Days Three, Four, and Five: Medford, Oregon to Chico, California

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We had a very quiet night in Medford...even though there were 30 or cars in the motel, we didn't hear a sound all night, and everyone who left early were very quiet! Restored a bit of my faith in humanity! Unfortunately, the rest of the early morning was not as pleasant...I got coffee for us from the breakfast room...but it was undrinkable...the "eggs" were very salty, and I realized I had forgotten to pack the homemade granola...luckily we had breakfast bread to toast and sweet potato quesadillas as backup...

The motel was in an area lacking in any green space so I postponed my run. We got coffee at a Dutch Bros and went through a car wash before leaving town around 9:30 am.

Our next stop was Shasta Lake where I hoped to swim. The lake was very low (as I expected) and there was a fee to park at the fishing area, so I gave up on the plan to swim there, and we drove south to Red Bluff, where we planned to charge up. My day got better since there is a Goodwill store right next to the Tesla Superchargers! After shopping and charging, we drove to a city park on the Sacramento River, so I could swim. I had read that the homeless encampment made the area a bit sketchy, but the boat ramp area was fine, and I swam with ducks and geese...

We drove on through almond and walnut orchards to Chico, where we arrived at Garth and Val's new home in the mid afternoon. The weather is unseasonably warm (80s) but we are not complaining! Their home is lovely...beautiful inside and out, and located on a golf course. We spent time around the pool (and of course, I swam..), walked around the neighborhood, and Val cooked us a delicious dinner.

The next day we lunched at the country club (right next door...), and then toured Chico and the giant Bidwell Park, with Garth driving the Tesla. We stopped by the natural swimming pool so I could take a dip...

Tomorrow we are on the road again, heading for San Jose!

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Photos

My driver!
For those of you who don't know the story of how Bill became the owner of a Tesla, here's the story: Bill's friend of 59 years, John McCluskey, was jogging on the beach in front of his Big Island condo when he felt extremely fatigued. He took his heart rate which registered 30 BPM, extremely low especially during exercise. John returned to the condo, researched his condition on Google and realised he was suffering from Bradycardia, severe lowering of the heart rate, and dangerous. He decided he and Linda were going to return to Helena in 4 days and get checked out at the VA hospital. When he told me this I put heavy pressure on him to go to the local ER immediately. After some reluctance he did go to the ER where they put him in an ambulance with 3 attendants and drove him to the main hospital in Hilo to have a pacemaker put in which they did the next day. When John and Linda got back to Helena they texted me to tell me they were buying me a new Tesla Model 3. Wow!! to think that a few words of advice could reap such a reward. Thank you again Linda and John for this wonderful automobile that Lynn and I are enjoying on this trip to the ninth degree!

Shasta Lake
I had hoped to swim on that beach...

Citrus tree on our walk around Garth and Val's neighborhood
Citrus blossom is my favorite scent....

Sherwood Forest
They filmed the Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood here in the park in Chico!

Strolling in Bidwell Park
"Bidwell Park is a municipal park located in Chico, California. The park was established July 10, 1905, through the donation by Annie Bidwell, widow of Chico's founder, John Bidwell, of approximately 2,500 acres of land to the City of Chico." It is one of the largest municipal parks in the US.

Swimming in Big Chico Creek
From spring to fall, the creek is dammed here to make a natural swimming pool!

Swimming in Big Chico Creek
The dam is under the bridge

Dinner out with Val and Garth
The outdoor eating area was beautiful, and as it got dark, we were serenaded by dozens of frogs!