The First Leg: Sloshing Our Way Down Hwy 99

We left Chris and John’s at 7:00 am and stopped for coffee in Woodland then on to Sacramento.  We arrived about an hour ahead of schedule, but RV’s of Sacramento was able to work us in and made the installation of the left rear directional signal rather painlessly.  So, with the rain pelting us torrentially from the south, we headed down Hwy 99 for our destination of Visalia where we planned to spend the first night at the KOA.  The drive down 99 is a vivid reminder of how fortunate we are to live in Humboldt County.  There are strip malls lining the freeway, all looking like carbon copies with their pale, terra cotta architecture.  Various industrial and commercial businesses show their posteriors to the traveler as do numerous trailer parks and housing tracts that seem determined to look exactly like their neighbors with tile roofs and pale beige exteriors.  The Cal-Trans “keep your highway clean” campaigns have had little impact here. One redeeming feature is the occasional Starbucks.
Around Fresno the rain finally eased up a bit.  We arrived at KOA about 4:30 after stopping at the grocery store, and are now relaxing with a tall cool one before making dinner.  Tomorrow we plan to head to Joshua Tree where it promises to be warm and dry! For you sports fans, Hurrah! to the HSU Lady Jacks who defeated UC San Diego and move on to the next round against Chico State, and congrats to the McKinleyville girls who soundly defeated Colfax and also move on to the next round.