The search for gt. Uncle Charlie begins ...

We had a comfortable night in our expensive motel. This is the pool from our room and it's not obvious, but the tree on the left is a lemon tree with fruit on and there was an orange tree with fruit on as well on the far side of the lawn:

After breakfast in the adjoining restaurant, we set off north in our Ford Grand Marquis (note the nice bougainvillea bush outside our door):

Barbara thought that the coast road looked nice, so I programmed that into the GPS. What a bore! Yes it was on the coast but the land was flat and boring and mostly mudflats. It eventually got more interesting but then we got onto various Interstate Highways for some 250 miles ...... yawn. The driving went from nerve wracking to being a struggle to keep awake. Regular coffee stops helped and at times the scenery actually started to get interesting as well:

This was a little part of Lake Shasta, which seemed to be well down on its normal levels.

Getting out of the air-conditioned car was a bit uncomfortable though:

that's 38.3°C for anyone who thinks in Celsius/Centigrade. The sun was every bit as hot as might be expected – I dashed from one bit of shade to another to avoid getting sunburnt. At least the nice rest areas on the interstates did have some shade:

Getting nearer to Klamath Falls, we went over a mountain pass at about 5,000 feet and had many good views of another volcano, Mt. Shasta (the leftmost peak) at over 14,000 feet:

There were a few dramatic thunderstorms in the area, but it was so hot at ground level that we could see the rain falling but evaporating before it got to the ground:

We got to Klamath Falls in the early evening and eventually found the cemetery where it's likely that gt. Uncle Charlie may be buried, but it's rather big and we didn't find him. However, the local ladies we spoke to were very helpful and we may well be able to get some better information tomorrow. We did also find the address on High Street where he used to live, but there isn't a house there any more.

Then off to find a bed for the night and a nice meal in the Chinese Restaurant opposite the motel.

written by  Saros on May 27, 2009 from Klamath Falls, United States
from the travel blog: The Hairy Animal 2009 World Road Trip
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