Drive to Joseph Stewart State Recreation Area

Day 50: 12 July 2021

We drive to a peaceful and spacious state rec area, on a lake

We have a relatively short driving day and head to Joseph Stewart State Recreation Area, driving through fire-devastated areas (from last year? Nothing that appeared recent even as three huge fires rage on in California) on our way here. The air sometimes smelled of smoke and it was definitely hazy nearly the entire way. Google Maps put us at a Fish Hatchery instead of the SRA, but we asked some nice firemen, who were outside of their station having lunch at a picnic table, where this elusive park was…about five more miles to go. Thank you Google. But, as we soon found out, we only had a weak (1-2 bars) LTE signal, nothing with 3G, 4G, or 5G and maybe that had something to do with it.

As soon as we leveled the Roadhouse, I stepped in it. Not exactly sure what “it” is but it was not water soluable, it was very sticky, it squished out, you couldn’t wipe it off. It had a sort of sweet smell, fresh. Whoever camped there before me had found it as well because it had long human hair stuck in it, along with a lot of pine needles and just general “dirt”. In the 96 degree heat, it was pretty soft. So, I took my shoes off and found some other foot coverings to wear while we finished setting up the camper. Since I couldn’t wipe it off—too sticky—with a paper towel or rag, and it wouldn’t wash off with water, I tried heating it with my hair dryer. And I worked on the pair of shoes (yup, it got on 75% of one sole and up both heels and 25% of the other sole). I think it was some pine tree sap, but it was surprising to find such a big blob of it! I spent less than an hour cleaning up all the bits embedded in the tread of my favorite white leather tie shoes. Not to find some tar/bug remover from an automotive department somewhere to finish the job!

While I was cleaning (it actually ended up being kind of Zen), our neighbors moved in. They drove in from Bend and had the cutest 7 month old Old English Sheepdog/toy poodle mixed breed dog. Etha was black and white and SO CUTE. I enjoyed talking to her as much as her “parents”!

I mentioned that it was 96 degrees when we got there. Something has happened to Dan and me over the past few weeks, when triple digit temperatures were the norm for us. 96 in the shade, with a breeze and low humidity was quite pleasant. I never thought I’d see the day when I would say that sitting in 96 degree weather was PLEASANT, but it was. (If only I hadn’t “stepped in it”!)

Shasta Lake is at 37% capacity. Reservoirs all across the state are drying up. Stay tuned.

 

You can see a bit of haze in the air; in some areas we could smell smoke. I don’t think this fire damage was recent because of the green shrubs close by, but there was fire damage seen commonly in most areas of today’s drive.

Smoky hazy air quality and the sides of the road are bone dry everywhere

It’s tiring doing most all of the driving!  See that magazine? I think this is THE ECONOMIST. Dan has been missing his BLOOMBERG BUSINESS WEEK and refuses to read it online on his laptop. So, we stopped at a Rite Aid to see if they had a current copy. Nope. Keep in mind that we are attached to the trailer at this point and he is doing a masterful job of negotiating mall-type parking! Later in the day, we stop at a Walgreens. Same sad story. But as we come out of Lassen NP, he has done his homework and he knows that there is a Barnes and Noble (still open for business) in Redding. We stop (no trailer this time). But…no Business Week either. He had to settle for a Newsweek and a copy of THE ECONOMIST.
Must be riveting….

Tomorrow: we head to Crater Lake NP. Stay tuned!