This trip took us up to Sierra City area via CA 49 and back down via Lake Tahoe (89) and a new favorite east-west crossing (there are so few in CA!), CA 88 via Kit Carson Pass. The route to get there is pretty well-worn for us, but we try to keep our eyes open for new sites to behold. Here's one at an I-5 rest area: a produce truck full of banana peppers pulled in next to us. Shoulda kept our eyes closed for that, though--these really burn eyes and noses!
Weather was scrumptious up at 6000 feet (high 80s). The campground was, unfortunately, very rustic AND rundown (no way to fill the water tank--sponge bath, anyone?). The Kentucky Mine concert venue, the concert (Mumbo Gumbo--go to iTunes and buy their latest album, Fun Pack, which contains new songs and old favorites--a good introduction) and the concertgoers were fantastic. Our RV with Nick in the driver's seat was the hit of the parking lot.
No problems navigating the well-marked, newly repaved road at night. Of course, the fact that driving the Navion after dark is what I'd imagine driving a police car with its floodlights on is like.... Rocksie has bright headlights!
We ended up just coming home on Sunday, after stopping in South Lake Tahoe--when we finally found the ONE parking lot along the entire lake that had a space for us--and taking a nice hike. We had a fabulous picnic spot, too:
When we got to the town in the foothills where we thought we'd like to stay, it was 106 degrees. We would've spent the afternoon sitting in AC, waiting for the temp to drop. So, we just kept driving and got home at 6:30PM, 42 degrees cooler than where we would've been. (Our summer fog is in full force these days. I love Nature's air conditioning!)
We both definitely prefer our trips to be longer. All that prep before and after for 2 days isn't unreasonable, but it is much nicer to amortize the work over a longer trip. Plus, after 2-3 days, one wants to keep going, really. We also learned not to take water for granted. We hadn't wanted to fill our fresh water tank in order to haul that 240 pounds up the mountain, but now we know that we can properly clean and flush the hard way--by hauling our own water. Just hope we don't need to use that newfound knowledge too often.
Next trip: Pacific Northwest after Labor Day. Probably a 3-week run, since we don't want to be on the road for Labor Day AND since we need to be back for our View/Navion rally at the beginning of October. Then, we are definitely game for a long fall trip....
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