In the Californian boonies
Our vacations feel like ancient history now that the boys are back in school. Since our return in mid-August, there has not been a single dull moment. But I must chronicle our Oregon road trip and other California adventures, partly because this blog also helps us keep track and we often refer to it when we are vague on some past détail.
After my parents arrived, we spent four days playing around San Francisco and Orinda. Then we got on the road. First stop, Emmanuel’s camp in the Sierra foothills near Marysville. After two weeks in this rural camp taking care of the animals, visiting the watering holes daily, learning tons of new songs and more, Emmanuel was the embodiment of a happy camper. In short compulsory letters home, he had described the camp, which his aunt also attended in the early 80s and which actually goes back to the 30s, as “awesome”. He enjoyed showing his grandparents and us around the rustic camp. Overheard during the emotional farewells between the campers, most of them regulars, and the counselors: “I will walk to camp next year if I have to.” Wow !
Using scenic roads instead of boring 80, we made our way to Tahoe, visiting the Empire Mine State Historic Park on the way. This feat of engineering and underground human toil is far from the picture of 49ers panning for gold in rivers. As usual when arriving at the family cabin in Tahoe, there was a distinct possibility of encountering a bear or at least signs of a visit. Thankfully, everything was safe. But later during our four days there, we did come upon a bear calmly digging ants or worms out of a log right by the side of the road. I must say that finally seeing one “in the flesh” somehow made the whole bear thing less scary.
After EJ’s parents joined us with cousin Evan and aunt Tracy, our four days in Tahoe were a whirlwind of activities including a wild flowers walk, a rafting trip down the Truckee, daily visits to a nearby pond for the delight of the three cousins, good dinners and games. We are so lucky that both sets of grandparents have had quite a few opportunities to meet over the last 15+ years and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Through a mixture of French, English and sign language, they can communicate without major misunderstandings. For my parents, the novelty was meeting Evan who continues to be a dream baby, distributing kisses and waving to everybody who comes near him.
Then came the real road trip. On our way to Oregon, we explored northeastern California. Our stops included Lassen National Park and Lava Beds National Monument. While those are in California, in the northeastern corner of the state, they feel so far away from the stereotypical California of Los Angeles or San Francisco, you might as well be on another planet.
We loved Lassen for its long drive through beautiful vistas and frequent snow patches at the summit. Snow in July : you know it has been a wet year in California. We slept right outside the park in a KOA cabin managed by an extremely enthusiastic and toothy-grinned man. But the person we will remember most fondly from that stop was Charlotte, a staff member and former nurse who patched up Gabriel’s knee after he took a fall in the campground. She rigged a butterfly band-aid to close up the good-size gash and even came back after work with the proper equipment to perfect the job. Thanks, Charlotte.
The next morning, we returned to the park for a nature walk with a Park Ranger around one of the many lakes. We learned about the different ecosystems around the lake and the many animals that call it home. The boys also got to fish for the first time. In our well-packed van, we carried two fishing rods among many other things. Our next stop was to be Medecine Lake a couple hours to the north. But a faulty Tom Tom GPS caused us to overshoot the lake, which might have been a blessing…or not. It turns out that the lake was the site of a gathering of local Native Americans for a few days. While it would have been amazing to be there, we were told that campsites were probably scarce. Instead, we landed in the small town of Tulelake and, this time, were saved by another iPhone app which found a lodging for us. While we had planned to camp at a primitive and remote campground, we ended up staying the night in a large house done in a circa 1970 style in a semi-rural, quaintly charming town.
Our intention was to spend a morning in Lava Beds National Monument, which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire like Lassen and Bend where we headed next. But again our plans changed because we let the park work its magic on us. Instead of a quick visit, we spent a full day exploring the many caves formed by the lava flow. At night, we found a camping site inside the park. We turned the back of the van into a bedroom for my parents and the four of us slept under the stars. We had a tent, but did not bother to put it up because it was so warm. After another Ranger Park talk about the starry night, we repaired to our beds and spent the night surrounded by stars, deer and bats. I will not lie and say it was the most restful night, but it was so nice to be free of walls and locked doors.
The boys enjoyed some crafts on the theme of volcanoes and stars the next morning, hanging out again with a young girl they had had s’mores with the night before. Gabriel was sworn in as Junior Park Ranger before we moved on to other aspects of the park: the site of the last stand of the Modocs against the US Army in 1872-73 and the 4,500-year old petroglyphs in the former cliffs of Tule Lake which the European immigrants dried up to expand their farming operations. If you add a mention of the nearby Segregation Center where Japanese-Americans were interned during WWII and which later served as prison for 800 German POWs, you can see that the visit was a rich geological, historical and cultural experience spanning centuries and weaving together a quintessentially American story.
kelloucq
le 29.08.10 à 16:15
dans Actualités
- 
Article précédent - Commenter - Article suivant -