Day 14: Cook’s Station

Rick after enjoying a big bowl of chili at Cook’s Station, CA

We got away from Pioneer around 8:00am and headed for Cook’s Station. The road is definitely more mountainous and the air is thinner and cooler. We got to Cook’s Station (est. 1863) and felt so good that I had a big bowl of chili and Valda had some of the sweetest onion rings ever. The owner, Tammy, comped us for the night and we promised to have breakfast this morning with her. I really appreciate all the campgrounds that give us a site for the night. We try not to use much of their resources, figuring that is the only right thing to do. It is certainly conducive to a good night’s rest when you don’t have to worry about anything.

l want to touch on something that I find quite unbelievable. Cook’s Station, and another wide spot in the road about three miles away called Ham’s Station, are restaurants/grocery store establishments along CA 88, about 75 miles or so Northeast of Sacramento, the state capital. These two establishments have no electricity service. There are NO lines coming up the road to give them power. They both have diesel generators that supply all their power and the price of diesel fuel has gotten to the point where both places turn off their generators for a few hours overnight to save money. Tammy told me that her diesel bill is over $4,000 a month. I always thought that every place in the USA that wanted electricity had it. What a surprise to me.

I want to thank LT of Grizzly Flats, CA who was dining at Cook’s Station when I was enjoying my big bowl of chili. We got to talking and I gave him a card and told him what I was doing. As I started to leave, he gave me a generous cash donation for the cause. Thanks Leonard.