A day in the mountains

Just a few miles north of Corning, the Sacramento Valley peters out and the farm land gives way to hills. By the time we had been on the road an hour, we had reached Redding where the hills start turning into some serious mountains.  For the next 50 miles, I-5 follows the winding course of the Sacramento River northward towards Mt. Shasta, topping out at an elevation of nearly 4,000 feet.

Beyond Shasta, the road descends a couple of thousand feet then climbs once more, this time into the Siskiyou Mountains.  I knew them only as the one place on I-5 that closed at least once every winter due to severe weather, and my imagination did not do them justice.  In reality, they are so scenic that Nancy has vowed never to pass this way again, so I guess we now have a fairly firm commitment to a coastal route for our return trip south.

We stopped for gas at the Costco in Medford.  I had forgotten you are not allowed to pump your own gas in Oregon.  I felt really strange having someone doing it for me.  I had the urge to tip the guy.  But I didn't.

Tonight we still have a few more miles to go to put the Siskiyous behind us.  We're staying at an RV park/drive-in movie theater.  At this time of the year, they only show movies on Saturday night, but since this evening has been rainy, I doubt it would have been much fun anyway.

Day 71
Corning, CA to Sutherlin, OR

Daily Mileage:  308.4
Total Mileage:  11,973.4