We have been in and out of cell reception, which means we haven't had a strong internet connection either, since I use my phone as a hotspot. This just means I have a lot to report!
Day 11 - Our last day in Redding, CA with my parents. We stayed a few extra days so we could see the Kool April Nights cruise, and it was totally worth it.
We saw HUNDREDS of amazing classic cars and we were in high spirits after experiencing all that American muscle. Or maybe we were high on the exhaust fumes...
Day 12 - We left Redding, and headed for Lassen National Forest. We stayed near Lassen Volcanic National Park at a place called Hat Creek Resort & RV Park, which was really just a dirt lot in the middle of nowhere with full RV hookups. I took Copper on a walk there, and didn't even know I was walking on the Pacific Crest Trail!
So that was really fun. A friend of mine and his girlfriend (Kellen) are headed up the PCT now, which is really inspiring. I would love to be able to do that one day.
Day 13 - We went to Lassen Volcanic National Park, and purchased our National Parks Pass. The road into the park was only open 10 miles in, so we made it to the Desolation Area, and read about the last eruption, and the man who ended up saving a bunch of lives because his dog woke him in the middle of the night. When the man looked outside, he saw a huge wall/wave of mud coming down the mountain, and he alerted everyone. No lives were lost, but six homesteads were ruined. It's really cool to learn about the people who have made a difference in this world, no matter how big or small. One never knows when the choices they make earn them a page in a history book. This May, it will be 100 years since the last large eruption in 1915.
On this same day, we left Lassen National Forest, and headed to South Lake Tahoe. Our trailer lights fell out of the back of our RV and dragged for miles, meaning they were completely broken (and have since been fixed). One of our hydraulic jacks was slowly lowering as we drove, setting off an alarming "beep" that we had never heard before - that was an easy fix as well. We arrived at Lake Tahoe in one piece, and were in awe as we drove around the lake. The sun was out, the lake was showing off it's layered colors, deep blue for the deeps, aquamarine for the shallows, and near the beach, the water is so clear you can see the sand beneath.
My mom had told us of Campground by the Lake, which we didn't have time to research, and arrived at this perfect campground by 5 pm. We can see the lake through the trees...
Day 14 - Chris and I took Copper, and drove up to Emerald Bay overlook. We smelled something strange coming from our engine compartment in our Geo Tracker tow car, and opened the hood to find we were completely out of coolant. Back down to town we went, filled it up, ate a quick lunch and headed out again. I'm now beginning to laugh when these little things happen, as they have happened so often since we've begun our trip.
Once we got back to Emerald Bay and Eagle Falls, we got out of the car to do a little exploring.
That's all for now, since my internet is being a giant A-hole. :)