On the Road Again!

Janice, Tad, Comet, and I left home Saturday morning, bound for Petaluma, CA, to celebrate Janice’s niece Morgan and her husband Grant’s wedding vow renewal. They were married quietly a few years ago, but now we finally have the chance to celebrate with them and their two precious daughters, Acacia and Hazel—about 460 miles from home.

We wrapped up a few last chores before leaving at 10 a.m., fueled up, picked up supplies at Costco, and pointed the rig south on I-5. After more than five hours on the road, we decided to stop for the night at a Harvest Host site near Willows, CA, called Chico Rice.

Chico Rice is a working rice farm that not only grows rice, but also packages it on-site. We arrived around 4:30, checked in with our host Tom by phone, and set up camp beneath the welcome shade of the silos.

It was still sweltering—the high that day was 104°F! It was 97 when we rolled in, but much cooler in the shade. We stripped down to the bare essentials (shorts for me, shorts and a top for Janice) and enjoyed watching flocks of cormorants fly overhead. Tad and Comet relished a little freedom to roam and stretch their legs.

After the sun dipped below the horizon, we scrambled into the motorhome, where Janice proceeded to thrash me in three games of Rummikub. (“Please ma’am, may I have another beating?”) Eventually, we retreated to the bedroom and slept well once things cooled off.

This morning, after fueling up and grabbing some coffee, we drove two more hours to Petaluma. We both got haircuts, hit the ATM for some cash, took Tad to a local dog park, and made our way to the wedding venue—a lovely farm called Flying Cloud. We checked in early and were given a spot to dry camp overnight. The high is expected to hit 93°F today, so we put out the awning and did our best to keep Tad and Comet cool and comfortable.

The festivities officially kick off at 3 p.m., and the temperature should be dropping by then. We’re looking forward to celebrating Morgan and Grant’s special day surrounded by family and friends.

As always, it’s these little moments—games in the cool of the motorhome, birds wheeling in the evening sky, the excited energy of family reuniting—that make the journey as memorable as the destination. Onward!