Seeking

My next destination lies in the Central Valley of California, just 124 miles west of Truckee. Its attraction to me is the opportunity to continue my gliding (soaring) instruction at Williams Soaring. Mural depicting the historic Williams Hotel, established 1877, burned down in 1923. Williams is a small agricultural town of about 5,250 people southwest of historic Colusa. When I pulled into the motel where I will reside while I fly, a vintage Ford Model A on tour with its owners caught my eye. My dad owned one of these in the ‘Day’. They were produced from 1928 to 1931.…

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, California, USA Lake Tahoe, altitude 6,225 feet, straddles the California-Nevada border in the dramatic Sierra Nevada mountains. The largest alpine lake in the USA, it is a sparkling jewel ringed by rugged peaks. The Sierra Nevada mountains are special to me, as I have spent much time rock climbing in Yosemite Valley and hiking in this area. On the first week of October in 1975, Judy and I took our three young children backpacking to the Desolation Wilderness Area high above Lake Tahoe. Overnight, we had the first snow of the season. It was beautiful, but…

In 1967, Tassajara was established as the location for the first Zen training monastery outside of Japan. It is an iconic destination deep in the rugged mountains east of Big Sur, south of Monterey, California, USA. I will make this an exceptionally long and detailed report with lots of pictures. Though Judy and I knew about Tassajara, it never seemed practical to go there. In the Day, we had three children to take care of under 10 years old, and not a lot of money. Later, we had worked our way up and had more money, and the children were…

Back in California, the weather was glorious. Northern California in the spring and summer often has sunny, pleasant days with light breezes, shirtsleeve temperatures, and puffy cumulus clouds in a deep blue sky. At its best, there are few places in the world that are more appealing. Sitting outside with my 10 year old grandson Jack, I noticed a four engine prop plane flying over the hills at about 2,000 foot altitude. Jack identified it as a B17 Flying Fortress bomber from World War II. He said he had been inside one when they were on tour, and that you…

After 11 flights, I hit a day where all the instructors were fully booked, so I got a day off. I decided to head about an hour northeast to the Superstition Wilderness area and take a hike in the desert. There are various explanations for why these mountains are called ‘The Superstitions’. One is that some Apaches believe that the hole leading down into the lower world, or hell, is located in the Superstition Mountains. Cactus blossom season is a great time to walk in the desert. In the morning, the temperatures were pleasant, around 60°F early, up to a…