The two-woman, 1-dog traveling troupe drove through what appeared to be high desert after leaving Klamath Falls. Trees were sparser, mountains smaller and more brown. We stopped at a rest stop called "Grass Lake." Odd name, I thought. Frances, of course, investigated the historical sign overlooking a prairie-like meadow while Oliver and I puttered around the pet area. She reported that there used to be a lake at that site, with a hotel and fishing dock. Until someone decided to fish with dynamite.
They probably didn't realize they were sitting on top of lava tubes until the dynamite broke through the floor of the lake. When the lake disappeared, they figured it out. Too late. It did become a fine wetland, now home to hundreds of species of animals--none of which built a hotel or a dock.
Approaching Shasta from the north made me realize that the scenic photos are mostly taken from the south. It took us a while to recognize it, but since it was the only large mountain around, we cleverly deduced that we were looking at Mt. Shasta. I think it was at this point that Frances' camera battery died. Rest stops would be shorter from here on out.
Traveling with a dog in hot weather means you don't get to eat inside in cool, air-conditioned establishments. We found a nice sandwich/pizza place,"The Pizza Factory," at about the same time we found I-5. Oliver and friend shared a seat. The beer, of course, was Oliver's.
My friend, Susan H., lives in Cottonwood, California, along the Sacramento River (or a tributary, or subsidiary, or some other river-like term.) I've been to her house a number of times, but with my lack of a sense of direction and because of the winding, twisting backroads to get there, Susan graciously offered to meet us at the Shasta Oulet Mall in Anderson. Frances and I managed to eschew this outlet mall ("It's HOT!" "I'm tired!") and instead visited the gloriously air-conditioned California Welcome Center.
Oliver was welcomed to California. Doesn't he look excited?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment