Road Trip Part 1

Finally, a chance to sit down and blog again! I actually journaled during my road trip, but didn't have internet access, so here it is:

It’s wonderful to be on vacation….

Sleeping in, no schedule, nothing to clean. I love being away from home, especially now that I’ve finally arrived at Odell Lake and can relax for a few days.

I am writing this on Sunday, July 19, although I will not be able to post as there is not even a hint of an internet signal up here. My cell phone is waffling between no bars and one bar, which means I can send and receive text messages but am not going to be able to hold a phone conversation.

Unplugged for the next 60 hours….this is going to be good for me.

I left home yesterday morning very early. Brandy and I were on the road before 7 A.M. I drove all day, arriving in Chico around 6 P.M. Of course, we stopped quite a few times along the way for food, bathroom, and stretch breaks. Chico and surrounding towns are so beautiful: quiet, green, folksy. It was hot and humid, though. My car thermometer climbed up to 109 degrees. Whoa.

We stayed overnight with Stephanie. Her house is so cute, with a huge yard, a fresh coat of pretty green interior paint, and tons of space for Steph and her kitty. Once we got Brandy settled in and removed all potentially edible items from lower shelves, Steph and I headed out for dinner at the Sierra Nevada brewery. We shared a delicious lentil burger and ahi tower. I had a Vienna lager, which was pretty good. I’d love to try more of the Sierra brews, as I’m not a fan of their popular pale ale. I will have to come back to Chico soon and do the whole tasting tour!

But the best part of dinner, of course, was reminiscing and catching up with one of my oldest friends. Stephanie and I met in high school in 1987 and we were fast friends, inseperable in many instances. We even attended the same college for two years. As so often happens, we drifted apart and lost touch when our paths took us in different directions, but I never stopped thinking about her and tried many times over the years to look her up on the internet. We reconnected – on Facebook of course – about a year ago and this has been our second “in person” visit since. I am so grateful for the opportunity to pick up where we left off while “filling in the gaps” as Stephanie puts it. Our Saturday night bonding meant a lot to me and I am looking forward to more get-togethers in the future.

Sunday was a slow, easy morning and I was not real anxious to get back in the car right away. But, there was no avoiding it and by noon, Brandy and I were off again. It was a very easy drive north into Oregon, and the northern California scenery is just spectacular. It’s been a long time since I’d seen Mt. Shasta, and what a beautiful sight it is! Highway 5 took us into the foothills around the mountain, and once we were on the north side, we began descending out of the hills toward the grasslands at the very top of the state. We were nearly out of the forest area when I noticed smoke up ahead and thought, “Hm, there must be a a little fire by the side of the road.”

And then, all of a sudden, we were plunged into the smoke. It was so strange – I couldn’t see well ahead of me or behind me, so my instinct was to slow down. But at the same time, there were huge flames on either side of us and the heat was tremendous. So I stepped on it and within seconds, we were past the fire. I wasn’t in any danger, but it was pretty scary for a minute there! My heart was beating pretty fast as I wondered how it was that the road was not closed with the fire right there engulfing the trees on either side of the highway. At the same time, I saw response vehicles coming up from the opposite direction and I realized that I was probably one of the last cars to come through that pass for a while. I really lucked out - my drive could have been a whole lot longer!

It was smooth sailing after that, entirely uneventful. We arrived at the campground at Odell Lake around 6:30, just behind Sherwin, Emmy, and little Eli. We unpacked our cars, claimed rooms, explored a little, and had some dinner. Brandy and Eli became fast friends – it was hilarious watching the little guy chase her around the lodge on his chubby little legs. I think Brandy scored a couple of little treats off her new buddy’s dinner tray, too.

So now, I lie in bed at 9:30 P.M., completely exhausted. It’s amazing how long drives can wear me out, and I’ve gone about 900 miles in the past two days, with about 17 hours of combined driving time. I’m ready for a good rest tonight followed by a couple of days of relaxation!