Sacramento Highlights

As I sat down earlier today to begin this entry about our stay in Sacramento, I was going to say, "Over a week with no truck issues." I got interrupted and went back outside of the Frinks only to see Don under the truck again. I am not kidding. He was looking at the truck and noticed that the back wheel was sitting too far back (??). No, I don't know what that means either. Anyway, this was a fix that only took a couple of hours. Then we were off to see the California Auto Museum which was very cool. A quick tour of downtown Sacramento included a stop at the Rex Cycle shop. Steve Rex, a nationally known bike builder, is the Frink's son-in-law. Pretty cool shop that he started on his own from scratch. The Sacto visit ended with dinner that included other ORPS friends, Rick & Judy McWilliam. What a wonderful way to end our western vacation. Don & I will be heading home tomorrow with the truck & trailer. We will be taking I-80 and should be back to Ohio on the 12th. That schedule, of course, depends on not encountering ANY other truck issues. :) It was wonderful finishing up with two of our closest friends, Dick & Charlotte.

Jensen Hospitality Exceptional!

Don & I were treated to a whirlwind tour of Paradise. That's right, I said Paradise. The Chico area is one part of California that we haven't spent any time in. Lucky for us, the Jensens had an opening at their campground. We packed a lot into our two days with them starting with area sights such as the Honey Run covered bridge, the Bidwell mansion, and a city park where we tried a new sport. A smaller paddle, hard plastic balls with holes, goofy rules - I can't remember the name of the game. Another highlight was a day trip to Lassen National Park. The hike to the mud pots was through spectacular scenery and gave us quite the sense of accomplishment. The newest member of the Jensen household offered us hours of entertainment. When you go to the pound for a new kitty, you take your chances. But they got a DANDY! Thanks so much to Rich & Janet.

Coastal Redwoods & ORPS Friends

These last few days have been so relaxing. Maybe it is the immensity of the giant coastal redwoods or the quiet as you walk through them. Or maybe because we only traveled a few miles each day. Another highlight for us was a visit with Palm Springs friends, Chris & Brian Farrell. They live among the redwoods on property that they cleared themselves and live in a home they built themselves. Actually I was a little tired after leaving our visit with them seeing how much they have done. Besides building their home, Brian is an accomplished boat maker and Chris takes care of the outside property. Yep, I am pretty lazy compared to these two.