Road Trippin', part 1

 Maybe I was born with it, or maybe it was instilled in me, but I like a good road trip now and then. First a 500 mile run up to Davis to drop Evan and Chris, a family friend, off at UCDavis for summer session. This part of the trip is feeling routine now. The first few times it seemed like forever, but now I can actually pick out landmarks as I go. The southern part of the valley is grapes and cotton, then there's hay, grazing land and fallow land, and then there's the trees; almonds, pistachios, apricots, cherries, and pomegranates. Eventually, I see the feedlots, acres and acres and acres of beef cattle. Sometimes I smell them before I see them, and long after I've seen them.

Finally river country comes up, Stockton and Sacramento. Lots of water and trees. And then, the lovely town of Davis. Resting place for the night, it is just about half way between my house and my friend's house. She lives just northwest of Eugene, Oregon. Where the Black Sheep Gathering happens.

North of Davis the road is less known to me, I've crossed over maybe a handful of times in my life. For a quite a while, the scenery looks much like the day before, lots of grazing land, some trees, some houses, some towns. Then the trees change, and become conifers. A sleeping giant looms ahead, glimpsed through breaks in the trees. Mount Shasta, looking every bit the sleeping volcano it is.

Note the collection of bug guts on the front windshield.

The highway takes me over Lake Shasta, and the lake, and it is full! I don't think I've ever seen it full before.

Okay, I cheated a bit, this shot is from the journey home. Please excuse the blurry picture. I think the auto focus focused on the door instead of the lake.

Going from the California into Oregon, the highway twists and turns while climbing and descending. In Southern California, the roads go up the mountains and then you're up, and the reverse for going down. Along highway 5, the up then down sequence was repeated over and over. I'm glad I was driving on a fine sunny day. I don't think I'd like that stretch of road much after dark.

All the highway rest stops I saw in Oregon were beautiful. and Roseburg Oregon has what must be some of the prettiest freeway landscaping ever. I didn't get any pictures, which is a shame. Next time I'll have my camera ready. My second day of travel went very well, and I arrived at my friend's house in time for supper. It's a talent.