Sacramento Wedding Trip

July 21 to 23, 2011

All dressed up for the wedding!

Click HERE to view pictures from this weekend

            This is a ZIP ZIP ZIP TRIP!   Six hundred fifty or so miles down to Sacramento on Thursday, wedding for nephew Tom on Friday evening, and six hundred fifty miles back up to Baker City on Saturday!  But…..well worth the effort to be there for my nephew and my sisters and mom.  AND to finally MEET my the newest addition to the Taylor family! 

            We leave Baker City around 5:45 am with the sun rising over the hills of the Burnt River Canyon.  It promises to get warmer and warmer the further south we go!  But at least for the first part of the journey, the temps are moderate.  Stop in Ontario to switch drivers (Ginger got the first stage freeway!), gas up, and then the long lonely haul through southeast Oregon to Winnemucca.  If you need a rest stop or services on this stretch, they are few and far between.  Mostly long stretches of straight road and vast vistas of high desert. 

            We did see the still snowy east slope of Steen’s Mountain in the distance as we rounded the bend in Burns Junction.  Burns Junction, by the way, no longer  is anything OTHER than a junction.  The café, the gas station – all closed up with shutters flapping in the wind.  Lonely spot in SE Oregon.  

            Stop in McDermott, just inside the Nevada border, for lunch around 10:30 to dine at one of the two casinos in this border town populated mostly by the nearby Indian reservation. 

            Rick drives on down the 55 miles to Winnemucca where we gas up and I take the wheel.  It is getting warm!  Must have gotten too big a drink because 80 miles toward Reno, I have to stop for a potty break!  I had been dragging a little driving, but felt better after some carrots, but Rick misunderstood and took the wheel and then drove ALL THE REST OF THE WAY!  I felt bad, but glad I wasn’t driving over Donner Summit because I-80 was horribly chewed up in that stretch!  The mountains were glorious, however, and we spied the route of the railroad and decided a trip over the mountains would be awesome by train.  Will have to check into it! 

Pioneer Church in Gold Run, CA

            Rest stop just before the town of Gold Run, reveals the cutest little Pioneer Church as we prepare to go on the freeway on ramp.  Rick pulls into the pine covered lane and I take some pictures of the little chapel in the pines.  I’ll use it for the design of a doodle!  Then we take 10 minutes to explore Gold Run, but mostly find some gorgeous tiger lilies and a good place to photograph the mounds of vetch growing alongside the roads.

            We pull into the park in Rocklin around 5:20pm, just in time to help Mom and Tinny (Ron’s sister) to finish decorating for the Rehearsal Dinner party.  It is HOT!  We’re not used to 90’s this summer, and Mom certainly is not!  Tinny, from New Mexico, isn’t feeling so bad.   Jen has done a lot of work in helping Margaret prepare for the evening – big tissue paper flowers in the wedding colors of green and purple, lights, silverware wrapped, etc.  Friends bring over the food which was prepared by a local Mexican restaurant.  Looks good! 

            About 30 eat at the park – we meet much of Heather’s family and I discover the sister I have seen on Facebook is actually a TWIN sister!  Good meal of burrito makings, salsa, chips, salad, etc. 

            We finally arrive at Ron and Marg’s around 9pm, ready to drop for the day! But first we have to meet the dog menagerie!  Moette, a Hurricane Katrina rescued dog, Cocoa, another shelter dog that Marg & Ron saved, and then Marlow, Tom’s dog.  All big dogs!  Mo has the most expressive eyes, Cocoa ears that touch each other, and Marlow is fighting arthritis.  Makes life at Marg’s interesting!  Rick heads to bed within 45 minutes and after I help Marg pack away food, I call it a day at 11pm, deciding not to wait for Liz and Dave to show up!  They are flying in and renting a car for the weekend. 

Caught Mom by surprise!

            FRIDAY – I went back to sleep this morning, and finally arise at 7:30, thinking NO ONE is up because it is so quiet in the house!  Well, turns out Rick and I are the ONLY ones NOT up!  The dogs barked last night when Liz and Dave arrived, they barked this morning….we heard NOTHING!  Must have been tired! 

            We basically spend a lazy day on Friday visiting, Rick and I take a walk, we go swimming in Marg’s pool, and then spend time in the afternoon advising Marg on her hair, dress, etc. etc. !  Great fun!  Ron, Marg, and Mom take off around 4 to pick up Ron’s folks and then out to Rocklin for pictures.  We dress and drive out at 4:30 compliments of the rental car since Liz said “we don’t have to return it with a full tank of gas!” 

            It is HOT, so we sit in the car with the AC running for a half hour before heading in, only to find everyone has been waiting inside the reception area where the air is on!  Mike, Heather’s dad, announces there has been an accident out on the freeway, so we delay the start of the wedding for 15 minutes. 

Heather & her father

Heather & Tom

            Wedding ceremony is in a beautiful little SHADY glen with an arbor and lots of plants.  The officiate is a friend of Heather’s from college – this is his first wedding.  Reminded us of Luke last summer!  Short, sweet, and to the point!  Afterwards, we take some pictures while the photographer is taking some and then we head into the reception.  Heather and Tom take off to take a few on the golf course! 

Taylor Family

            Inside, it is much cooler!  Cameras on the tables and a little “I Spy” game make the time while waiting for pictures go a little faster!  Other nice touches – little signs saying Mrs. And Mr. on the head table, pictures of parents and grandparents wedding days on the “cupcake” table, centerpieces of mason jars with raffia bows, candles set in birdseed.  Lots of lavender sprays.  Outside on the patio the dance floor is set up, along with a photo show of pictures. 

            Dinner has been catered by the local BBQ joint – baked beans, cornbread, salad, and BBQ chicken, ribs, and tri-tip.  Good, but the FFA serves a more tender tri-tip.  Maybe that’s because it is local Baker beef!  Rick and I enjoy some time on the dance floor, and then pitch in around 10:45 after Tom and Heather leave to help clean up. 

            Late night into bed – around midnight.  It is warm in the room, so we leave the door open to get a better airflow with the fan.  I wake up around 6:30, close the door to keep the dogs out, (only to learn from Rick later that Cocoa had been ON THE BED at 5:30 and I never woke up!).  I then slept until…..8:30!!!!  Unheard of!  Incredible! 

My favorite of the quilts

            SATURDAY - Another lazy morning cleaning a few things up.  Around 10:45 we all pile into Marg’s van and attend the quilt show at the Arts Center.  Featured artist this month?  The Northminster Quilters!!  Some really nice work and fun to see names I recognized. 

Donner Lake and Sierra Nevada Mountains

            Back at 12:15 and by 1pm Rick and I are on our way back to Baker.  Jed pulled into town last night and we decide we might as well just hit the road and go home! 

Ginger, Margaret, Mom Mac, Liz

            Rick drives to Reno, I drive to Winnemucca, Rick to Burns Junction, I to Jordan Valley, and Rick to home.  Back in Baker by a couple minutes after midnight.  We stopped in Winnemucca for Subway sandwiches, enjoyed a beautiful SE Oregon sunset, and Rick talked with Luke for nearly an hour between Reno and Winnemucca!  But we are tired!!!