Bruce The Nomad Oregon Visit
		This is about our visit to the solar installer in Oregon. For you who may not know - Oregon is pronounced "or E Gun". And yes I DO have my Oregon Passport since I lived there long enough to qualify. Molly and I left Sequoia National Park on Wednesday morning and had a relaxing trip north up Interstate 5 to Redding. The next day we drove over Lake Shasta, past Mt. Shasta and on to Springfield, Oregon. I made contact with AM Solar to confirm my appointment. On Friday morning we drove up the highway to Salem and over to See Herb Triplett and his sweety Norma. Molly had a wonderful time playing with their dog. We had a wonderful time with them and their friends at dinner. Saturday we headed north to Portland and we stayed at Jantzen Beach RV Park. This is located along the Columbia River on the Oregon side, south of Washington State. We took a drive around Portland and into several neighborhoods, including Reed College where I ran the foodservice when I first moved here. We drove through the downtown area and I was wowed by the growth as well as the quaintness that I remember Portland being. I'm glad we made this trip. From Portland we went to Springfield and had the solar system installed. It took two days, but they did a great job. I tried out the system by "dry camping" (without power or water) a couple of days and all systems worked as designed. Now I can have 120 volt power without having to connect to house electricity. On wednesday we headed south again and stayed at the Antlers Campground. This was the first place my parents and I stayed at when vacationing at Lake Shasta, some 50 years ago. And then we visited the lake about every summer weekend during summers during the late 50's to 70's. It was worth the 5 hour drive from home, one way. This campground is part of the National Park system. We had time to tour around this area. I took Molly down to the boat ramp that we used for launching our ski boat, and she had a really fun swim and run around without her leash. She was so happy. Near here is the bridge over one creek which flows into the Sacramento river which starts at Mt Shasta. This bridge had another level added on top of the concrete structure, since at one time long ago, the water level was over the concrete part. Again when I was much younger, my friends and I would jump off this bridge into the water. I believe that the water level was only about 15 feet below the top of the bridge. Below are a few photos of some of the great sites to be enjoyed in this part of the country.
		Just a few miles north of Redding lies the grand Lake Shasta. This is a photo of Lake Shasta where I spent many years with my family and friends. This view is of the I-5 bridge over the Sacramento river arm near the cabin we built and enjoyed many a wonderful summer water skiing.			This view is of Mt Shasta which is located about 50 miles north of Lake Shasta just south of the Oregon Border. I used to do some snow skiing here many times during the 60's and 70's. When I was young and courageous I even went watering skiing one day and snow skiing the next. This was in April and a warm and sunny day. Ohhh, fond memories.
					This photo is the motorhome and truck at our campsite at the Antlers campground. This was where we dry camped. The only amenities here are restrooms without running water. Primitive but fun.
		This view is of Mt Hood which is located about 50 miles east of Portland, seen with some of the downtown building visible in the foreground. During the five years that I lived in Portland I had the opportunity to ski on Mt. Hood a few times. The slopes are good, but the lodge, a part of Roosevelt's CCC projects, is something to experience, very grand. I must admit that I did not take this photo, since it was very overcast this day.
					This the Charlie Creek bridge. This bridge existed before the rivers were dammed and the lake created. This lake and this area are still a popular summer destination. Many people stay at the many campgrounds, motels, RV parks located throughout the lake area, with nearly 350 miles of shoreline. Rental houseboats are popular for skiers and fishermen alike.
		This view is of the lake-facing front deck of the cabin that my family and friends built and we used for nearly 20 years. Longtime friends took over the cabin and it was finally sold several years ago. I had my second wedding ceremony and honeymoon here in the early 70's. It hasn't changed much.
					This is the famous sign over Virginia Street in downtown Reno. I don't know how many years it has been here but I remember it there as a kid. As I turned 21 I came here many times to gamble, and mostly lose or breakeven. It was still fun, then, but not so much anymore, for me anyway.
		From here we traveled south and picked up route 44 east to and around Mt. Lassen, another one of northern California's volcanos. This last erupted in 1915. Mt St. Helens just north of Portland, Mt. Hood, Mt Bachelor in Bend, OR, Mt. Shasta and Mt Lassen are all part of the volcanic chain in the northwest. Yes there are many more and I may have a chance to visit these in times to come.
		Link back to my "Bruce The Nomad" page.
		From here we traveled south and picked up route 44 east to and around Mt. Lassen, another one of northern California's volcanos. This last erupted in 1915. We took our time enjoying the scenery and the drive southeast to Reno. We stayed at the Grand Sierra Casino RV park. The last time I was here the casino was known as the MGM. The RV park is OK, but old and in need of renovations, especially for the rent that is charged. We took the afternoon to tour the city and downtown casino area. From here we headed down US 395 and eventually back to Tucson. Along the way we stopped one night in Calico Ghost Town. We will spend a week here and then head east toward Indianapolis. More travel news as it happens. Bye for now. Love y'all, Bruce and Molly