Category Archives: About the Photos

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Postcards: An Unusual Rental Car

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When I realized last weekend that I’d have to spend at least five days in Woodland, CA on active standby for my frost contract, I shopped around for a car rental. (My truck and camper are waiting for me in Las Vegas; long story there.) As I always do when renting a car, I picked the cheapest car they had to offer, which turned out to be a “Ford Fiesta or Similar” at $228/week. Not a great deal, but the best I could find.

A friend took me to Sacramento Airport to pick it up around midday on Saturday. I waited on a short line. When I got to the counter and handed over my ID and credit card, the guy at the counter looked at me and asked, “Just you?”

I assumed he wanted to know if there was a second driver. “Just me,” I replied.

“Would you mind taking a Camaro for the same price?”

I don’t think I’ve ever driven a Camaro. And I didn’t even know Chevy still made them. I figured it was a watered down version of the 1980s muscle car, but at least it was something different. I told him that was fine and we finished up my paperwork.

To my surprise, the car isn’t watered down at all. It’s a 2018 Camaro SS with less than 10,000 miles on it. I haven’t popped the hood, but the engine growls when revved and its performance isn’t the least bit disappointing. The car looks hot, sounds powerful, and goes fast.

Camaro SS

I guess the car rental guy thought it would be safe in the hands of a middle aged woman. Joke’s on him.

Although I don’t really like the car and would never consider buying one — terrible visibility, tiny windows, coffin-like feeling — I do admit that I’m having fun with it. After driving my truck for the past 2+ months, it’s nice to be in something sporty. I’ll have it until Saturday and will likely take it on at least one road trip to either Napa or San Francisco (or both) between now and then.

Postcards: The Sundial Bridge

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My 2017/18 snowbirding vacation is officially over. Last week, Penny and hopped on a commercial flight home, took care of a bunch of chores my housesitter couldn’t do, and enjoyed the little of home luxuries like full-time electricity, a spacious shower, and a dishwasher. On Thursday morning, we climbed into my helicopter and made the first two of three legs of my annual migration to the Sacramento area for a frost control contract. The destination was Redding, CA, where the helicopter was stripped down for its annual inspection by the folks at Air Shasta.

While the helicopter was getting work done, I did some exploring. Friday found us at Turtle Bay, which is a park along the Sacramento River. There’s a kids museum there and access to miles of riverfront bike and walking trails. And the Sundial Bridge.

The Sundial Bridge is a neat little single-tower pedestrian suspension bridge over the Sacramento River. Cables from the tower, which looks like the vertical part of a sundial, collect to the bridge’s deck. It has translucent glass panels in the floor that offer a somewhat ghostly view to the river below; this walkway is set aglow at night by lighting under the bridge.

Sundial Bridge over the Sacramento River in Redding, CA.

The tower at the Sundial Bridge.

Deck of the Sundial Bridge.

Sundial Bridge deck at night.

Although I didn’t think it was a real sundial, this Wikipedia entry has informed me that it actually is; the Tower is oriented due north and there are places to read the time on the north side.

Penny and I spent about 2 hours in the area, walking on the trails and stopping for something to drink at the museum store there. The place was hopping, with plenty of pedestrians, bikers, and dog walkers. Later, when I realized we’d need a second night stay in the area, I checked into the Sheraton hotel there for a little hotel luxury; that’s when I was able to get the nighttime shot.

Snowbirding 2018 Postcards: At Buckskin Mountain State Park

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The original plan for my first two days away from the Quartzsite area was to stay in Parker, AZ, at the Bluewater Casino. There’s overnight parking there, as well as a boat ramp and marina. But when I got to Parker on Thursday, I realized that it was the weekend of the big Parker 425 off-road race. I didn’t want to be anywhere near that crazy event so close to the weekend.

So I continued driving up Route 95 in the Arizona side of the river until I reached Buckskin Mountain state park. That’s where I got a campsite in the “cabana” area right on the river. The cabanas are cinderblock structures, open on front and back, with a picnic table inside and a grill outside. You back into a parking space in front of your cabana and use it as part of your site. It’s not perfect, but it does make a nice, easy place to hang out outdoors in the shade. Best of all, there’s a power outlet, so I can enjoy little luxuries like my microwave and don’t have to worry about running down the battery when I watch a DVD at night. And who could complain about a waterfront campsite?

View from my site.

On Friday morning, I took a short hike to a viewpoint overlooking the camp. That’s when I confirmed something I suspected the evening before: I’d been to this campground before. It had been about 10 years ago, when I was still married. My wasband had come with me to a two-day aerial photo gig for the Parker 425. I’d flown the helicopter while he’d driven out with my first camping trailer, a Starcraft tent camper hybrid. We spent the night at Buckskin and he’d complained — what else is new? — about all the retired guys who walked by and tried to chat him up. We’d walked up to that same viewpoint during our short stay. I know that if I looked hard enough in my archives, I’d find the photos I took there.

Buckskin Mountain State Park, from the overlook trail.

Although I’d intended on continuing along the 1-mile loop trail yesterday morning, a cool breeze started up while I was chatting with another camper at the viewpoint bench. I decided to go back to camp and do the longer hike when I was better prepared with water and a sweatshirt if I needed it.

Buckskin is a nice place to stay — if you like camping in campgrounds. There are scheduled activities, such as Friday night campfires, which I attended last night, and Saturday ranger-led hikes, which I’ll join today. There are free DVD rentals and a trading paperback library. There’s also a bookstore/gift shop. The Tuesday ice cream social, which I’ll miss, is probably a real hit with the retirees who stay here. And while it’s a shame the marina store is closed, being the only one using the dock for my boat is kind of nice.

Campfire at the park.