Tuesday, November 20

Novato to Mt. Shasta

Hwy 37 to 80 to 505 to I-5

 

We decided to start the drive to Hood River on Tuesday.  There is a ton of rain and cold weather in the forecast on Wednesday and we want to be in Hood River by Wednesday afternoon.  So we both went to work on Tuesday morning.  Since Sierra was so freaked out with all the packed bags and boxes — we are taking half the kitchen it seems! — I took her with me.  Left at 6a to do a Bar workout at 6:30.  POURING rain all the way to Greenbrae and then at 7:30 pouring all the way into SF.

Sierra in the office under my desk

The office was fairly quiet so the plan to leave at noon stuck.  It was pissing with rain still and the traffic getting out of the city was a nightmare.  Got home just after 1p and Bob was already there moving in the big cooler.  We quickly finished packing clothes and the rest of the pans, food, spices, knives, salad spinner, serving dishes, olive oil, potato masher….. you get the drift.  Plus Bob had shopped G&G for all the salad, vegetables, etc etc which went into the cooler with stuff from home like butter, sour cream, parmesan cheese blah blah blah.  Not to mention the wine and cocktail fixings.  Hilarious actually.  The truck wasn’t even really full.   We drove out of the driveway just after 2p.  Yay us.

The first stop was Nation’s in Vacaville around 3p since neither of us had lunch.  Bob had a burger and Arnold Palmer and I had a chicken breast wrapped in lettuce with onion, tomatoes, jalapeños and mustard, so messy but so good.  Bob went back and forth to the pie counter half a dozen times … should I? shouldn’t I?  Finally decided that he could get something once we got to Hood River.   On the road again at 3:30, heading up 505.  Traffic wasn’t bad and just off and on rain bursts until we got to Redding and then all of sudden it was pouring and as it got darker it rained harder and harder.  Very nerve wracking!  We saw three different rainbows, one of them we saw the whole thing.  This was my favorite:

Rainbow just north of Williams.

Made it to Mt. Shasta by 7p.  Phew.  Checked into the Cold Creek Inn which was very clean and had a nice grass patch for Sierra  It was still raining and windy and 42*.  We fed, watered and pooped Sierra and took her with us to find some dinner.  We saw an ad for the Wayside Grill which hadn’t been here when we were here before.  We thought about Lilly’s where we went when we stayed here two (three??) years ago on our way to Sisters (to visit Aunt Midge and Lori) and Boise (LaVerne’s wedding) and we loved.  But we continued on to find the Wayside — at the end of town, on the way to the ski hill.  What a find!  As soon as we walked in we looked at each other: “Garlic!” (in a good way).  The bar was full so we got a nice big booth.   We ordered a Chivas and a dirty martini and learned that The Wayside has been there forever but the current owners bought it in spring 2010 and upped the quality of the food, started live music events… the husband was in the music management business in LA in his previous life so there are loads of photos and guitars and other paraphernalia on the walls.   They have a pizza oven that was tempting but the special for the night was the half steak with sides for $14.95.  They cut their own steaks and the normal, non-half portion is 16-20 oz ribeye…. Of course Bob was getting the special.  When I heard that it came with garlic mushrooms on top, I had to order it too.  So Bob got his medium rare with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables and I got mine medium rare with wild rice and vegetables.  And Bob asked that his mushrooms be put on mine.  Reason #1,983 why I married him.   So so good!  because it was a ribeye (more fat than I like) I totally cherry picked but it was very tasty and juicy — Sierra got lucky as she got the bulk of mine and a few bits of Bob’s.  The vegetables and wild rice were perfect.  The vegetables were al dente and obviously cooked by someone who knows that butter and garlic are essential. Broccoli, red peppers and carrots… I ate all mine and most of Bob’s.  Wild rice was cooked in broth and more garlic.  They know what they are doing.  We each had a glass of Cline Zin with dinner ($8, reasonable) and Bob ordered the chocolate cherry cheesecake for dessert so I tried the 14 Hands Cabernet — their house wine.  They said that they sell more 14 Hands than any other retailer….  It was pretty good.  And the cheesecake (Bob let me have a bite.  haha) was really dense and not too sweet.  The crust was a chocolate wafer cookie that brought back a memory flash from childhood:  Mom used to layer whipped cream in between the chocolate wafer cookies and then put whipped cream all over the *log* and refrigerate it.  She must have done something else to it to serve… Michael? Dennis?  Remember?  Do they even still sell those wafer cookies?  Must look.

Back to Cold Creek and bed!