I'm an Oregonian, through and through.

I figure it's best not to advertise when we're on vacation.

We're back, so now I can talk about it. We stayed in a four-star hotel, casino. Not really much different from our usual two-star Comfort Inn environs. Bellhops and valet parking, maybe a bit more solidly built with nicer fittings. But really, the beds were pretty much the same, which is what counts.

Being in a casino was strange. Lots and lots of old people--but again, that's just like the breakfast room in a Comfort Inn. Old people apparently have the money to travel.

This casino was very diverse in its clientele--not just a bunch of old white folks, so I was impressed by that. Played the slot machines (which were fucking confusing--where did the old one-armed bandits go?) but it was more in the way of a bonding experience with Linda's two nieces.

I love the terrain around Coarsegold--rolling hills of oak forests with granite outcropping like mini-Stonehenges. So very different from Central Oregon. There was an actual tornado alert while I was in the hotel--I went down to the lobby and no one was paying any attention, but I decided to keep my eye on the horizon. Heh.

We were gone a full week. On the way back we decided to go by way of Highway 49, instead of I-5. Went through Sonora and Placerville and such places, very scenic, but ended up adding 3 hours to our day. There seems to be lots of these Sisters-type tourist towns--Mariposa, Sonora, Mt. Shasta, and so on.

I'm an Oregonian, through and through.