Sadly, Drive-In movie screens are quickly becoming a rare site in America. 

Industry resources state that in 1958 there were 4063 Drive-In theatres across the United States. Today there are only 591 screens across the U.S according to the U.D.I.T.O.A (United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association)  

There is something really special about the whole experience of piling into a car, hanging a speaker on your window and watching a movie. 

Reds Drive-In has been a family owned Crescent City landmark since 1980. The first movie I remember seeing at Reds was “Ghostbusters” with my Aunt in her white pick up truck. Crescent City is notorious for its fog, but even on a foggy night, the big screen lights up and you feel like you’re back in 1958. Assuming you were alive in 1958.

Still, its pretty awesome. 

Last weekend I went back to Reds Drive-In and got to relive a childhood experience. The Drive-In looked exactly the same as it did when I was a kid. Right down to the cracks in the screen and the smell of burned popcorn in the air. Sadly, the speaker that hangs on your window is gone. You now use your car radio. But still the experience is the same.

If you get the chance this summer, and if you live near one, I highly recommend supporting your local Drive-In and watching a few movies.

They could soon be a thing of the past. 

 

River raft races.

I never in a million years thought I would find myself in the middle of one of these.

Every year, Gasquet (pronounced gas-key) California holds its annual Gasquet River Raft Race down the Smith River. This race is not for the faint of heart. Not only is it open to all ages, costumes and themes are highly encouraged.

My cousin, who is an avid river goer and has also done the raft race many times chose me to roll down the river with her for this years event.

I was honored.

And slightly terrified.

But mostly honored.

One of the main ingredients to the river raft race is alcohol. Because nothing spells fun more than drunken debauchery while racing down white water rapids in an inflatable kayak……dressed as Thelma and Louise.

Oh yes! We went there.

Our theme for the race was “Thelma and Louise”. We made the grill of the 1966 Ford Thunderbird out of cardboard, blue duct tape and a black sharpie. We completed the look with a hand made white steering wheel. We strapped the grill to the top of the kayak and got ourselves all dolled up in the local Dollar Trees finest cosmetics.

We were hot!  And a later…a hot mess. But I digress.

The starting line at the race begins by carrying your boat down a 40 foot cliff. It was beautifully terrifying. Climbing into and inflatable kayak on the water with a cooler full of beer and a bottle of Jack is a sight to behold. Once your’e in the water and the starting gun goes off all bets are off.

The race is a little over 2 miles long. There are many spectators along the bank of the rivers edge and if you sing “Proud Mary” loud enough, you will get back up singers. There are so many variables that can happen during the race down the river, including but not limited to tipping the kayak, losing your cooler and all of its precious contents (saved the bottle of Jack), getting stuck on multiple rocks and my personal favorite…being to intoxicated to sit up straight in the kayak causing your inflatable chair to block your drivers sight while jamming the cooler into your drivers crotch. That may have happened.

Do not fear…there were life vests involved.

The end of the race is equally as exciting. There are people waiting for you, cheering you on and you have the sweet satisfaction of knowing you did not….die.

All in all it is an incredible experience that I will never do again.

I joke of course. I’m already planning next years theme.

And we were rollin.. rollin… rollin down the river.

This is my first blog. I have never written much of anything in my life, let alone, a blog. 38 years ago, I lived in a small Northern California coastal town. I absolutely loved it. I went to grade school, had friends and for the most part was a happy, “normal” child. My playground was the beach. I didn’t play video games,spend time online or entertain myself with an iPad. Mainly because none of those things existed yet. My source of entertainment was the beach, the river, the redwoods and occasionally some good old fashioned television. I was a happy child. I had 2 loving parents and a new baby brother and all was good in my world. 

Then one day everything changed. 

My father wanted a divorce. He had found another lover. Unfortunately, she was in Washington state. I had spent summer vacation with my grandparents in Washington many times, so I was familiar with it. 

I never wanted to live there. I was devastated.

In early October of 1976, we packed up and moved to Everett Washington. My mother, my baby brother and I . We would stay with my fathers parents while my mother got herself settled. And that was the end of my childhood in Crescent City California. Everything I knew was gone. 

So began my new life. My mother did an amazing job. In every aspect of motherhood. Including having another baby. My sister, Who, by the way, is the inspiration for this blog. I grew up in Everett Washington. I went to grade school, middle school and graduated from High School. I moved all over Everett and then moved to Seattle when I was 22. I made some friends, came out of the closet and even managed to have a couple of relationships. But Crescent City was always in the back of my mind. 

Fast forward 38 years later and I am back!  I’m not sure why it took me so long, but the beach is once again my playground! I can swim in the river again and run through the redwoods. And occasionally watch some good old fashioned television shows…..on my iPad. 

So as I go through this new adventure in my small Northern California coastal town, I thought it would be fun to keep track of my experiences and share them with whoever would be interested in tagging along. 

It has been 38 years….and counting.