Today is a holiday in the USA - Presidents Day - whatever that means.

I set off at a great rate of knotts towards the Lassen Volcanic Nat Park along the 44, passing through some really hick villages. There was masses of snow around & I began to get nervous. Once again the climb up the mountains was so steep that my rate of knotts diminished to a crawl. Typical, as luck would have it, there was so much snow in the national park it was not worth the visit. There were heaps that were higher than my car (aka 'the tank'). The kind Nat Park lady let me go in to have a nose and turn around, and suggested a visit the McArther-Burney Falls Nat Park slightly north.

Disappointment was so high as I had really been looking forward to this park as the guide book described a landscape that could be likened to the moon. However, there was no way I could go into the Park in jeans and walking books as I would have sunk in the snow immediately.Off I headed to the McArthy-Burney Nat Park through more wonderful landscapes. The falls were, to say the least, disappointingly small. Tiny really & I had to pay to get in! The steps were frozen over so you could not even walk to the base of the falls. No matter I drove by the lake which was eerily quiet apart from a few moor hens.

I got onto the 299 and headed to Susanville to spend the night. Again there were a few hick towns that I passed through, Fall River Mills, Nubieber & Bieber to name a few. I took a side road and got onto the 139 south. This road is in a large valley, no massive valley! Mountains on either side, there are even lakes in the valley, one of which is Eagle Lake, which has a little community developing along its shores. The lake was totally frozen over & most of the little side roads were covered in snow. I passed through forested areas which held small grey deer which were chewing grass near the road & they were very skittish.

Susanville was not a bad size town & I stayed at the Best Western Trailside Inn. Dinner was at the Black Bear Diner which was on the other side of the Inn, but I wish I had not bothered - my steak was bloody awful!