A serene moment—actually , one of many
"No man is an island"—kindly explain that 'burst of wisdom', please?
We were not expecting too much excitement following a hike up to Mount Elwell in the Sierras, the day before. We were wrong, fortunately. The Plumas National Forest is no slouch although it might not have the same ‘pull’ as some of the other natural wonders—we prefer it that way. Once again, the serenity, tranquility and beauty mesmerized us or it could have been a case of tired muscles after a 9-mile hike. It’s not often we have the feeling of foregoing a hot bath, comfortable bed and well-prepared food. On Tuesday, camping under the stars seemed like a very good idea. Fortunately, our sleeping bags were left in the motel.
Grass Lake—the ducks isolated from most of humanity
Superb rocking climbing opportunities
We left Shasta on Sunday, stopping in Redding for provisions and an oil change for the car. That’s where we developed the idea which we thought was a good one. It appears that no one else shared our enthusiasm. With ‘Obamacare’ in the news and a need to reduce medical costs, we thought we should do our bit for the country. Why not have our hip joint lubricated at the same time as the car. Although we have an excellent orthopedic surgeon, he can’t beat $ 29 plus tax. Before we boast about the savings, let’s wait to see how much the insurance company reimburses us on the service. We’ll let you know.
Both love climbing the rocks. Go figure!
The towns that we passed through are quite fascinating. It feels like we are in another world or at least, a different state. After the hustle and bustle of Southern California, one is transformed into a slow-paced, easy going but always, beautiful part of the country. Some of the towns have populations ranging from 25 to a few hundred. We are currently in Downieville after spending three nights in Portola. We passed through or stopped in Quincy, Graeagle, Clio, Truckie (a laundry with internet access—heavenly), Blairsden, Sierraville, Sierra City, Bassetts Station and others. The region, often referred to as the “Lost Sierras’, has made us most content having found it.
Rock Lake, the third lake of the trio, turqoise and emerald in places, always crystal clear
When growing up, we hope we are not being presumptuous, the United States, through its large cities, represented concrete jungles filled with human action and excitement. We were impressed by Gotham City, Superman and Batman. Upon arriving at these shores, which clearly stretches from sea to shining sea, a little older and perhaps more mature, things began to change. Somewhere along the line, a different meaning of life presented itself. The more we travel in this vast land, the more our vision of the country changes. In California alone, the differences between the north and south are easily apparent—it’s two different worlds. More about that another time.
"Hey, Sunshine?" 'Batman' captured overlooking Jamieson Lake
We are now heading for what one of our travel books calls ‘the best day hike’ in California, the Sierra Buttes. See you when we get down. (This happens when blogs are published out of order.)
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
Does he ever get off his back?...Sometimes he lies on his stomach...well, then there's meals at which he sits. (He's very versatile in his field.)
Area covered in granite. Editor's expression seems at one with the natural materials 
Water colors
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