8-8-2016 YREKA, CA

Miracles do happen and our departure time occurred at 10AM, difficult because we were leaving so much fun.  We waved our good byes to Fritz and Pal and headed northward toward Yreka, CA.  On the route, lucky for us, is a deli in Corning, CA called the Olive Pit, a place you should visit before you leave planet Earth.  Any time we learn that Corning is on the way, we consider it the jackpot.  The Olive Pit has grown so much due to its reputation that they have a special parking lot in the back for big rigs.

Wanted:  one bottle of gin!

Walk in, grab a cart and take out a second on the house, Baby!  You will find shelf after shelf of pickled spreads, jarred olives, black, somewhat green or green, stuffed and spiced up with everything your heart and mind can imagine.  Stuffed with mushrooms, kalamatas, capers, anchovies, a variety of cheeses, spices such as cajun, mexican, smokey, chipotle and beer.  God loves me and wants me to be happy.  Well, we exhausted the monthly portion of the budget allocated for olives, Rob ordered a ham, sausage, provolone and mufletta sandwich from the deli and we left richer than when we had arrived.

It’s a shame that California is so fucked up, politically and financially.  It is such a beautiful place.  Driving north past Mt. Shasta is almost a religious experience.  Around the bend there it is and you almost want to genuflect.  The roads are bordered by tall pines and the sky is navy blue and Shasta stands there, immutable, saying, “What?”  Stunning.

Beautiful Mount Shasta

Some folks in Oregon learned that there was gold to be found near Scott River south of Yreka some 30 miles.  In the year 1851, they embarked to collect it.  Along the way, they camped at a flat near Yreka through which passed a huge rain storm.  In the morning when they arose, the pack animals were pulling up the bunch grass by the roots and … what the…?  The roots were glittering!  Gold!  The town grew to 5,000 inhabitants and this area, now known as Yreka, was considered one of the “richest square miles on earth.”  (I don’t know how they determined this.)  Of course, the town burned down in 1871 on July 4^th as a result of firecrackers.  Undaunted, the citizens rebuilt the town from brick and blocks, which don’t burn, by the way.  Who knew?

The name “Shasta” was already taken by another town and so this town, known then as Shasta Butte City, took the name Yreka, Indian for, you guessed it, “Shasta.”  “Shasta” is probably a name for something else, too, but we couldn’t find that out.  I mean, we couldn’t out with which that to find… or whatever.  I am trying very hard not to end the sentence with a preposition.

Lindy at Elks Lodge bar

Importantly, there is an Elks Lodge in Yreka.  We stepped in and froze in our tracks.  There it was, my God, the most beautiful back bar we’ve ever seen!  It was built in England in the 1850s, at some point shipped around Cape Horn to SFO and trucked to Yreka, then installed in the Elks Lodge in 1957.  Made of solid highly polished cherry wood, the mirrors, lights and crystal chandeliers enhanced the sparkling beauty all the more.  It is spectacular!  A reason all its own to visit Yreka!  Our luck ran out when the lady told us that the bar wasn’t open but we at least had the good luck to see this immense art treasure.  Nothing, by the way, was open in Yreka.  They roll up the sidewalks on Sunday and Monday.  Fortunately, we could explore the historic district and read the landmark plaques on almost all of the buildings on Miner Street to learn what we could on our own.

Chips, hamburger, corn on the cob and a beer and we are ready to call it a day. Tomorrow is a bit of a drive, almost 300 miles.  That will be tiring so it’s best to hit the pillows, now.  Good night with love.

Toonie Time at the homestead

The Jeepster & B2 at Yreka RV Park