Lucky as Usual

All of the west coast has been having quite a winter and California's drought is so over. We were in Medford, Oregon on Monday night and prepared to stay an extra night depending on the weather. The desk clerk at our hotel suggested we take a route through mountains to the coast and follow 101 south to avoid the almost-certain snow on I-5. Not happening in my world. The last time we drove 101 was in a winter like this and there were numerous road washouts and detours. Looking at NOAA's forecast at 7:00 am on Tuesday, I announced, "this is the day" (for going through Siskiyou Pass) because there was more likelihood of snow later than during that day. Sure enough. We sailed along, two days after road closures from serious rain, and a few hours ahead of snow and more rain. Yay us!

Weed is named for a person rather than the locals' favourite smoke 

We saw many flooded fields and evidence of hastily created dikes. Some roads just off I-5 were still closed for emergency repairs.

We hadn't made any plans past Medford because of the weather and suddenly had time on our hands and were only 6 hours from Napa. So we had a plan! Nowhere booked to stay of course and lucky, on our second try, to get the 2nd last room at a Best Western. And this was at 4 in the afternoon; do not try this method. I already said we were lucky. We strolled downtown Napa for a bit, had some wine at Capp Heritage,

and picked up some snacks/dinner at Oxbow Market to eat in our room with some wine from Saint Michelle. Lucky again that lightening didn't strike while we drank Washington wine in Napa!

Wednesday morning we started the day with a champagne tasting at Domain Carneros, love it,

and then survived the tedious 5 hour drive to Bakersfield on 99.
Had I been paying enough attention I would never have allowed the GPS to take us down that road - WAY too many trucks and traffic in general. Plus sections of the road are really beaten up. I-5 south in that area is fairly bucolic and infinitely more enjoyable; which is an amazing thing to say about I-5.
We are always astonished at big agri-business in this part of CA. There are literally miles and miles and miles of almond trees, thousands of dairy cattle, acres of raisin grapes, rice, bio fuel grains, etc. etc. It is an education just to drive through and also the see the politics of water such as a billboard asking "is it wasting water to grow food?"

Tomorrow we come far too close to Los Angeles, through Grapevine Pass, brushing Pasadena, and on to the desert. This not my favourite route at all at all, but good friends await in Palm Desert so needs must...