We wake up early as usual…But before leaving Tahoe City we do a small walk in front of the lake. Everything is snowy this morning, even icy.

Map of the day:

Based on the advice of the motel employee we decide to go have a look at Squaw Valley, which holds the 1960 winter Olympic Games… Hum not much to see. We pursue to Truckee, which is an old town from the gold rush times.

Instead of taking the big highway 80 to Sacramento we decide to stay a little bit more in the country side, and head back to lake Tahoe for a walk to some falls, Cascade Falls… After a 30 minutes walk, following track of fellow walkers we reach the end of the footprints. And horrified we soon notice that we are in the middle of a frozen river…just above the falls… We never were as much relieved as when we reached the solid ground again.

Back on the road, we take the 50 towards Sacramento through the El Dorado Natl forest. El Dorado? Pierre wants to go to see El Dorado, maybe we will find some gold… It looks like they never found any gold in El Dorado… It is only a small town, almost in ruins.

We then go to a small abandonned gold mine, Gold Bug Mine. Unfortunately it is closed to visitors today.

Next, Sacramento. Old Sacramento to be true, it is a small part of the town that has been more or less kept as it was during the gold rush era. After a walk in the streets we take some beers and sliders (that’s a kind of mini burgers…).

7PM. San Fransisco. Adie just booked a motel room from her cellphone, and here we are. Travelodge on Valencia & Market Street.

Soon after we find ourselves in a Cheese&Wine shop in the Castro (gay neigborhood of SF). Quite good cheeses and very decent wine! Time to go to bed!