To Wine Country

Back on the Byway

My breakfast is good. I then check out gas prices in Napa and San Jose. I figured the former would be more expensive and it is. So I fill up on the way out of Susanville at an even cheaper price, which will get me all the way to San Jose.

In the car after check out, I back track to the junction of CA-44 and CA-36, this time going straight on, back on the Volcanic Byway. A few miles on I turn left onto CA-147 S and soon the road is tracking the shoreline of Lake Almanor. It’s a big lake and looks pretty through the trees. Unfortunately those trees and numerous houses line the shore with few breaks.

I miss one turnout because it comes up really quickly, plus there were cars closely following me. Hoping for another one, I’m out of luck. I do come across a picnic area where I manage to get a photo of the lake between the trees,

At another junction the Byway turns north-west onto CA-89 N, still tracking the lake but farther away. But again there are no turnouts or a road shoulder large enough to pull over safely. At the top of the lake I turn left onto CA-36 W. A bit further on I pull over to look at more closely another area of wildfire damage, this time in Collins Almanor forest.

Deer Creek Highway – OMG…

I’m still in the Lassen NF and a few miles down the road there’s more evidence of severe wildfire damage. My route to Napa takes me left onto CA-32 W, the Deer Creek Highway. It’s here that I bid adieu to the Volcanic Byway for good on this trip. CA-32 W tracks the Deer Creek as it runs along the valley floor. For the next 30 miles or so, this road turns out to be one of the best I’ve ever driven on.

Twisting, turning, tight switchbacks, it’s a road that hugs the rocky valley sides in places and then switches to being on the edge of a drop 100s of feet into the valley and river below.

It is a challenging and thrilling drive. Complete, total concentration is required in driving at, generally, 40-50 mph on a tight, exciting roadway. Oh, and it regularly goes up and down as I travel in a valley around Butt Mountain.

What a drive! At the southern edge of the Lassen NF the road starts to gradually straighten and then becomes almost arrow-straight on the run down into Chico. There are still lots of trees either side but no signs to indicate the name of a forest. At times on the twisty sections the elevation nearly reached 4000 feet but once coming into Chico I’m back at ground level.

Freeway to Napa

A left turn takes me onto CA-99 S so I don’t actually drive into Chico city. I should stay on this road all the way down to I-80 W near Sacramento but Maps has found a quicker route because of a crash on I-80. I take this option. There is however little of merit in the rest of the drive to Napa. I’m driving through farming country, flat and boring. The weather today is sunny and cloudless. In Chico it’s 85º F, later on hitting 87.

At the junction onto I-80 W there’s still about 40 miles to go. Almost immediately Maps has increased the ETA by 25 minutes. There must be another crash ahead, just happened. Unfortunately all the alternative routes presented have similar arrival times, so I will just have to go with the (slowing) flow. The traffic is almost at a stand-still by now. I’m crawling along with everyone else. Two police cars come past, sirens wailing. If the police are still arriving, I think to myself, this is probably going to take even longer to resolve.

Suddenly Maps indicates a route that is 9 minutes quicker. The problem is I need to get off at the next junction, just a few 100 yards away, and I’m stuck in the outside lane…

“We was bumper to bumper, rollin’ side to side” *

Thankfully, as the traffic is just about moving, with some careful lane-crossing I manage to get to the inside lane, ahead of the junction. But then a coach driver has obviously also received the same Maps update and has gone onto the hard shoulder to pass the slow traffic and get off the Interstate. So I follow him…

The new route takes me inland for a mile or two and then cuts back at a junction. My guess is I’m heading for the next junction down, and assume this will bypass the accident. My hunch about the coach was right as I’m following him on the new route. The Interstate comes back into view and I can see on Maps there is another junction ahead. Back on I-80 W, there are very few cars coming through from what I assume is the accident scene.

I am of course now speeding along at 65 mph. I’d forgotten that Napa is about 13 miles north of I-80, but soon the turn-off for CA-12 comes into view. I remember from 2015 that there was some serious congestion driving into Napa from I-80 but this time the road is clear. The other side of the road is not so lucky as the road is jammed up towards I-80 almost all the way back to Napa.

Downtown Napa

On the outskirts of Napa my first stop is at a Safeway for breakfast. I’d programmed this in and it works out great. Breakfast purchased I drive on to the Napa Valley Hotel & Suites, which is where I stayed in 2015. It’s how I remember it.

During check-in I ask if my room has a fridge. It didn’t last time and booking.com said the room I booked didn’t, but I thought some others might. The manager says no and I respond that I could really do with a fridge. He says a fridge might need an upgrade, so I ask how much. Asking me how much I paid for the room – it’s nearly $350 a night as we’re in the centre of downtown – he keeps looking at his screen.

He then says the only room he has available with a fridge is their Suite. And he’ll upgrade me free of charge! He says it’s got a kitchen area, lounge, Jacuzzi – and a fridge…

I’m gobsmacked. I confirm that this upgrade applies for my two night stay: “Yes”, he replies. I express my thanks most profusely, though not over the top I hope. The guy checking me in is the hotel manager and he’s obviously figured he’s not going to sell the Suite tonight – tomorrow, Friday, who knows but it’s mine now – and in the interests of customer relations gives me a free upgrade. Yippee!!!

Back at Downtown Joe’s

Up in the Suite, it’s pretty cool. But at the end of the day, it’s a hotel room. I chill out until it’s time to go to Downtown Joe’s for dinner. More revisiting from 2015.

At the bar the staff are as friendly as 8 years ago. I swear there’s one from that time still serving. He’s a bit eccentric, Kenny, but quite attentive. As is Mike. He tells me he’ll look after me OK. I order a Tri-Tip Sandwich. It’s quite tasty and not too much gristle. It did however come on two huge slices of bread, about a quarter of which I can’t finish.

When a server takes it away we all discuss, including the bar owner who’s turned up, that there’s too much bread in the meal. We all agree… so why not fix it?

The world moves on and tonight’s entertainment is a DJ. He starts setting up and by 9.30 pm he’s live. I asked Mike earlier if it would be loud and he said yes. And it is. I last about 30 minutes before the sensory overload hits me and I need to leave. It’s just uncomfortable. Not that I recognise any tunes – I don’t – but the noise is overwhelming me. Time to leave.

Back in my room, I do some diary for a while and then hit the sack.

* Maybellene by Chuck Berry