Cutest motel, ever!

Off to California for the weekend.  I had told a work friend we wanted to go visit Weed and Mt. Shasta before the snow was gone and she suggested, rather than camp, we stay in a caboose.  I said, 'Huh?'  So we googled it. And we stayed in a caboose.

We drove off Saturday morning and had brunch in Weed.  (It's only 1.5 hours drive.)  En route, we were asked to pull over for the agriculture check at the California border.  The patrolman asked if we had any fruits or vegetables.  [OMG!! Canandian border patrol deja vu all over again. Do I let Judd make something up 'no, we don't have Cuban cigars from Quebec' or do I just tell the truth?]  I blurt out, "we have two oranges and some strawberries," prepared to turn them all in.  (true!) The patrol man said, "Just FYI, we don't let you bring into California, anything we grow here." Then he almost winks and says, "But I didn't hear it from you," and waves us into the Golden State with our secret booty.

Much to our surprise, the town  of Weed is NOT named for the Emerald Triangle's cash crop. It's named after Abner Weed who started a lumber company there.  The Hi-Lo Cafe was also not-a-pot reference. It was so named because some of the primo real estate was up higher on the mountain than the lower property.  We had one breakfast each but it came with double proportions that we couldn't finish. Just FYI, day old biscuits, gravy, hash browns and veggie scramble do NOT microwave well after getting partially frozen in the motel mini-fridge.  Note to selves (again):  buy one meal and share!

We knew we were too early to check in so we went on our hike first.  We were stunned by the size of Mt. Shasta, even in the cloud coverage, filling up the horizon when you come around a bend in Highway 5. About 15 miles south of Shasta we found Castle Crags State Park. Well, actually at first, we didn't find it even though we were looking for it. (Damn Mapquest-- my Australian Siri got us to a locked gate on the Pacific Coast Trail where we could have walked to the State Park trailhead.  But Judd phoned the Ranger who talked us through to the next freeway exit  (they're FREE highways IN CALIFORNIA!) and we found the scenic view point and trail head. 

The Castle Crags State Park had an easy (baby buggy/handicapped accessible) trail, a moderate hike  (we took it to Indian Springs) and a strenuous hike to the dome. (We skipped it this time.) Our trail was like climbing a staircase UP for 1.5 miles.   But the thigh-master was worth the quiet, sacred-appearing waterfall when we arrived at the springs. We saw about a dozen day hikers and it got progressively warmer and clearer as the afternoon evolved. We were under shade enough not to need sunscreen and not a black fly or mosquito in sight. Jinx! We did see some busy little lizards parading over the rocks.

Aprés le hike, it was only a 15 minute drive to our lodging: the RailRoad Park Resort in Dunsmuir. Someone had taken their train hobby to the nth degree!  Old train cars have been converted into motel rooms and the dining cars into a restaurant. At check in, the gift shop is brimming with every book about trains you ever knew, many from our childrens' upbringing:  Tootle's, Thomas the Tank Engine, etc. Judd was gaga over the actual steam engine out front, with the Petticoat Junction-like water tank, buzzing with bees,  and the snow plow attachment car, citing how the hydraulics and pistons would work, how steam engine innovations intersected the book he's reading on Lewis and Clark. It really exceeded our expectations.  AND THEN, the cabooses!  Each "room" at the motel is an entire train car. Our caboose  (originally Dutch for 'cabin' where equipment was stored) has been remodeled into a perfect suite with either a queen or king bed, a bathroom with tub/shower, a microwave, mini-fridge, coffee maker, tv, free wi-fi!  AND access to the hot tub and pool with pool towels. ALL underlooking the Castle Crags at sunset.  WoW!  While poolside, our Maine neighbors group-phoned us during the Cinco De Mayo-Kentucky Derby festivities that we were missing--we had a 17 year run  (first Cinco party was when Ryley was in Kindergarten and his teacher Mrs. Scates came!)

We finished books in the sun and then walked to dinner at the "Dining Car" which was actually 8 train cars arranged together into a bar, a kitchen and a big lovely restaurant with curtains over the windows and memorabilia on the walls. I had a brain cramp about which movie Judy Garland sang, "the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" but we found it--thank you, Google: the Harvey Girls.

Judy Garland "The Harvey Girls" - YouTube

▶ 3:16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvXvBPw6Uqc

Jul 10, 2010 - Uploaded by classicfunisnumber1

Judy Garland Sings and Dances in "The Harvey Girls" the world famous Academy Award Winning, "On the ...

The worst thing we could say about the Resort was the hot tub at 8am was not as hot as at 4pm. 

Sunday, we chose to drive back to Oregon further east via Klamath Falls. It must have snowed overnight as Mt. Shasta in the sun was even whiter than yesterday in the clouds. (How many pics of snow covered mountains can you take in May?)  We lunched with a friend from the VA clinic in Klamath Falls and got to see the back side of our local snow capped Mt. McLoughlin. We were back to J'ville by 1:00--all the California poppies seemingly popped over night.

The Jacksonville Trolley was running (right by our house every 20 minutes--ding-ding.)  We missed the Jacksonville Home and Garden tours.  We toured our own garden, dodging the deer poop to hang our swimsuits on the line to dry, watering the primrose and pansies and picking the kale I planted last August. We have a list of "move to Walla Walla" chores to start.