One Time Only

This weekend we went to Virginia City in Nevada. That was not actually our destination, just where we spent the night. If you are ever in Gold Hill, just 1 mile south of VC on the road to Carson City, stop at the Gold Hill Hotel. The Crown Point Restaurant in the basement of the hotel is incredible! The hotel is historic ~ the original gold mine boarding house. It is a great place to stop or stay.

We actually started our trip dropping the motorcycle trailer my son used to haul his bike to Sturgis in Fair Oaks to it's owner. Then, with the broken down bike he transported back from South Dakota loaded in the back of the pickup, we headed up Highway 50 on one of the best road trips we have taken in a long time. The broke down bike was eventually dropped at the owner's house in Gardnerville, but this is the "rest of the story."

The reason for my enthusiasm regarding the trip was the fact that the prime directive was for me to say "Stop" and Mark would pull over so I could actually exit the truck, tripod and camera in hand and take pictures of whatever was worth saying the previously unheeded word.

River at the Twin Bridges trail head.

I have to admit to thinking this was a bluff on his part. I was actually afraid to say it, afraid to abuse the option, so to speak. I worked on saving it for a really pretty spot and spent the first part of the day cruising up 50 just taking photos out the window like I am used to.

 I have always said one day I would do a road trip where I could stop wherever I wanted and take pictures. I finally got my chance and I was hesitant to speak up! I remember when I was a kid, we would all be in the car and my mom would say, "Robert, stop at that fruit stand up ahead." Then my dad would slow slightly and pass right on by the indicated fruit stand as he said, "You mean that one? I missed it, let's catch the next one." Which, of course we never did... Ahhh, good times....

I have to say, it was difficult to sit quietly and wait for the "right spot." Mark said he knew of just the place and we pulled into the parking lot by the Twin Bridges trail head. Fully equipped, I trekked off in search of the photos of the day.

 I spent about an hour and a half taking pictures of water, trees, scenery, people, all kinds of stuff.

The Sierras from the Twin Bridges trail head.

That broke the ice and from then on for the rest of the weekend, I got to stop whenever I asked. I got over 420 shots from the weekend that I now have to go through. Yeah!!! New material. The world is my canvas!!!

Overlook off Highway 50. The patch in the distance is the Tahoe Airport

The only bad part of the weekend happened on the ride home. We took Highway 12 through Lodi to the River Road along the Delta. I noticed a plume of dirt like from a car just to the side of the road. It just looked wrong. It was. A woman and her husband and their 2 kids, one was 2yrs old and a poor little baby girl just 4 months old careened off the highway and flipped into an irrigation ditch.

Remember, this car was heading the other direction when it left the road

I am posting pics here just to show those of you who read this and are in a big hurry what it gets you. The guy who saw  it all said she was passing and jumped back into her lane between 2 cars and was going too fast. She lost control spun out, across the road through the dirt (that was what I saw) and the car then must have flipped. This is what we found when the dust settled.

The baby was in the back seat on the passenger side only
a few feet from being under water.

In the end, I think the 2 yr old had a broken ankle, they took the 4 month old in for observation but had no obvious injury. Poor thing was born with spinal bifida. Both kids were locked into car seats or would have been dead.

The man and his wife, Mark, and the firefighters securing
the woman to the stretcher. The kids were already gone in
the first ambulance.

The woman and man were ok as far as we know, they took them in too.
To the couple who stopped and helped us (only 3 cars stopped to help these people) thank you. To the firefighters/paramedics who came and took control of the situation, thank you. You are there for us, we don't appreciate you until we need you and should be ashamed of ourselves for that. I appreciate you now. Thank You!

Don't forget to thank a firefighter.