October 18-23, 2003
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The Seattle MegaTrip
October 18-23, 2003 | |
| Created: 16 October 2003 |
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Red Bluff hasn't changed since I left it, except for the fact that there is now one additional exit for Red Bluff. We checked into the Motel 6 right off the freeway (one I've stayed at a few times in my many trips up this way). After taking a short nap (and eating at the KFC in front of the motel), we headed up to Redding to visit WinCo Foods.
Now, for those who haven't heard me rant about Winco, here's the rant. WinCo is an employee-owned grocery store chain in the Pacific Northwest. They are perhaps the cheapest place you can possibly imagine. Kraft cheese, 16 slices, under $2. Bananas, 39 cents a pound. But the best part of all is the bulk food bins in the back, where you can fill up on carob chips, teabags, flour, and other such staples.. all at prices that make you feel like you've just hit the jackpot on the nickle slots in Vegas. WinCo is cool enough that if I ever move north of Fresno (the southernmost store is in, I believe, Merced), where I live will be decided by it's proximity to a WinCo.
The reason why I was so hot to stop at WinCo was because I've yet to find a good source for cheap flour in SoCal, especially things like bulgar and dark rye flour. I've found them, but at prices that made me scream for mercy. I correctly assumed that WinCo would have bulk bins full of the stuff, ripe for the plucking. So, I can now make some of the more unusual bread recipies in my bread machine. Thanks, WinCo!
After loading up on snacks and bulk flour, we headed back to the motel for the night. We went to bed around 10pm.
Breakfast was a stop in Mt. Shasta City, and the Black Bear Diner. One of the things I always look forward to when I'm driving up in this area is these great diners. Good food, plenty of it. The one in Mt. Shasta City is the "original" one, so if I'm going to be in the area I always make sure to stop here.
As usual, the food was great, however the service had a bit of an issue: they seated us in the back, and nobody told the waitress that we had been seated in her section. *shrug* Mistakes happen, and the waitress was apologetic, so it wasn't an issue.
Before leaving, I purchased a bar of what looks like handmade blueberry soap. Cool deal.. I can't wait to take a nice bath with this stuff. It smells.. absolutely yummy.
I don't know quite why I'm so fascinated by Fred Meyer. Okay, well.. i think I actually do know: it all has to do with the Gemco Department Store chain that used to exist in Southern California when I was growing up. Fred Meyer reminds me a lot of Gemco. So, whenever I'm north of the Oregon border, I feel I have to pop into one just because.
This time, I needed a battery charger (yeah, I left Southern California without my NiMH charger), so I could recharge the cells in my camera and GPS reciever. I love both of these toys to death, but they eat batteries like nothing else. The GPS reciever needs new cells after about eight hours of use: the camera runs dry after taking about 40-50 shots (less if I need to use the camera as a SmartMedia reader). If it wasn't for NiMH batteries in these things, I'd probably go broke feeding them.
Any rate, after getting a battery charger, we needed to get fuel. Now, for those who don't know, all gas stations in Oregon are full-service: you aren't generally allowed to pump your own fuel. After getting gas, I was pondering if tipping a gas station attendant is "appropriate." I then made a blog entry about it.
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