Jacksonville, Oregon Dressed for Halloween

We avoid urban areas most of the time but I do love small towns, especially the ones that seem caught in a past era.

Southern Oregon has a cluster of three towns.  Medford is the urban commercial hub, a place we avoided.  Ashland is the artistic town, host to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival and Jacksonville is a small town that tries to attract tourists by preserving its early mining town heritage.

I liked the display in this barber shop window.  Black Bart had been a local stagecoach robber in the nineteenth century and who couldn't enjoy the barbershop memorabilia.

Do you remember these?  I do.  There was one in front of the local drug store when I was a child.

See more of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us each week by
Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy

Bumpass Hell

An easy and worthwhile hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park is the hike to Bumpass Hell

The trail is fairly level for the first mile with views of Mt Lassen along the way.

Looking back towards the parking area there are views of Mt. Diller as well.  An explanatory sign at an overlook explains that Mt Diller is a remnant of the volcano that once covered the area.  Some references call that ancient volcano Brokeoff Mountain and others call it Mt. Tehema.

After a mile you reach another overlook and a 300 foot decent down into the basin.  This is the largest concentration of hydrothermal features in the park.  There are no geysers as in Yellowstone but it is still interesting and I like the pastel colors.

Boardwalks lead through the area allowing safe viewing of the features.  A trail to the right continues on past Cold Boiling Lake to the Kings Creek Picnic area.  

It had been a cold and windy day but down by the hot pools and vents, the steam kept us nice and warm.

We made two trips to Lassen this year and hope to make many more.

See more views of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Sardine Lake

Several years ago we took a drive up California route 49.  We explored the northern end of this road through California's historic Gold Country. That trip had been before digital cameras and blogging and I was anxious to return so that I could share this place with you.

The innkeeper at the B & B we stayed at (no, we don't always camp) suggested dinner at Sardine Lake resort but warned us that they did not take credit cards.It doesn't look very impressive but as I recall, the food was good.  Since we didn't eat there this trip I can't vouch for the quality currently nor do I know if they now take credit cards.
















We were told to check in at the boat house where we could get a drink and wait for our table.

As pleasant as that evening had been, neither of these things are what I was anxious to experience again.

 It was this that drew me back. The incredible beauty of the Sierra Buttes reflected in Sardine Lake.

The area is very popular in the summer but was quiet when we visited early in the fall.  Even though many fisherman were out on the lake, there were still plenty of boats available to rent.

 Nearby is Sand Pond with a picnic area and swimming.

An interpretive trail begins at sand pond.  Signs along the way explain how both man and nature have changed the environment over time.

A sign here explained how beavers dammed up the creek here, drowning the trees.  After the beavers moved on the pond filled in and became a meadow.  Eventually the forest will retake this land.  

See more views of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by  Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

A Tribute to Fallen Firefighters

While traveling US 395 going to and from our cabin, we pass the site of the 2003 Cannon fire.  Over the years I have noticed that T-shirts have been accumulating on a wire fence near the fire area.  Today I stopped to check it out.

I found this plaque commemorating the crew of a fire tanker which crashed near the site while fighting the fire.  Most, though not all of the shirts are from various fire-fighting agencies and as you can see many other mementos have been left over the years.

I was sorry that I had never stopped before.  It had the feel of a place of pilgrimage for firefighters and others.

If you are ever driving through the area and want to stop, here is where you will find it.




For more views of our world, go to Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Yosemite--The First Days of Autumn

It is time again for another Yosemite post.  I never tire of this place and we try to visit at least twice a year.

In past years our Autumn visit has always found Yosemite Falls dry.  The rocky ground in the high country from which this feature gets its water relies on snow melt.  There is no soil to hold the moisture and release it slowly.  Whether it was due to  the heavy snow pack this year or the late summer thunderstorms, there was still water flowing over the falls.

It was a real treat for the late season tourists and for us as well.

Though not the thundering rush of spring I found the reduced flow to have a charm I don't experience in May or June.

Yosemite Falls was not the only place where water was unexpectedly present.  The "lake"  in Mirror Lake was gone as usual but there was still water flowing through on its way to join the Merced River.

One didn't have to look too hard to find a pool with a reflection.

It may have been the beginning of Autumn, but the park was filled with tourists from all around the world.  I was pleased that for once these late season visitors had not missed out on some of Yosemite's best know wonders.

See more of our world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Santa Barbara Mission

 

While I saved the best of my recent photos of Mission Santa Barbara for "Around California", there were a few that needed commentary and didn't fit the format of that blog.

In the early days of the automobile it was the auto clubs, not the highway departments, that put up road signs.  I even saw one of these old signs on a dirt road once.  I suspect that old road had once been "the road" before states started building paved highways.  Sad to say, that nostalgic old sign had been stolen a few years later.
The sign gives the mileage to the California missions north and south.  It is said that they were placed a days travel apart by horse or cart.  Father Serra, though, depicted here with his staff, did not travel by horse or cart, he walked.  As founder of the missions from San Diego to Monterey he walked from mission to mission.

I though this "lavaderia" quite whimsical.  At first, seeing the water spout, I though it was a pig trough.  The sign explained my error.  Another sign said that not all missions had such a laundry area but that in the local native culture  cleanliness was very important.

My only comment on this is "why should anyone need to be told?"





Find more views of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday; hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

The Rock

I love the rock in my header.  When we walk this path I am always anxious to see it.  On this particular evening I hurried more than usual.  The clouds were in the right place to catch the color from the setting sun.  Would I make it?  Ah, yes, just in time to catch "The Rock"  in silhouette against the sunset.

See more skies from around the world at "SkyWatch Friday", hosted for us by Sandy, Wren & Sylvia.