Dreaming of being on the road = AGAIN 05-17-20

This week I should be on the road to Washington State to visit my friends Mabel and Mac Huseby and several people along I-5 on the way up or down.  But the Virus has canceled all our travel plans.  I'm going to try for September now.  And maybe I will try driving up Highway 395 again.  It was a very nice drive several years ago and I didn't go all the way up into WA, instead turning west to visit Sisters, Oregon, though not during their quilt week.   385 can be a very lonely road, but it takes me through familiar country - Bishop, Mono Lake, Reno, and beyond.  Part of the decision would depend on how much time I have, right now I have endless time!  But no place to stay or eat or visit or....   The Virus is in charge. 

Highway 395 follows the east slope of the Sierra.  This image is from May 2018.

Looking south from from the pass north of Mono Lake.  Love the stickers on the guard rail, there must be thousands. 

Here is the Starbuck's in Alturas, CA., which is located in the far northeast corner of California.  Notice that it is not a drive in, I didn't need to stand in line either.  The hotel is open for guests. 

A very common sight in northern CA, OR, and WA.  I well remember log trucks in my childhood that had only one huge fallen tree on the back.  There were still virgin forests being logged back then.  Now the logs are usually about the same diameter because they were all planted at the same time. 

It would be fun to drive this route again.  Soon! 

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Catch up photos 05-23-18

Guess I might never catch up.  Wonder how I did this on all my past Road Trips.   Here are pictures from 05-20-18 and 05-21-18. 

When I drove into Alturas the first thing that caught my attention was a Starbuck's sign.  A Starbuck's out here in the "wilderness"?  Yes, it is located in a very old hotel right on the main street.  Of course, I stopped and ordered a venti latte to carry me through the miles ahead.  

Diagonal across the intersection is this wonderful mural of sandhill cranes flying in front of the snow capped peaks.   Unfortunately this guy parked his car in front of it and had to be in the picture!  One odd thing, notice the raggedly corner of the building in upper left.  Odd. 

One street over is this elegant Modoc County Courthouse.  In the past this town must have been much larger, mostly closed up now. 

In Alturas and further on in Lakeview, OR, there were many lilac bushes/trees in bloom.  And someone had planted red poppies in between the highway and their fence. 

The wind was giving them quite a whacking, but they seemed to be holding up.

Lilacs in pale lavender....

... old fashioned lilac color.....

...and pure white.

Whenever I am traveling in the springtime and see lilacs blooming along a fence line, not in someone's yard, I stop and pick a few to perfume the car.  I use a water bottle for a vase and put a stone in the bottom to weight it into my cup holder.  What a heavenly fragrance!  We cannot grow lilacs in SCalifornia where I live, but a sometimes I find them for sale at TJoe's and buy some to perfume my entire house.  

They cheer my entire self. 

There are places along the highway where many large rock formations are exposed, this was probably blasted away in the early 20th Century. 

I have never seen a road cut that is an actual cut, but I think this had to be cut rather than blasted.  What kind of a saw would they have to do this?  Very startling, I turned around and went back for a photo, but there was no place to pull off so I just slowed down to a creep on the highway and snapped this one.  Couldn't see a vehicle in front or behind.  

I hadn't passed any towns or buildings for quite a while when this greenhouse structure appeared.  Wondered if it is a "weed house".  There are lots of bug spots on my windshield. 

I believe this is Arnica growing wild.  A medical plant used for pain relief for centuries. 

The very long and large Goose Lake.  And the clouds are looking threatening. 

Even worse out the other side of the car. 

 OOPS!

Uglier and uglier. 

But still blue sky to the west. 

Oh, no!  Here it comes. 

A downpour near Lakeview, OR.

And then NW on Hwy 31 - the start of my low gas experience. 

And more rain, but not as heavy. 

Ahhh, the clouds moved SE and the sky cleared. 

And finally checking in to the Hampton Court in Bend where these pinks are planted along the foundation.  Very bright and very fragrant. 

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