Ciao, Sisson!

The drive to California was a little hairy. It rained almost the whole way and when it wasn't raining it was snowing or there was a heavy wind advisory. At one point we were stopped on the highway while we waited for the snowplows to arrive. The middle truck was dumping sand on the road. It was slow going but thankfully safe.


Ira had commented that there might be another slowdown near Mt. Shasta, which reminded me that we had always meant to stop by the Sisson Museum. 

Mt. Shasta

It was either now or never, so we took a small detour to check it out. The website said they were closed for the winter, but we figured we could at least take a photo by the sign.


To our surprise, a volunteer happened to be inside and spotted Ira's face pressed to the window door. She came outside to greet us and when she found out who we were, she asked if we wanted to come inside and see the Sisson displays? Of course you know what our answer was.

Justin Hinckley Sisson  1826 - 1893

Justin Sisson was an innkeeper and a guide.  Horse Camp, also known as Sisson's Camp was the historic base camp for the popular Avalanche Gulch route to Mount Shasta's summit.

Visitors would spend from a few days to several months at Sisson's Camp where they offered fishing tours to the McCloud River and hunting trips up the Sisson's Trail.

John Muir used the Sisson's Trail from Horse Camp to the summit in a record 4 hours and 10 minutes. A violent snowstorm occurred and he was forced to spend the night next to the hot springs on the summit. In the morning Muir walked down to Horse Camp where Justin Sisson met him with food and horses.


This building was purchased by Justin and Lydia Sisson who converted it into a hotel known simply as "Sisson's." They expanded the hotel in 1878, adding rooms, orchards, a garden, croquet grounds and a pond stocked with trout.

In 1922, with pressure from a millionaire landowner, the city of Sisson voted 103 to 38 in favor of the name change to Mt. Shasta, after the mountain of the same name.

So, sadly, we had to say, Ciao, Sisson!

A dopo.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Few New Updates (#250)

Image
This morning we went over to the apartment. We made sure to go early since there's no electricity or lighting at the moment. Many of the rooms look the same, aside from the pile of old doors and materials that have now been cleared. The biggest change by far was the terrace. From the guest bedroom, you can see the progression: what it looked like last spring, what it looks like now...and the rendering of what it will someday become. Notice that the old bathroom is completely gone--you can now see straight through to the terrace. Guest bedroom Spring 2025 Guest Bedroom Winter 2025 (minus the terrace bathroom) Guest bedroom rendering Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they've been able to save many tiles. Our original plan was to repurpose whatever survived into a medallion or faux rug in the foyer. So...we may be moving on to plan B. Tile demolition Below is the view looking out through the former bathroom door--soon to be a window--looking out on the terrace. The thickness...
Read more

A New Lunch Spot, A Little Bonsai and a Lot of Contractors

Image
Just when we started feeling a little smug about knowing our way around town--having our favorite cafes and go-to spots--something happened to remind us how much we still have to discover. Today we had lunch plans with Tim and Izabella. We told them to choose the restaurant, and they picked one we had never even heard of: Villa La Boccia.  There are no signs pointing you there, no flashy advertising, nothing to catch your eye as you drive past--which we apparently do regularly without ever noticing it. So naturally we were curious about this "secret" local spot.  When we arrived, the parking lot was completely full. Completely. The restaurant itself was large, with indoor dining and a courtyard, and every seat seemed taken. We were stunned. How had we missed this place? Luckily Tim had made a reservation--he told us he had tried before without one and failed to get a table. Good thing he planned ahead.  Inside, the place was buzzing and the menu was extensive. It was hard...
Read more

A Busy Last Week in San Diego

Image
Our last week in San Diego arrived faster than expected, and David is feeling the pressure to get as much bonsai work done as possible. If he'd had his way, Ira probably would have been working every daylight hour and only released at night. Unfortunately for David's plan, we already had a few things scheduled. One of those plans was a long-anticipated trip to the zoo with RC. With everyone's busy schedules, this was the first day that worked for all of us. And really, we had to take advantage of our annual pass, right? Kai arrived proudly wearing the gorilla shirt we'd bought him the last time we visited the San Diego Zoo . He was eager to show us how fast he could move and had a great time climbing and weaving his way through the polar bear exhibit.  This time the polar bear was just as active. It definitely pays to visit early in the day. Sadly I stopped recording too soon because right after he jumped into the water, swam toward us, climbed out, and shook himself dr...
Read more