Passing through southern Orgeon, with a cruise through Ashland and it’s Shakespear Festival included, we found ourselves crossing back into California much sooner than we expected. Our destination for day 3 and 4 was a spot so small that most people we spoke to had never heard of it. Those that had, questioned our motive for spending 2 nights in a town that closed down at 7:00pm and boasted just 1 gas station. Day 3 and 4 were spent in the under populated, easy to miss, other side of the mountain town, McCloud, CA.
Just like the other destinations, McCloud was selected off of Google Earth based on it’s central location, smack dab in the middle of all types of environments we were hoping to photograph. With zero knowledge of what the town itself would offer, we were initially a little set back upon check-in to The McCloud Hotel, a sort of Bed & Breakfast type of Inn. We quickly took to the fact that our hotel, being 1 year shy of hitting 100, offered no modern day amenities, something that sounded much more problematic than it turned out to be. We are living proof that you can survive without a microwave, refrigerator and TV for at least 48 hours.
After a quick stroll through the annual Mushroom Festival (that’s a real thing) right outside our front door, we set out to do what we came for. We loaded the camera equipment into our trusty steed and headed out. With the town of Mt. Shasta 14 minutes in one direction, the McCloud River and Falls 12 minutes in the other direction and small town, abandoned attractions a plenty, we were almost overwhelmed with possibilities.
There is no way to captivate the gorgeous views found around Mt. Shasta (no photograph could ever do justice) but we tried our best. Babe was super impressed with my river rock balancing and upstream hiking while hauling tripod manuevrs. It’s always a bonus when you can impress that one hottie you have like a super crush on (or are married to).
Between abandoned trains, vacant buildings, unkept parks, rivers, water falls, wild life and one of the oddest wheeled machinery lawn decorations we have ever seen, we went from questioning what we had gotten ourselves into to planning our next trip back.
Leaving wasn’t easy. We had really started to feel nested with our styrofoam cooler of beer in the bathtub and dresser turned snack bar. If it hadn’t been the friend and family filled bbq awaiting us at my parents house in Lakeport, we most likely would have put in a request to stay just one more day.
As soon as we pulled up to my parents the loss of leaving behind all we had encountered began to fade away. There is nothing better for my soul than being surrounded by the small pack of individuals that I affectionally call, my village. Made up of extremely close friends that have pretty much never missed a birthday, Ryan and my new in-law-family extension, my folks and my best friend Grandma, my village will always be home base. I am fortunate in so many ways, but I am richest in love.
