Our four-night stay in Grass Valley was scheduled so Dianne could visit with her mother. That gave me plenty of on-my-own time.
While Dianne and her parents were heading to/from Redding on Tuesday to see their dying brother/son, I decided to go out for a hike, or at least that’s how it turned out.
My initial goal was to wander around and photograph the Empire Mine Historic State Park. As I drove up the road to the park, I passed a lot with a sign that said, “Empire Mine parking.” So, I parked there.
It was parking for the park but getting to the visitor center would require a 1.4-mile hike up the Hardrock Trail. I wanted some exercise anyway, so I grabbed my camera and started up the trail.
There were several unmarked forks in the trail along the way, and following the advice of Yogi Berra, I took them. Unfortunately, most of the forks I opted for did not lead to the visitor center. Instead, I ended up with a 6½-mile round-trip hike through the woods. I passed the remains of old mines but only once touched the VC.
On Wednesday, Dianne and her 91-year-old mother went on a hike up a paved trail not far from the campground. I hung out at the trailer and attended to bill paying and finances. We had a delicious clam chowder lunch/dinner at her parents’ home later that afternoon.
Dianne wanted to spend Thursday, our last full day in Grass Valley, with her mother doing laundry. I decided to go on a morning walk along a creek in the woods.
The trailhead for the paved trail that mother and daughter took the day before was a mile’s walk down the road from the campground, so I thought I’d go hike that. It starts near the site of the North Star Mine Powerhouse and Pelton Wheel Museum.
The trail follows Wolf Creek through the forest. Being paved and lacking much altitude gain, it’s a favorite with old people.
The first part of the trail ended at the county animal shelter, perhaps a mile from the start. A second leg continues up Little Wolf Creek for another mile or so. Here, some alternative, unpaved hiking paths drop down and follow the creek. It was a joy to get off the blacktop.
On the way back, I stopped in the museum. I was the only guest, and one of the docents offered to give me a free tour. I’m not big on mining, but it was fascinating. Several of the exhibits such as the huge Pelton waterwheel…
…and an 1897-vintage, five-head stamp mill…
…were hooked up to show them in operation. Only the need to get back to camp to meet the wife and parents kept me from staying longer.
That afternoon, we took Dianne’s parents out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant in town. Then it was back to camp for one last evening at the fairgrounds RV park.
Friday morning, we had a leisurely breakfast and then got the trailer ready for the three-hour trip to Reno. California has a maximum speed of 55 mph for those of us pulling trailers, so we were tailgated and eventually passed by every vehicle on the highway. We took Interstate 80 over Donner Pass and eventually dropped into Nevada and the Truckee River Valley. We had reservations at the KOA Boomtown.
Now, this is Nevada and Boomtown is a casino development in Verdi, a few miles west of Reno. I expected the KOA to be a parking lot RV resort behind the casino, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that it’s a separate area about a half-mile beyond the gambling hall. We have a shady patio site with a grill and grass. While we can hear the freeway, the noise is not overwhelming.
After getting our trailer hookups hooked up, we went over to see some old friends from back in the old days when we lived in Reno. Dinner at one of our old favorite Mexican restaurants (new location) followed.
