Trip to the Coast:

This summer has been a fast one and while we have done a lot of things, it has been awhile since we took more than a weekend away.  The kids are now in school so the roads are less congested and hotels have vacant signs and with perfect weather we decided to head to the coastline of Northern California.  As we were leaving SL we spotted double and triple full rainbows.  Twenty minutes from home and I am already making Roger pull over for a photo shoot.  Worth it!!! 





Driving through Nevada was long and tedious - not too much to recommend there until you hit the California border and get into the mountains.  We drove to Susanville, which is north of Reno, to stop for the night.  There are numerous fires burning right now and as we drove through some of the lower valleys, visibility was hampered by smoke.  When we woke the next morning, we were greeted by the sunrise, above, rising through the haze of the smoke from the distant fires.  Luckily, when we left Susanville for the coast, the haze didn't follow us.   

California is also experiencing one of the worst droughts in recent history.  Below is a photo of a lake in Lassen Valcanic National Park.   Sadly, it, like many lakes in California are in the process of drying up. 

The Pacific Ocean!!!  After another long day of winding roads through the Lassan  and Klamath National Forests, we reach the coast.  It was fun to walk down to the beach and put our toes in.   

Off to the Redwoods: