There is a little bit of important Mineral King news at the bottom of this post.
People say that Oregon is green for a reason, but most of my visits have been sunny. This trip was no exception.
It almost causes me physical pain to leave home, but somehow I was able to pull it off. This is about 15 miles from home, looking through the windshield, remembering Lot’s wife and facing forward, looking ahead to the future, trying to be brave about all I was leaving behind. (A trip is a temporary situation, Central California Artist.)
The great Central Valley of California is so beautiful when the air is clear.
This is heading to Reading. Or perhaps, hedding to Redding.
Once past Redding, Mt. Shasta is visible. Anyone out there remember Shasta soda? The logo on the cans looked just like Mt. Shasta. (Duh.)
Truck Village is always something to look forward to. It is near Weed. (Don’t get your knickers in a twist–ABNER WEED was a man’s name!)
There was a long traffic jam before Weed, and I just didn’t want to stop, so I pushed through to Yreka, stopped for gas, and still felt alert. (Ice cream for dinner helped.) I called my sister to ask how long it would take to get to her place from there. The answer was 4-1/2 hours. Remembering that it was the day with the most daylight of the entire year, and I was heading north, I decided to push on. So, a day of 13 hours of driving, almost two books on CDs, some tunes, a little talk radio, some thinking, some praying, 3 or 4 stops for gas (it is expensive everywhere), some snacking (but I refused to pay $4.49 for a “sharing” size of M&Ms—ARE YOU KIDDING ME??), and no night of poor sleep in some motel with the sounds of traffic, car doors, and strangers banging around with suitcases.
Sister and I did lots of walking. It is a thrill to see the beautiful yards (NO DEER! NO DROUGHT!) with many plants I’ve never seen in bloom.
We also went to a couple of estate sales. This one took the cake.
We visited an arboretum and had fun with a plant identification app on the phone (Picture This, free if you can see the almost invisible “CANCEL” in the upper right corner of the screen each time you open it.)
I attended a celebration of life service for a friend who used to live in Three Rivers. This photo was taken through the window of the pick-’em-up truck (Fernando stayed home) while crossing the Columbia River on the border of Oregon and Washington. That’s Mt. Hood. It looks like Shasta, because that’s just how it is with those volcanoes.
We also took an afternoon excursion to McMinnville to a store that specializes in olive oil and balsamic vinegars. I lost control. Phenomenal stuff. (I don’t need no stinkin’ Trader Joe’s!)
To be continued tomorrow. . .
4 Comments
Wow, you had AMAZINGLY clear weather on your trip! And having lived in Oregon and Washington, I can confirm the beautifully abundant greenery there. I’m so glad you had a good time. Hopefully it distracted you from the lack of high-altitude visitation.
Sharon, I LOVE Oregon. Used to think that Washington was my favorite, but the agriculture here just knocks my socks off.
Oh my gosh! You’re so close! I love McMinneville! They have free olive oil tastings at Durant winery… sounds weird, but actually so fun!
It’s a beautiful time of year in Oregon this year. Sunny days, cool nights- perfect “sleeping weather”. Glad you’re having a good time with your sister.
Anne, true confessions: I drove through your town on Saturday on my way to and from the celebration of life gathering. Felt guilty, but too time-squeezed to do anything except think about you.
We went to Third Street Oil and Vinegar in McMinnville, and that is where I lost control. Awesome.
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