7-8-2021 HAT CREEK, CA

 

We arrived at Rancheria RV Park at 4PM.  We’ve stayed here before because we didn’t have a choice.  It is midway between two intended destinations.  Same situation this time.  It is no surprise that this campground is the only one around that has sites available and they collect $60/night from their captive audience.  The park is located on some kind of military space surveillance installation and because of this, all of our electronic communications are disabled.  That’s correct.  No phone, no Wi-Fi.  Do not plan to connect on your computer, get a flat or even think about having a heart attack.  How we made our reservation for this place by phone remains a mystery.  The restaurant closes at 3PM, about the time many travelers arrive and the next morning, it opens at 11, check-out time.  The nearby lake is catch and release only so bring food.  Oh, one other small thing they didn’t tell us:  the restroom facilities were closed indefinitely “due to Covid, sorry for the inconvenience.”  This is California, after all, where things are not always completely thought through.  So tenters and probably others will use their campsites for a depository of waste instead of flushing it away, washing up and washing down with hot sudsy water in a clean facility designed for that purpose.  And the dumpster becomes the waste non-treatment plant.  Anyone who thinks this is more sanitary, raise your contaminated hand.  Some of the campsites here and there were blocked off with (pink) ribbon, maybe so as to maintain 6 feet of distance or something.  Or maybe it was because of global warming.  Or (the most likely reason) systemic racism.  I awakened this morning with six words on my mind:  “Let’s get the fuck outta here!”  Pulling out at 9:30AM was our personal record.  Back to logical civilization, life, liberty and the pursuit of happy hour.