Beals Point Campground, Folsom Lake, CA

Day 10, 11, 12:  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, January 24, 25, 26   Beals Point State Park, Folsom, CA

We settled into our nice spot at Beals Point, then went for a walk through the campground and along part of the dam above the lake.  The lake is higher than it was when we were here several years ago.  We saw a huge flock of gulls swirling, then landing on the lake.  A couple of Western Bluebirds were flitting around the motor home when we arrived – maybe looking for bugs on the windshield?  We are enjoying having all the amenities – not only electric and water hookups, but 4G cell with 5 bars!  Since we use our cell signal with our hot spot for Internet, we have had to switch to Unlimited data – ouch!  This is a pretty spot, with woods, meadows, and the sound of frogs at night, all in the middle of a highly populated area!  We have started watching Season 6 of Homeland, which I bought before we left home.  Preparing for many nights of no local TV, no cable, and certainly no streaming!

Thursday was a rainy day, so we drove to downtown Sacramento and enjoyed the California Railroad Museum.  We had a tour and watched a movie, also climbed in an out of lots of trains and train cars.  That evening Wendy and Eric treated us to a delicious meal at Pete’s Brewhouse – it is always wonderful to see them!

First steam engine train to travel the transcontinental railroad after the
golden spike celebrated the connection of the eastern and western rails.
Named after Leland Stanford, one of the investors.

Brass plate on the Leland Stanford engine

Survey engineering was a critical part of tract construction.
The museum also honors the many Chinese that helped build the railroad.

An example of a snow shed, which protected the train from the snow through
the mountains.  These often caught fire from the steam engines!

Historic steam engine, with the Q tips standing by it.

Friday we let the day warm up a bit, then rode our bikes south on the American River bike path, which goes all the way to downtown Sacramento, 32 miles.  A short way past Negro Bar, there was a rockslide in January, 2017, and we knew it was not cleared yet, but hoped to walk around the slide.  However, it was very rugged, big rocks, too much climbing with the bikes, so we headed back north and crossed the river on the bridge by Historic Folsom.  There we discovered the Johnny Cash Trail, which goes all around the Folsom Prison property (not as grim as it sounds – we could see only grass and trees, but could see no prison buildings).  From there we looped back to the campground.

Big rock slide on the American River Bike Trail in January, 2017!

We discovered this new trail near Historic Folsom.

Scenic prison grounds.  We could not see the prison  buildings.

Wild turkeys enjoying their seclusion.  They can fly away if they want to!

Folsom Dam, raised higher a few years ago to contain more water.
If it ever comes!  Last year had lots of rain and snow, but very little in 2018.

Canyon Creek RV Resort, Winters, CA

Day 8, 9:  Monday, Tuesday, January 22, 23     Canyon Creek RV Park, Winters, CA

Crow watching us on our morning walk at Black Butte Lake

We went on a nice walk around the campground, then headed south.  There were very few people staying at this park this time of year, and we got a nice spot within view of Monticello Dam, which dams up Lake Berryessa.  Monticello is the name of the small town that was in the valley flooded by the lake when the dam was put in.  We walked down along Putah Creek, saw a heron and heard osprey.  Linda did some laundry and Jim vacuumed and tidied up the MH.  Weather not a whole lot warmer than it is at home – in the 40’s.  It is nice to have hookups after being at Black Butte – the heated mattress pad on the bed works, and we can plug in our electronics.  No cell signal at all in this canyon! 

Putah Creek and our campground.  A hint of white through the trees is us!
Monticello Dam at the bottom of Berryessa Lake in the background.

Walking downstream along Putah Creek

Campground clubhouse along the creek.  There is a restaurant
 and small grocery store here during the summer.

Tuesday we walked from the campground to hike in the Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve, which is owned by the University of California at Davis and used for research projects, is a habitat for 108 bird species, 43 mammal species, and many plants.  Our hike to the main trailhead was rigorous, along the creek, with rocky climbs and descents, rock steps in some places.  From there we hiked the Homestead Trail, about 1.2 more miles uphill to the site of a historic goat farm.  Although the entire hike was only 5 miles, we were tired when we got back!

Walking through a culvert on the rough creekside trail
to the Cold Canyon trailhead.

 

A view back down the creek from the trail
to the old Goat Homestead.  Hee hee!

Very quiet in this canyon today!

Choosing a large but steady rock to cross the stream.

Wednesday we drove up Highway 128 along Lake Berryessa.  We saw the results of a 2017 fire along the road near Spanish Flat and on the ridges.  This is a big lake, with many resorts down off the road.  We parked at the Oak Shores Day Use Area – nobody there but us?  We walked around the points of land along the lake, ended up at the Smittle Creek Trailhead.  We walked that trail several years ago!  The day was overcast and a bit windy, making us long for southern climes.  After lunch we decamped and headed to Beals Point on Folsom Lake.

View of Berryessa Lake from Oak Shores Day Use Area

2017 fire damage along the road near Spanish Flat

Higher ridges got so hot the soil is sterilized, no green this year!

Black Butte Lake Campground, Orland, CA

Day 4: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, January 19, 20, 21      Black Butte Campground, Orland, CA

A short drive down I-5 to our next spot.  We took the Corning exit and went by a buffalo ranch in these mounded rolling hills.  After our arrival at the nearly deserted campground (we got our favorite spot overlooking the lake) and lunch, we took Sarah down to the lake for a stick swim, then walked around the park a bit.  There are lots of Acorn Woodpeckers and Kildeer here, as well as Meadlowlarks.

Saturday we hiked down along the lake and up and down the mounded hills, about 5 miles.  There are lots of trails here, going in and out along the fingers of the lake.  The lake is lower than it was last year.  Sunday we rode our bikes 12 miles from the campground to Orland Buttes campground on the south end of the lake.  It was a great ride, lots of long hills, but it was cold and windy, with a sharp headwind in some spots.  We were cold and tired when we got back!  Jim made a pot of hot coffee and we stretched, had no ill effects from the ride.  We saw a couple of interesting signs on the ride, plus several meadowlarks.  A nice omelet for dinner, then we watched the last of the 22 episodes of The Event, after several nights of binge viewing.  We liked the sci-fi series, but not the final episode!

View from our campsite at Black Butte Lake

Happy Sarah playing stick

View of the campground from Jim's copter.  We are the big rig on the left on top.

Sign we saw on our 25 mile bike ride.  Read it carefully!

Another sign!  Somehow creepier than the word "Cemetery".

Marina RV Park, Redding, CA

Day 2,3,4:  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,  January 16, 17, 18     Marina RV Resort, Redding, CA

We had nice weather through the Siskiyous, unhitching the new tow car, 3Z, through the passes.  No snow this year, and even Mt. Shasta does not have much snow.  A dry year for the watershed.  We stayed at Park Marina, always a favorite.  Lots of ducks here, including Common Goldeneye and Hooded Merganser.  Allow Yellow-Billed Magpies flitting around the campground.  Tuesday we rode our bikes from the campground, over the Sundial bridge, and up the Sacramento River Trail to Keswick Dam, about 12 miles round trip.  Such a nice ride.  But I have not ridden my bike much in the last couple of months, and I feel it!

Noble rig driver, showing no snow on the ground!

Mt. Shasta, some snow, but not much.

Shasta Lake at Bridge Bay, level good from last year

Campsite on the water at Marina RV Park

View from the RV

Biking across the Sundial Bridge on the Sacramento River Trail

Wednesday we had a great lunch with my brother Bill at Shorty’s Eatery, which is in the historic Litchfield Grocery Store near his place in Old Shasta.  After lunch we helped him with some banking stuff.  Thursday we had lunch with Bill again, then went for a 5 mile walk on the Ditch Trail at Whiskeytown Lake.  We saw lots of mushroom, and one blooming plant, which is strange in January.  Lots of mining history in this place, as gold was struck near Old Shasta in the 1840’s, but was all gone by the strike at Sutter’s Mill in 1849.  This Ditch Trail was an old ditch carrying water from the mountains down to the mining areas.

Brother Bill, charming as always!

Souvenir pot holder from Shorty's Eatery in historic Old Shasta

Jim on the Old Ditch Trail at Whiskeytown Lake

???  Fungus?

Jim's picture of the same fungus.

Powerhouse at the west end of the trail.  Lake is low.

Moss and fungus on manzanita

Heading back on the Old Ditch trail

Interesting unknown plant blooming in January

Valley of the Rogue State Park, Gold Hill, OR

Day 1:  Monday, January 15, 2018    Valley of the Rogue State Park, Gold Hill, OR

We are heading south a little earlier this year.  I brought my stuff up to Jim’s over the weekend to load in the Bounder, and also loaded groceries and household supplies.  Saturday night we had a 75^th birthday party for Jim and me, and also a 50^th birthday for Julie, Jim’s daughter.  We had pizza and a great evening.

Thank you, Susan and Heidi, for the wonderful cake!

 After some excitement Monday morning, (my car battery was dead), we got everything loaded, with Jim driving down to the Gladstone Safeway so he would not have to back down my street with the motor home.  We saw lots of hawks driving down I-5.  We pulled into this beautiful state park, went for a walk along the Rogue River, and had dinner and a peaceful evening.  We started watching a sci-fi series called The Event I bought before we left home.  No local TV, no cable, and certainly no streaming when we are on the road!