"You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave" - Hotel California by the Eagles

Leaving California did not happen as smoothly as planned. It turns out that a medical treatment I received every six months could not be given eight days early. I thought it would be a shame to miss an important medical treatment because of just a few days. However, our house is now sold and we were homeless. We are in our motorhome but have no place to park it?

That's when an incredibly generous friend came to the rescue. We parked in his RV accessible driveway. We were able to hook up to sewer, water and Wi-Fi. 

However, our electricity was limited. We ran an extension cord to the house but, it was not quite enough power for two air-conditioners on the hot summer days. Luckily we got to enjoy the full run of the house... AC, TV,  kitchen, etc.  

HAPPY GIRL 

I decided to squeeze in a little fun with my extra California time. I was able to say goodbye to some favorite places and, hug some important people. 

  

 

Because California is such a large state we needed one more stop. Some very good friends of ours live in the high desert. Summertime in this area of California means very high temperatures! I have multiple sclerosis which means heat is a terrible thing. Since there was only shore power available, we could only run one air conditioner. Bottom line…. The visit was a quick over nighter. Always keep in mind the time of year when you do your travel planning.

 

We traveled North on Interstate 5, and took our sweet time descending the very steep Grapevine in hopes of not repeating a "Pile-up on Interstate 5". In this area (Gorman) a lot of people come to enjoy their ATVs, motorcycles and mountain bikes. As we continue on I noticed that there were a lot of beautiful rest areas. Sadly, I also noticed that most of them were closed, so be prepared. Still traveling north you will pass the town of Redding. Now your scenery completely changes. You're now driving towards beautiful Lake Shasta in the gorgeous Shasta mountains. Breathtaking...

It's been a very long day of driving so we stopped for the night at Grass Lake Rest Stop in Weed, CA. This is a clean and graffiti free pit stop. It is quiet and except you were near the train tracks and, the train will sound its horn every time it passes by. There is running water, restrooms and a large area for your pets. They do not supply doggy bags so, watch your step. There is even a handicap designated pull through site. No worries if the handicap spot is taken, all of the spots seem very wide. 

Next stop is Bend, Oregon…