Thursday morning started wtih me packing everything in my room and loading it back into Air VW the Gray with a 67% charge. I gave my keys to the manager of The Bidwell House in case I get stuck somewhere and can’t get back. It was unlikely, but there are no charging locations within 50 miles of the B&B that could charge the EV in less than 8 hours. But I believed I would be OK and that I had a plan that should work.
I rose early, had breakfast at 8:30, packed, then wrote postcards and my usual doomscrolling as the Supreme Court gave more away to the President. The court ruled again that even a dangerous product that is then approved by the Feds cannot be properly declared deadly in the US states. Ugh! Deadly should be deadly, but not today in the US. The usual states’ rights can be ignored when Big Chemical makes a deadly product, and the Feds approve it anyway. Hmmm. And then, gun rights in Hawaii should be evaluated against the historical context of the time when the 2nd Amendment was written (so said the Supreme Court previously), and they do not include the historical fact that the King of Hawaii banned all weapons in the Kingdom of Hawaii at that time. Thus, guns can be banned in some settings, but that was declared unconstitutional. Hmmm. But I digress.
Please consider the following: And for my 2nd Amendment defenders, I simply don’t agree with much of what the court has recently decided regarding the Right to Bear Arms, but I understand your points. No, really, I do.
Breakfast started as I wrote, but I found all the place settings full except for one quite set, and I asked where to sit and then never saw them again. Hmmm (lots of Hmmm’s on Thursday). I returned to the place setting and was then acknowledged. Breakfast was soon offered wtih coffee. It was an olmet and toast. The veggies were all fresh from a local garden. I took it as presented and thought later that goat cheese and ham are not a fine mix, but still, it was fresh and well executed.
With that inside of me and my plans set (with a tiny possibility of being stranded), I headed to the Lassen Volcanic National Park. It was 25 miles away, with a small change in altitude (Chester, where I stayed, is already at 4,100), and I reached the entrance and parked at the ranger station with 51% charge. I remembered my homemade stamp book and stamped it while sporting the T-shirt for the park.
I skipped a return to the Sulfur Works and thought to see the bubbling lake. The drive to over 8,000 feet was breathtaking, but the road had no shoulder and, at points, was a near-straight drop of at least a couple of thousand feet. I white-knuckled a few times, and I had to keep all my attention on the curves and not look over at the amazing, wonderful view, as it would likely mean I would keep going that way, and while the view would be good for a few seconds more, the ending would be too impactful.
I can’t find words to describe the stark wonders of Lassen Peak. I will be back, but never when there is snow and ice up there. I stopped at a few lakes and views near the top. I don’t hike, and I was alone, and phones stopped working. I did start one trail near the bubbling lake, but it went straight up (I might have been on the wrong one), and I realized my lack of balance, lack of practice, and the 7,000+ altitude made me return after only a few minutes. I was breathless too. Back to the car and just photos of interesting places, most from the EV.
I enjoyed the drive and the views (now no longer on roads somehow pasted to a cliff). I found the exit and museum at the North Entrance/Exit, got more stamps (different ones), and then drove for more than an hour, but only using 1% to 47%. I then drove to get lunch (chili from Wendy’s with fries) and then charged.
I was now at 98°F after 60°F in the park (it was afternoon now, too). The car took a 100% charge (just checking it was still doing that, it was), and I headed North to Shasta Lake and the Caverns. More roads with no shoulder and great views followed as I left Highway 5 and took the interesting path to the Caverns.
I was surprised by the number of stairs down to the lake, and after a 15-minute wait, I joined seven others for a tour (a small group, I was told). We took a pontoon boat to the other side and then a shuttle bus up another 800 feet to the caves. These were reworked for tours and were full of wet cement stairs and flattened floors. I have never done so many stairs; 25 flights was the count on my Apple Watch at the end of the day. We climbed, I think, about another 500 feet or more in the caverns.
It was only 70°F instead of the usual mid-sixties, and my coat was warm, and the humidity oppressive. I was tired by the end and found myself yawning and needing a nap. But this was no place for a rest! Bryce, our tour guide, was good at filling us in and knew every step. But it seemed endless at times, and I kept thinking of Tolkien, The Hobbit, and its Goblintown. I would recommend the visit if you are comfortable with many uneven steps. I had my boots on.
Bryce and I talked when we were outside, on the stairs down that were cemented to the side of the mountain, about Dungeons & Dragons. He is a new player and enjoys playing and DM-ing. I gave him my card and told him to contact me if he wanted to try something online.
The rest of the day was spent charging and driving back to Chester. I stopped at the same charge station in Red Bluffs and had coffee (and lemon cake) at the same Starbucks. Got to 100% and then drove to Chester, arriving with a safe 63% charge.
Dinner was at Aslan’s Grill (with a lion emblem suggesting the Chronicles of Narnia) and had Greek food. I was hungry, and it was good. I sat outside and had excellent Turkish coffee.
After that, I returned to my room at The Bidwell House, read, and slept early. The driving, stairs, and altitude had me very tired.
Thanks for reading!
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 