Trip 9 - California Dreamin'

On this trip we set out to immerse ourselves in the culture and the nature of California. To discover its textures and see some of its natural wonders. We discover that California is very big. It is not a state that you can just pass through, it is, more than any other place we have visited, more like another country. It is a land dominated by mountains, the spaces between and like nowhere else, water.
Our start in the heavily populated area to the East of Los Angeles, known as the Inland Empire, is crowded into the lowlands surrounded by magnificent mountains. The feeling is of a cauldron which is trying to boil over the mountains to the fresh air of the rest of the state.
To the South is a band of Desert, which is the buffer to Mexico, which we did not explore on this trip.
We travelled North through the mountains (everywhere in California you can see mountains) to the desert, and on again to the huge Central Valley, mile after mile of intensive agriculture. Culture here is dominated by food, flatness, low income and trying to impact on the 'sameness' of the flat lands through music and festival. It is the communication and administrative corridor that links all other areas of California.
To the East is the huge mountain chain of the Sierra Nevada which clearly demonstrates the magnificence of the natural world, both in its geology and nature, reflected in the pysche and pride of most Californians. It is Eldorado, dominated by Gold!
To the West of the Central Valley are the coastal mountains, San Francisco and the magnificent coast. More isolated cultures, from mixed resources, communities seperated by mountains.
To the North of the Central Valley more mountains and a culture which looks more North towards Oregon than South to Sacremento.
This blog details our journey through California, where we pick and choose, or just scratch the surface, of this diverse and beautiful state.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Visit Mt Shasta

Tuesday 25th

Today the weather was gray, it is now regularly below freezing at night, so the temperature was struggling to get above freezing under the blanket of cloud, we took time to get going in the morning, but by lunch time the skies had cleared and Steve and Mary took us through Shasta City and as far up Mt Shasta as you can go in a car, which is 8,000ft, still 6,000ft below the summit. From there we had a close up look a the mountain and great views ot the surrounding countryside, away to the South East we could just make out Lassen Peak through the misty haze.
On our return down the mountain we stopped in Mt Shasta at a Black Bear Eating House. Where the food is good and the portions enormous, together we had a very good meal and returned to the house stuffed. Another great day.
Posted by fastrak at 9:00 AM

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