After several enjoyable weeks in Florida, we're back on the road again. First up was a Thanksgiving afternoon flight from Tampa to Salt Lake City, which is where we had left the Silver Bullet. Beth and I are happy that Ben, who is combining a little vacation time and the ability to work remotely at this time of year joining us for a bit. We arrived in Salt Lake City around 10:00 PM local time which meant it was really late for our Eastern Standard Time zone bodies and brains.
We were pleased to find the Silver Bullet intact, and early Friday morning we were on the road heading westward towards Truckee, California, a mere 540 miles away. The drive, which was on I-80, was across the treeless desert land of Northern Nevada. It certainly wasn't the most interesting or scenic drive we've been on, but we like road trips so it was still an enjoyable days journey. Of course, there were a few stops along the way. First up was a stop in Elko, Nevada, a city of around 20,000, that in the late 1990's was named "The Best Small Town in America". We departed Elko all a little lighter in the wallets, but all three of us are proud owners of YETI coffee mugs from the Maverick Casino in appreciation for the small deposit we made in their slot machines.
Late in the afternoon we stopped in Reno and did a little walk around the downtown casino area. We hadn't been in Reno since before Y2K and were sad to see how much the majority of that area had deteriorated. Inside the casinos business was booming, as Thanksgiving weekend gamblers of all ages shoved bills into slot machines and rode the fortunes and misfortunes of the dice and cards. It had been a long, but fun day and we still had about 45 minutes of drive time to Truckee so our time in Reno wasn't too long or costly.
Truckee is a very laid back, incorporated city of approximately 18,000 in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's located just 15 miles from the northern shore of Lake Tahoe, with easy access to miles of trails and ski areas. It has a very cool main street near the Truckee River, and it is a popular year round destination. We've been here twice and have enjoyed our visits both times.
Truckee gets an average of over 200 inches of snow annually and is typically blanketed in snow by this time of the year. However, in keeping with the theme of "these aren't typical times", the only snow on the ground that can be found are tiny piles in very shaded areas from a snow they received about a month ago. The ski areas that are usually open by now are closed as they wait on colder temperatures and falling snow.
On Saturday morning we enjoyed a cool early morning walk along the Truckee River Legacy Trail, a 4.4 mile, paved, multiuse trail. After getting a little comedic relief watching some of the Florida/Florida State Football game (described accurately by one writer as watching two drunks in a fight), we visited Donner Memorial State Park. The park honors the memory of a group of settlers from Illinois who in 1864 attempted to make their way westward to California. Unfortunately, due to a series of unfortunate events and bad advice the ill prepared party of 87 found themselves stuck in the area during a brutally harsh winter. Of the 87, only 48 survived the harsh conditions. At one point they were forced to make the decision to survive by getting nourishment from the deceased of their party.
We finished up our day in Truckee with a walk along the short (5-6 blocks), but very impressive downtown area. The Christmas lights were on and the street and stores were busy with shoppers (masks are still required inside at this time) and diners, as well as those simply out for a late afternoon stroll. It felt like the start of a festive and somewhat normal (whatever that means) holiday season.
We're planning on another walk this morning before making our way to Novato to enjoy some time with Sarah, Joey, James and Emma. I'm sure we won't have the road to ourselves as thousands of others make their way home after a Thanksgiving weekend, but the drive will be well worth it!
