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We discovered the beautiful little town of Eureka Nevada along RT 50.
A nice lady at the hotel had warned us to be careful since we were headed west thru the 'Crickets". "The crickets
are pretty thick up there". Turns out the Mormon crickets have been causing problems in this area for ever. They
were named after they almost ate all of the Mormon's crops in the 1800s. Since they gather and travel in great numbers they
cause a skid hazard when 100s of them get squashed in the road. The dark trails in this picture are all squashed crickets.
After a jackrabbit ran in front of the bike we slowed down a bit...
Here's one of the critters in an Austin gas station parking lot. They are a big bug, not very attractive, and pop when
you run over them. Running thru Austin was a bit like a trip thru the twilight zone... Unforgettable. My concern was the accumulating
slippery goo collecting on the tires as we rode thru them.
From cricket country we headed to Reno and up into the Sierras. Truckee and Lake Tahoe were our next stop. The
cool fresh mountain air was a welcome relief from the heat and traffic in Reno.
Beautiful Lake Tahoe. One of the most pristine lakes in the USA, lake Tahoe is so clear that the visibility
is an amazing 70 feet. The geology of the Sierras and the extreme depth of the lake, almost 2,000 feet, contribute
to this awesome vista.
Donner Pass.
This incredible monument honors the Donner Party. It's hard to imagine but the snow in the winter of 1846 was as
high as this memorial (right up to the feet of the pioneers)...22 feet deep.
The temperature was already well over 100 degrees when we hit this brush fire near Auburn, CA. The heat gave us
a brief taste of what our firefighters do on a daily basis.
After the heat of the Sacramento Valley we finally arrived in Vallejo. The cool ocean breezes started to roll over the
mountains. It felt great.
The Golden Gate was right around the bend.
Knowing we had made it to the Pacific was a feeling we'll never forget. Coast to Coast was a reality.
Nothing matches the feeling...if you ever get a chance...do it!
Rhonda and I thank you for viewing our photos and for your support of our venture to raise funds
for the new hospital at BAMC in San Antonio, TX.
The Construction moved ahead very quickly as you can see from the photos below graciously
supplied by the Intrepid Fund. The 1st was the state of construction on Oct 11, 2006; the 2nd was taken on Nov
6th, and the third is the completed Center for the Intrepid which opened on Jan 29, 2007.
Thanks to all of you who sent donations for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. People like you
do make a difference.
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