the rest of the story

I left Portland around 11:40am and headed south again. I hoped to ditch the snow around Salem, but the white weather lined the roadways all the way through Northern California; until I arrived about 30 miles north of Redding. Over the pass in the Siskiyou Mountains, I was required to carry chains for my tires, so I spent a few bucks in Ashland, Oregon on chains that I can return. I never even came close to needing them. I spent 8.5 hours in the car on a mostly wet interstate.

I have friends in Chico, California where I spent my night. I had a good time hanging out with Storey and Jayden for the evening. The next morning, I was on the road again toward Visalia, California. Although, it was my shortest day and the roads were in much better condition, I was tired and glad to arrive at my destination.

I have had a great time so far with my cousins, Mark and Annette, and their three boys. We have made all sorts of Christmas goodies and I have had fun playing with the boys. I have learned more about Thomas the Train this trip than I thought I would be familiar with! And, I'm much warmer than I would be if I had stayed in Washington!