From the Road IV--July 5th

Backdated July 5th, Sacramento (posted July 17th from Houston) After a peaceful night's sleep at Burnt Ranch Campground, we loaded up the car and had cold breakfast of our previously boiled eggs and some granola bars--by now we were out of milk and cooking fuel. As we set out, we were able to fully appreciate the pretty mountains and the river that meandered below, now that the fog had cleared. We finally descended from the mountains and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest on one of the twistiest stretches of road I've ever driven. The driving required a lot of concentration, but each corner revealed a new vista to keep it interesting. Eventually, the terrain opened up and we headed south to take a loop detour around some pretty little mountain lakes, and later through broad flat agricultural fields that felt more like they belonged in the midwest than California: right down to the barns... and the grain elevators. The fields of sunflower seeds were definitely not midwestern. We stopped in the town of Red Bluff to re-supply on camp fuel and milk, as well as get an overdue oil change. I abandoned my no chain restaurant resolution altogether with another trip to Arbys while our car was on the lift... Mmmmm Super Roast Beef. As we approached Sacramento, we passed our time trying to teach Ella to imitate Arnold Schwarzeneger--"A'll be ba-ack". The first syllable was pretty convincing. We knew we were getting close to Sacramento when the dry flat fields gave way to developments of suburban cookie cutter homes, coated with some Spanish-flavored sprinkles (click for a better look). Even the latte's apparently had the same flavor sprinkled on them. Finally we arrived at the home of Kong and Muouah-Chi, the older brother and sister-in-law of one of my best friends form grade school. We had a nice dinner and a great chance to reminisce on friendships, and the process of growing up and reconnecting with family. It was a welcome break from the road.