Years ago I learned to never chose shortest route unless I was prepared for an “interesting” drive. Today I forgot that lesson. As we were leaving Desert Rose RV Park in Fernley NV to go to Virginia City NV in the Jeep, I was not happy with the fastest route which was largely Interstates. I chose “Shortest” and within a couple of miles I was taking a turn on to a nice gravel road which shortly joined a paved residential road. I looked at the overall route and it seemed we were cutting a corner from 95A to 50A saving several miles so we continued, on gravel. 

I became a bit disconcerted when one of the “turns” was on to a not yet existent road. The GPS gamely recalculated and the next turn took us up and over the  hill ( I use that word rather than mountain because out here it was a hill, in the East it would be a mountain) to US 50A eventually to US 50 eventually to “No Name Road” which ultimately became 6 Mile Canyon Road which ends in Virginia City after 6 miles. 6 Mile Canyon Road is clearly marked “Steep, Narrow, Tight Turns NO TRUCKS” It was just fine in the Jeep. 

Virginia City sits on top of hundreds of miles of mining tunnels driven in search of silver and gold which was found in large quantities. If any city in the US can claim to have roads paved with silver and gold it is this one since the miners were busy discarding blue muck to get to the ore, they even used it to build roads until it was pointed out that the assay on the material was as high as on the ore.

We took a tour of one of the mines, that started by walking through an early bank building through the space where the vault was originally situated  directly into the mountain behind the building about 300 feet. After that tour we had lunch in a deli behind an ice cream and candy store just down the street from the mine tour. We took a trolley tour of the town that provided much more history. Much is closed in particular the Mark Twain Museum and the Silver Queen Hotel. We did enjoy one further stop back at the place we had lunch to buy some peanut brittle and a single ice cream scoop for each of us. 

To return to the coach I let the GPS choose the fastest route which had us swing through the edge of Reno on two Interstates.  It was fast, it was boring.

As planned we drove to Redlands Truck and RV early on the 10th, arriving before lunch. We met the Hazeltons who are stranded for an unknown length of time due to a fire in a rats nest on top of their engine. We enjoyed lunch at The Corner Deli and chatted for a couple of hours. Later in the day I noted a circle of chairs in front of another rig in “The Grove” and brought a chair over to sit with Pat and Pete Benoy also from Jojoba Hills and company. We had a lovely Happy Hour before dinner. Then an early dinner and preparation for departure. 

The 11th found us halfway to Sacramento in an Elks Lodge parking lot in Wasco CA. it is Central Valley between I5 and US 99.  They had water and 30 amp electric.  I added a small amount of water to the radiator tank since it seemed a bit low and we had had a STOP ENGINE light with Low Coolant warning during a long climb. Upon restart after a few minutes on the shoulder the warnings had cleared and we continued on.

We continued on to Sacramento where we stayed in Sac West RV park. Nice park, I’ve posted a review. I will refrain from describing the traffic in detail. Suffice it to say that US 99 is a major route in the area and they closed it entirely for 5 days! All of the traffic was rerouted onto I 5. Oy! We had a lovely visit with the Braunsteins that evening and the next morning they picked us up for brunch at Shady Lady in Old Town Sac and we found our way into G Willikers Toy store, you really need to see it to believe it. Then we went wine tasting and late afternoon we collapsed in the coach to prepare to get back on the road. 

We had a brief under two hour drive to Olema CA where it turns out the campground pretty much is the town. It is right on CA 1. It is a nice campground, not a five star, too expensive for limited amenities (30 amp that produced only 100 volts in the heat of the day, no sewer). We drove out to the Point Reyes Lighthouse which not only was closed, but so fogged in we couldn’t see it. Then the reason for this trip to the coast we got to get together with Minda Will, Oscar and Leo. It was delightful visit, Carol got pictures, I didn’t. The boys are definitely young boys, I am glad I can’t remember living through the endless tumult of two boys. 

When we left the coast we had no plan beyond a specific fuel stop where the outrageous price of diesel was somewhat less than other nearby truck stops. It does get old buying 60 gallons plus for about $4/gallon. Even if that takes us 550 miles, it still is a reminder of how bad it is in other countries that would consider it a bargain. As we pulled out of the stop heading east on US 50 that was all we knew. I figured in two hours we should be able to find a place to spend the night. I was at the wheel and Carol tried a couple of places on the route to see if they had room. I don’t think they laughed, but the answer was no. Just about two hours into the drive with Lake Tahoe about 30 minutes ahead I spotted a Federal campground sign on the side of the road. I slowed to take a look and noticed what appeared to be a motorhome so I turned 120 degrees down a very steep narrow entry road. Another guest and the camp host greeted us and assured me that if we disconnected the car we could indeed drive through and find a suitable place to spend the night, away from the road and backed up to The American River. We immediately booked two nights and are  now talking about making it four. It is a lovely place and our neighbor and camp host are lovely people and we really are not in a hurry. Our only limit is water and grey tank capacity. There is a dump and fresh water available so we may stay a while.

This is looking up from the river. Two more pictures will follow when I can get them to upload. and HERE THEY ARE!

Our picnic table overlooking the “river” In Rochester we would call that a creek.

The line up!

The reason for our return to jojoba Hills was a call Carol had with a doctor, strongly suggesting she return for a test. It has been done and nothing was found so we are heading back out to play. Joy and happiness here! 

It looks like a replay with a preliminary stop at Redlands Truck and RV to be sure our new brake system for the Jeep is working as designed. Then because Anna Lee and Jerry had to return to Sacramento early, we plan to visit with them after all and maybe even seen niece Minda and family as well. Then the crystal ball is blank. We do not have a distinct plan other than Escapade in WY in late July. 

I suspect we will know what we have done when I post it here. We have done this in the past, but I can’t remember the last time we just took off with no firm plan, or even a semblance of an idea of a plan. With all the warnings about over crowded campgrounds it could be interesting. We will stay away from most major destinations and out of the Pacific North West (PNW) since the combination of drought and overcrowding are not enticing.

 We decided to take CA 395 from LA to Lake Tahoe. It was a neat idea, if slightly out of the way for heading to Albuquerque. It was not to be. As soon as I started looking for a week end place, Mothers Day no less, in Lake Tahoe it became clear I needed to have booked way back before I knew we would head this way. As we set about driving  north on 395 it seemed clear that a stop in Lone Pine was a necessity and we got a spot in Boulder Creek RV Park just south of town. 

I’m not sure I can adequately describe Lone Pine. It lies in a plain between two mountain ranges on the edge of what was once a very large lake which has gone to feed ever thirsty Los Angeles County.  In the 1930s some movie producers found Lone Pine and decided it was a wonderful location for almost anything they could imagine. In addition to many major productions, Gunga Din, the original Lone Ranger movie, it became the location for every western cowboy B  movie made in the 40’s through the 60’s later it also became the location for Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hop-along (choose your own spelling)  Cassidy Tom Mix, Lone Ranger, and I had better stop there. TV Westerns were also shot there.

We explored the height of the mountain and came down to Movie Drive where we proceeded to the trailhead for Mobius Arch 

where Carol and I took the short but strenuous hike to see the Arch.

We stopped by the rock call Shark and saw this speck up near the top

We stopped in town to have lunch at The Bakery Cafe which is in the throws of reopening and adding staff so they can open 7 days a week. Service was a bit chaotic, but the food was fine and the staff were trying real hard between training new staff and getting meals out.

We hated to leave,  but we had a sort of a plan and we stayed for the time we had booked. The short term plan was to crossover into Nevada to fuel the coach in Tonopah and stay nearby on some BLM land. {Life has taken us into strange places, in this instance we have referred to BLM Land since we started RVing 20 years ago, It is Bureau of Land Management Dept. of the Interior) We missed the turn. Eventually we found Pit 12 at the intersection of US 95 and NV 266 next to the Lida airstrip. It was quiet and unpopulated other than by a wandering herd of cattle. The next day brought us to Boulder City NV. More on that in another post.

I never got around to writing about the preparations for our summer travels. Part of the reason was I was so busy with my volunteer efforts at Jojoba Hills SKP Resort that by the time I had a moment that was not either working or socializing I really didn’t feel like writing. Another piece is that I have not really done any planning. 

I may have explained in an earlier post that it feels like I grabbed a handful of pebbles and threw them at the map. Most of them landed west of the Mississippi, but that still is a large territory and we do plan to get to Rochester eventually. We are in the lovely Redlands Truck & RV Service Center campground. Fine gravel a concrete patio and full hookups. The camping is free, the cost of the work, not so much. We will leave here with refreshed oil and other fluids, new tires and with a new towing set up for the Jeep. I think my first Corvette cost less than this. With the preventive maintenance we had done on all the appliances two weeks ago we should have relatively trouble free travels. Pull that quote when I start writing about the Perils of Paul. Actually 4 days after the aforementioned PM the back furnace ceased to function. Upon inspection the tech and I learned that the blower fan had disintegrated. This is not something you replace in preventive maintenance. 

We will know where we are going when we know when we will get out of here. We plan to visit friends in Sacramento, a 7 hour drive, but they are no longer available after Thursday. If we can roll Wednesday morning it will work. Watch for the update. 

As the years have passed health has become the moderator of travel and relationships. Our health and that of those around us. When I post list of those in need of the comfort of thought it gets longer and longer. We are doing well. I know people worry about Carol, she would rather you didn’t. When we pulled into the campground she had been driving the new Jeep as chase car since it isn’t  setup for towing yet, She bounded out laughing and happy to be back on the road again. We are out to dinner in Redlands tonight. And looking forward to breakfast at Carolyns Cafe while the coach goes into service.

Fine Thai dinner at Benjarong Thai Cuisine. If you in the vicinity and hungering for Thai cooking this is the place.