Traveling with Elaine keeps things interesting. This is our first time caravanning with horses. We have travelled in groups going camping before, but throw in large trailers and horses and you have arrived at a whole new level. Elaine is an early bird riser. So, she normally breaks camp before we do and hits the road. Somehow we always manage to beat her to the campground, even if she leaves hours before we do. This is because she usually will stop some place along the way. It might be a truck stop, a roadside fruit stand, or a feed store. So, we get to camp first and figure out which site would be better for her larger rig and text her helpful tips to guide her in.
Travelling from Hat Creek in Lassen to Red Bluff was no exception. We arrived at Valley Horse Center, a horse motel, by lunch time. Elaine had already told us she was taking a longer route than us because she wanted to go to the Camping World outside of Redding to do some shopping. We left Elaine the bigger spot; checked in with our host, Jodi; got the horses settled in their corrals; and then headed into Red Bluff (about 15 minutes from the ranch) for lunch and to do grocery shopping.
We had just finished up our pizza at Luigi’s (the pizza was meh) when we got a call from Elaine. Her truck, which she has named Big, was experiencing engine issues. She was at a shop in Redding and she needed us to pick up Chuck, her horse. This is where we had to do some mental math. Most people travelling with horses have a truck and a trailer. If your trailer breaks down, you need help transporting the horse but you still have a working truck. If your truck breaks down, you can get the truck towed and still have your trailer. In Elaine’s case, she has a bumper pull RV that she lives in and a horse box where the truck is connected to the trailer and pulls the RV. She has the ability to trailer out to trails and leave the RV behind. This means she can access trailheads easier. We asked our host, Jodi, if she had a small bumper pull trailer we could borrow to pick up Chuck, but no dice.
So, we unhooked our trailer from the water/electric and re-hitched to our truck and headed to Redding (about 30 minutes away). Chuck loaded into our trailer with no issues. He is a trooper. He had been stuck on board Big for most of the day, but Elaine had made sure he had water and food. Elaine rode in our truck with us back to camp.
As we drove in, we pointed out landmarks to Elaine to help her find her way back to us as it is a bit of a maze through Jodi’s property to the horse camp area.
Chuck happily settled into his large paddock, sending horse kisses to Lennox. Lennox who is used to being worshipped by Mercutio was unaffected, but acknowledged Chuck’s adoration and greetings.
Elaine, who had been through a long day already, borrowed our truck and drove back to Redding to pick up her RV. Otherwise, where would she sleep? She needed her stuff.
By the time she got back to the ranch, it was pitch black. We had been keeping Jodi apprised of the situation so she knew what was going on. Ari and I were settled in our living quarters waiting for Elaine’s return. Around 8 pm, I get a text from Jodi “Your friend drove to our neighbors.” A few minutes later, I get a call from Elaine. She is totally lost. Apparently, she drove through the ranch property and passed it into the neighbor’s property. She had to turn around with the large RV and she needed help figuring out where we were. Ari got his boots back on and headed out with a flashlight to guide her and the RV into base. Elaine had to back into her spot and hook-up to her water and electric in the dark - none of these small tasks when you have limited vision. This is why you want to try to arrive at any overnight stops well before dark. But, sometimes things are unavoidable.
As luck would have it, I had booked to stay here for two nights. Jodi kindly offered to guide us on the trails to the Sacramento River the next day. Elaine was her happy chipper self and eager to explore the area. She and Jodi swapped horse stories along the ride.
This was not our first time visiting the Sacramento River with our horses, but it is always lovely. After the ride, I made smoothies for the three of us. From freezing cold temps in Lassen the day before, we now were seeing temperatures in the 90s. The repair shop was able to get Elaine’s truck fixed by the next day. This was extremely fortunate as usually we have to wait for parts.
Ari and I had errands to run. We wanted to get our flu shots and groceries. The past two years we could walk into any pharmacy and get our vaccinations. This year pharmacies are requiring appointments. It’s challenging to make an appointment when you move every couple of days. Safeway’s pharmacy allows walk-ins as long as you come between 9 am and 4 pm. We had planned to drive into Red Bluff since it’s closer, but Elaine needed a ride to Redding to pick up Big.
We ate a late lunch at the Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant in Redding and the food was amazing. One of the best Mexican meals I have had in a while. By the time we had driven to Redding, filled up on gas, and eaten lunch, Elaine’s truck was ready to be picked up. We dropped off Elaine and went off to complete our errands.
Jodi has only owned this property for about three years, so this horse motel is relatively new. Jodi continues to make improvements. She does not usually take guests out for a guided ride as the horse she is on is usually in training. She figured since we are all experienced riders we could deal with it if her horse acted up. Overall, her horse did fine except the horse cow-kicked Chuck at one point. Luckily, Chuck appears to be fine.
Water/electric hook-up is $25/night. Horses are $30/night. There are also RVs to rent if you need a place to sleep. There is a porta-potty, no shower house, no RV dump. Beautiful trails from the property. This is a convenient stop off I-5.
Today we move on to a Cowboy Camp in Clearlake Oaks, CA. We have a couple of nights of boondocking under the stars in our immediate future.