care. She said after the tornado two years ago and the flood this year, she just wanted to get out of the Midwest for a while - even if that meant that we'd just be trading different natural disasters. Coadster just wants to see the Redwoods, wander around San Francisco and check out some hot surfer guys. Hey, that's all pretty much free and I wouldn't mind doing all the same stuff.

So, last week, I remapped our trip and reserved all our of sleeping places. We're going to skip Yosemite and just spend two nights and a day in The Sequoias. We're also staying at a relatively inexpensive motel in a suburb of San Francisco and we're just going to take BART or a bus into the city. That will solve the parking problem too. When I lived in San Francisco twenty years ago, I didn't have a car, so I wasn't able to really check out any of the cool coastal communities around the city. This time we're going to drive up the coast from Carmel and check things out. Since we're going to be in San Francisco for five days, we'll try to go back and spend a day or a couple of half days checking out beaches and maybe doing a little boogie boarding.

I've also been a little bit dependent upon the kindness of friends for this trip. Don't worry, I spread it out. I borrowed sleeping bags from my Hotz Street neighbors, a GPS device from my awesome friend D., and I took one of my ex-boyfriends up on his offer to lend me his portable DVD player thing so the girls can watch as many movies as they need to during our three day drive there and three more days back.

I'm almost all ready now. After work tomorrow, I have to grab a few more things from the store, drop off my post-dated rent check with the landlord, do the rest of my packing, fill up with gas and do a little more last minute cleaning. We're going to try not to eat crap on the road, so I'll make a bunch of sandwiches to go along with our drinks and fruit and crackers and chips. Even if I had a ton of money, I still would get tired of eating out all the time. Then on Friday morning, we're basically getting up and taking off down that long, hard, boring stretch of I-80. I'm going to try to drive at least 12 hours on our first day. If you've ever driven through Nebraska on I-80, you'd probably agree with me that you want to treat it like a band-aid and just rip it off all at once, as quickly as possible.

Okay, now I better go rest.

20 comments:

Minyo said...

You have a plan and it sounds like a lot of fun! Shoestring vacations can be the most fun as you get to use your imagination and find crazy, fun, free stuff to do. You may even see some interesting people along the way.

The past couple times I've driven through Nebraska, it hasn't been that bad. There are a few notable changes in the Nebraska landscape.

minijonb said...

I like your idea about taking the BART into town. I've done that town on business trips, and without the expense account, there was no way I could have afforded the room. (I miss hvaing a job like that... sigh) Go have a great time.

rel said...

Churlita,
You've got a plan and plenty of room for serendipity, so you girls will have a good time, Nebraska and all. (I've only flown over Nebraska, and that was boring enough). My recently visiting grand daughters will be in the San Francisco area (Pinole) at the same time you're there. Wouldn't it bee a hoot if you all crossed paths?
Wishing you and your girls a great vacation!
rel

Anonymous said...

If I-80 is anything like the New York State Thru-way then good luck. That was the most boring stretch of road I have ever traveled. Everybody thinks action and excitement when they hear New York, but that's the city. The rest of the state has nothing to offer.

You are quickly becoming improv-queen, the resourceful one in my eyes. You seem to have a way of putting things together with limited resources. Like a female, Midwestern McGyver.

AlienCG said...

This is one road trip I have to make in my life. Cleveland to California via I-70 (It goes through KC BBQ Country). Have a safe trip, drive carefully and get some good pictures so you don't have to recycle the ones from 1985 (just kidding, good picture).

NoRegrets said...

I know two people in the San Francisco area... One I could ask if you could stay with him. Should I try?

You will have so much fun. Who needs money when there's nature and surfers?

Anonymous said...

Have a great time. We used to drive up from LA to those parts for camping and such. You'll love it, once you get through the long part of the driving from the midwest! Take lots of pics!

booda baby said...

Ick. Nebraska. (Driving through, I mean.) JP's in Omaha, though, so I take half my ick back. Ic.

Any problem at all, please email/call. Not too close to bother you, but close enough to help if its needed.

And let us kid ourselves not. VERY VERY cute surfer boys in Santa Barbara. :)

Susan said...

I hope you have a great time! I'll still be in west by god virginia the whole time you're gone. I may right a blog while you are about the sadness I'm experiencing without your boy updates. I hope you come back with lots of pictures of hot surfers.

DJSassafrass said...

90 through Nebraska. Always.

Mr Atrocity said...

Glad you're almost ready to go. If you don't get chance to post before you leave, have a wonderful vacation and I hope those surfer guys in San Francisco are really hot for your entertainment.

Tara said...

I'm sorry you had to economize because of the car repairs. Cars can be such a nuisance during very inconvenient times. But it sounds like you're all adapting and it still sounds like a really fun trip. Pick up a surfer guy for me while you're out there. He may not like the limitations of Lake Erie for surfing, though.

laura b. said...

I know your trip will be awesome. You never know what great adventure will find you on the road.

Poptart said...

Bon Voyage! So excited for you!

The Lady Who Doesn't Lunch: said...

This sounds amazing and you and your girls are going to love it all.

I have a restaurant recommendation should you have the extra cash in the budget:

The Roadhouse Cafe
57173 Sunnyslope Dr
Yucca Valley, CA
Phone: (760) 365-5581

It's just off of Rte 62 AKA 29 Palms Highway -

I ate there based on the multitude of urgings from many people at the vet clinic where I was working on 29 Palms. It was so good I ate there every night that week.

They have a reasonably priced special every night and use locally sourced everything.

MrManuel said...

It sounds fun and in the end, I think you will be happy you planned out your whole trip ahead of time. Less stress.

Lynnster said...

Wow, sounds like a blast! You gals have a great trip!

Anonymous said...

But are you coming anywhere near southern California? Inquiring minds want to know!

If you DO stay in San Francisco itself, check out the very cool and funky Red Victorian Bed & Breakfast in the Haight. The rates were very reasonable when we stayed there a few years ago and each room has a bizarre theme. My daughter loved the meditation corner in our room but we also saw a room filled with giant crayons. Some of the rooms share bathrooms so it's pretty cheap and very fun--with communal breakfasts in the morning.

Tera said...

I always plan, so this makes me very happy for you! :)

Car repairs make my ass hurt! The most you pay for is labor for them to put $2 parts on!!!

Anonymous said...

Oh I LOVE road trips!! Your girls are quite lucky to have you as their mom ;) I was just in Carmel last week, it's beautiful!! Enjoy your trip girlie, I know you'll have a blast and a ton of priceless memories! :)