From Trees of Mystery on the Road of Switchbacks

We really have been doing things but not taken any new pictures so I'll go back a few days then add some words about where we are and what we are doing and planning.

Back to the Trees of Mystery and Paul Bunton.


The museum at the trees of Mystery is small compared to Bunyon and Babe the blue ox. It is, however, an interesting place to see Native American artifacts. Nice baskets and the like line the walls.


Some are wonderfully crafted and very nice examples of the craft that sustained this countries original inhabitants.


It's hard to imagine the great creativity that preceeded us into the west.


The arrowheads in this collection was a great example of many styles and materials used.


We stayed in Eureka just south of the museum and took off the next day on the 299 highway. The highway had plenty of roadwork from slides and many small delays. This backhoe was perched above a one lane section. If you think this is easy and safe work, it is not, it's not even sane work. I didn't get a picture of it (driving) but just below the back hoe a boulder the size of a VW (I guess now I should say PT Cruiser) had been dislodged and fallen taking out the temporary barrier to the one lane road making it a 1/2 lane road we barely negotiated in the musemobile.



In any case we made it to Redding and in the 129 miles we estimate we had 878 switchbacks, 10 one lane sections (complete with flagmen and stop lights) 6 steep mountain passes and 4.23 hours of travel time. From there into Sacramento was clear sailing on Interstate 5 then a nice 2 lane road to Plymouth, CA and the 49er RV camp. We have been here 2 days with temperatures in the 100's but with a great swimming pool we all enjoyed.

We were able to visit Peter four times in the two days here and the visits were great. Peter sends his love to all Kathy he loves the magazines and is looking forward to seeing you and Larry soon. Elaine he said he wishes he could have been in Balmorhea even if he had trouble pronouncing it and Vivian, he send his best. He hopes we can bring Ed down some time soon and Isaac, he really enjoyed your visit.

Tomorrow we are off to Yosemite but may not see the park until the following day.

Quote of the Day ~

The legendary Texas Congressman Sam Rayburn once gave Jack Valenti a word of advice: "The three most important words in the English language," Rayburn remarked, "are, 'Wait... a... minute.'"


Rayburn, Samuel Taliaferro (1882-1961) American politician, U.S. Congressman (R-Texas) (1913–1961), Speaker of the House (17 terms between 1940 and 1961) [noted for his advocacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program]

I met Sam Rayburn and John Kennedy

once in my life as a high school student September 12, 1960. It was part of his presidential campaign and was in town to address the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. I was on my way home from High School and always got a ride downtown and took a bus home from near the Rice Hotel. Well that day there were motorcycles all over in front of the hotel and I was curious and went into the lobby where a government security person or high campaign worker told me to stand next to him if I wanted to see Kennedy. After a few minutes Sam Rayburn walked by and I got to shake his hand he was wonderfully present and asked where I went to school and I told him St. Thomas to which he replied "Are those Eagles gonna go undefeated again this year" then with a smile he went out to his waiting car. Next came John Kennedy, who shook my hand, probably the most impressive looking person I'd met at that time.

Sam Rayburn died of cancer at age seventy-nine on November 16, 1961 a little over a year later. Two years after "Mr Sam's" death, on November 22, 1963, John Kennedy was hardly past his first thousand days in office, he was killed by an assassin's bullets.

And here I am the Forest Gump of 1960 writing my little blog wishing I could think as great as those men lived.