Day 27: The Road to Grant's Pass

Even the long “get there” driving day such as today can afford small treats along the way. Sacramento Valley is a wide expanse of agricultural land. Along Interstate 5, hectares of olive orchards flanked by processing plants and huge fields of yellow crowned rice spread out across the countryside. (I also understand that the Sacramento Valley is a big producer of tomatoes as well).

The treat? A huge billboard on the highway announced “olive tastings” at the upcoming Granzella deli, restaurant and inn in Williams, California. Being big olive fans, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample local olives. But my expectations were not high.  I thought we might find a small restaurant that would charge for samples or provide a few olives if we bought a meal. But, the outlet was surprisingly large and contained a full service restaurant, a pub, a deli, an ice cream bar (gelato, not soft serve). And, yes, an olive bar consisting of a variety of open jars of olives grown and processed in the Williams area, all for the sampling.  They were delicious – crunchy, not soggy like some commercial olives can be with a well balanced salt content.  We left with a medium jar of Sicilian, a medium jar of garlic flavoured (not stuffed) and a small jar of pickled garlic cloves. I was as giddy as if I had been to a wine tasting. Hmm, there’s an idea: a combined olive and wine tasting room. It was a pleasant surprise and worth the diversion into Williams from the I-5.

And, just when you think the freeway will roll on forever through all that farmland, you round a curve and up pops Mount Shasta, guarding the skinny pine forests of the higher altitudes of the Pacific Northwest.  The bit of rain we drove through as we were arriving in Grant’s Pass was a mere foreshadowing of the lower altitude rainforests we have yet to pass through. (And so was the change in temperature; it was 91F when we stopped for gas in Redding, CA and around 60F when we arrived in Grant's Pass).

Until tomorrow. . . .