For the past few days we’re back in the Sierra Nevada foothills where, when we lived in the Sacramento area for 12 years (1982-1994), we spent a heck of a lot of time. Our forever friends, Don and Ina live on 10 acres between Grass Valley and Auburn. They have 2 horses, 2 goats, and an enormous (but old and gentle) german shepherd named Luke. It’s been a sweet, relaxing time here. As with our friend Brian, we have great discussions with these friends about the meaning of life and the state of the world. Nothing is ever decided or solved, but our brains are intellectually stimulated, and at our ages, that certainly plays a part in keeping us young.
The drive down here from Washington State was more beautiful than I remember it. The I-5 corridor in northern California is spectacular. The trees on the mountains make this Florida flatlander happy even if I don’t want to live here. We stayed one night in a town called Mt Shasta, but never did actually see the mountain which was shrouded in clouds. It’s been rainy and overcast for all the days we’ve been here.
We’re leaving this area today. Before we arrive at our hotel this evening we plan to go to what was McClellan AFB when we were stationed here. We hear they turned it into McClellan Park, a model for how to repurpose former military installations for the benefit of the communities they are in.
Tomorrow we plan to drive through Yosemite National Park. In all the 12 years we lived here, we never once went Yosemite. That’s regretful. Luckily, Don has been there a lot and gave us tips for our drive tomorrow. More than I expected or planned, this grand adventure is turning into a trek through the National Parks that are so prevalent in the western states. I’ll tell you all about Yosemite in Tuesday’s post.
Thanks for continuing to follow along on our Epic 50th Anniversary Grand Adventure Road Trip. It’s a pleasure to share it with you.
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