Day 32 - (09/03) Susanville, CA

To our surprise, we've had no problem getting into campgrounds since leaving Columbus. Today is Labor Day and it was no exception.  Even the traffic on I-5 was light.

Departing view of Glenyan RV Park
(patio, pond and covered bridge seemed so peaceful)

The 211 mile trip ended in a very nice campground in the small town of Susanville.  (Note to the Smiths:  We haven't seen a Bruceville yet, but Dick did have Bruce's Meat Lover's Omelette at the Black Bear Diner in Yreka, CA.)  The route:  OR-66W to I-5 at Ashland, I-5S to CA-89 at Mt. Shasta, CA-89S to CA-44 at Old Station, then CA-44E and CA-36E into Susanville.

Our Black Bear Diner stop for a late breakfast was a delight.  Our omelettes were delicious, the diced red potatoes are out of this world, and the biscuits are light and fluffy.  They get the "best breakfast of the trip" award ... so far.

CA said hello
(and OR said good bye, but no picture)

Departure from Oregon and entrance to California was a bit exciting.  There were multiple climbs and descents of 6° that went for 6 to 7 miles.  Going up was easy, the climbs all had slow traffic lanes.  We did most descents in 2nd gear and stayed off the brakes.

Here we go again!

Terrain and foliage changed dramatically in California.

Rugged enough?

Gulp!  We came up the road down there.

A lot of smoke had settled into the valleys along CA-89 between Mt. Shasta and Bartle.  We talked with some fire fighters at McCloud who were getting fuel and heading back to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Bagley Fire.  It was started by lightning on August 18th.  It involves 44,465 acres, 1,920 personnel, and is 55% contained.  They expect to have it contained by September 15th.

Mt. Shasta

The last 90 miles of the trip were clear of smoke.  The views left no question that this is a real wilderness area.  We saw lots of dry lakes, burned forests, and free-range cattle.  There were a few campgrounds, and virtually no homes or services until we got to Susanville.  The road was in great condition and rest areas were excellent.

This rest area was in the middle of nowhere

Carol picked the Susanville RV Park because it seemed to be in the right place at the right time.  It was a great choice!  It's clean, modern and near services.  We're enjoying a nice breeze as the sun sets.

Site #21 - Susanville RV Park