Trip from CA, thru OR, to NV

Mt. Shasta came as a surprise as we were driving from Crescent City, California, through Grant's Pass, Oregon, on our way to Reno, Nevada.

It can be seen up to 100 miles away.Its elevation is 14,162 feet above sea level (Our elevation at home in Virginia is 1,300 feet.)

It is the second highest volcano in the United States and is located at the southern end of the Cascade Mountain Range. The Sierra Nevada mountain range starts south of the Cascades.

We didn't get to go see Mt. Ranier in the northern part of the Cascades, near Portland, so it was a treat to see such a beautiful sight.

We stayed in the city of Mt. Shasta at a KOA campground. This is the second KOA we've tried and the last. The showers had heaters but didn't work -- when the temperature gets down to 37 degrees, you need heat in the shower area! We showered in our coach but after paying a higher price because it was a KOA park, we felt we did NOT get our money's worth. Someone pointed out that they're old and it appears they don't want to spend the bucks to upgrade.

I was amused by these signs. Most of them indicated there could be cows for the next 5 miles. This is because there are cattle still being raised on the open range. Sure enough, there were no fences in those stretches. Who would have thought that would be the case in 2009? The only cattle we saw, however, were inside fences.

In Reno, we stayed in Sparks RV Marina, a new park. It's very nice and level with paved pads, 50 amp service, cable, no trees to block Ed's satellite, and nice showers.

When we drove in I wondered how in the world they kept the grass so perfect -- upon further investigation, I discovered it was astro-turf! It surely makes for a tidy, attractive environment. The next morning, it became obvious that leaves blow from their (real) trees and other debris accumulates overnight. So, it appears that they'll have to vacuum their grass!!

We're getting to the edge of a desert and the scenery is unique....a new experience for both of us.