And So It Begins!

The time has finally come to throw caution to the wind and set off on our whirl wind adventure! We picked up the RV today from Dandy RV Rentals and set to work packing it to the very brim. Everything fit (to Mike's surprise) with just a little room to spare. Once we finished loading the luggage we headed to the grocery store to pick up some essentials; Ramen, hot dogs, Red Bull, and beer. Mike and I are so excited to embark on our epic journey I don't think either of us are going to sleep very well tonight. Wish us luck and here we go!

                                                                            Our home!     

                                                              All the comforts of home.     

                                                                 The lush interior.

                                                                    Us on the "patio".

Seriously seeking Dad's final resting Spot

We are inside the two week window for our departure and the list of things we have to remember to bring is getting long. (Translated: the liklihood of us forgetting something is increasing exponentially).

Just to give an example, the list includes items such as:

• our passports
• change for laundry and tolls
• maps, in case we lose internet and our lifeline - Google Maps
• the camcorder - to record all those cool things we want to put on this blog
• our laptops - yea, right - like we are going to forget them
• the MI-FI for mobile internet access - ditto above
• TP -  this was actually the first and most frequently suggested item on the list
• charcoal, fire starters, paper towels, laundry detergent
• tools - for the inevitable vehicular issue
• rain gear - like the tools, if we bring it, we won't need it. If we don't ...
• lawn chairs - because we can only spend so much time in a traveling tin can
• stereo - with headphones
• hiking boots
• bug spray - lots and lots of bug spray
• Mason's stuff for school - It is the original idea for the trip, so saving on those nuisance charges from the airlines for his skis, TV, stereo, etc. should make the cost of the trip a wash.
• Oh, and Dad's ashes.

One of the trip highlights will be getting together with family in the Napa Valley to have a final memorial and put Dad's remains to rest as per his wishes. Only thing is, the Napa Valley is big and none of us know it very well. While I can tell you which vineyards have the best tours and give away the most free wine, I don't know anything about the parks and a quiet palce to say goodbye to Dad in his last physical form.

So far, my research has identified four options:

• Sonoma Valley Regional Park
• Bouverie Wildflower Preserve
• Lake Hennesey Park, and
• Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.

Does anyone out there have any knowledge of these locations and/or a suggestion for a respectfully private location for our family to have a final memorial for Frank Margotta, where spreading his ashes isn't going to cause a scene (or worse)?

So far, we have been very fortunate to get great advice from those of you who have followed our blog. We are hopeful that this magnanimous trend will continue. Look forward to hearing anyone's thoughts/ideas.

The cure to boredom

Hi guys! So one of the of the pieces of advice that we've received from our peers is to have plenty of music. Mike and I have a pretty big library, but we're always looking for new bands to listen to. Our tastes are pretty wide spread and we like everything from Pink Floyd to dubstep. Any suggestions for music would be greatly appreciated, as we have to travel all the way through Texas without losing our minds. Thanks so much for the help!

We Have our First Klingon

Great news. Just learned earlier today that Mark will be flying down from Vancouver, WA to meet us at the Long Beach airport on the 23rd. Mark is the first person brave enough to latch onto our road trip. He will join through our stay in Big Sur, the remebrance ceremony for Dad in Napa Valley and all they way back to Portland - probably on the 29th.

Welcome aboard Mark! Any other takers??

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! Over the next six weeks we will be fulfilling two dreams; Michael's bucket list and Mason's journey to freedom. We need help. Neither of us have ever traveled in an RV, spent this much time alone together, or seen many of the areas that we will be traveling through.

If you have any advice for us on life in an RV or how to survive the generation gap for two whole weeks or any recommendations for sights to see along the way, then we would welcome your input.

Our trip begins on August 20th from Birmingham, Alabama. We will be traveling west through Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally reaching the coast in California. From there we'll turn north and head straight up the coast. Ultimately we will arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia on August 31st to drop Mason off in his dorm room at UBC. We have very few specific plans about where we have to be, what we're going to see, or who we're going to see it with. The only concrete plan is to spread the ashes of Frank Margotta in his desired spot, Napa Valley on August 26th.

So join us, advise us, and wish us luck on our adventure!