A Trip to Reno and News of Another Death in Extended Family

Gerry and I took a little trip to Reno last Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Our 34th anniversary was November 1st...going to Reno was a belated anniversary trip.  We actually did do something on our anniversary. 

A few weeks ago he sent me a link regarding a craft fair that was being held in Reno.  Since he knows how much I enjoy going to craft fairs, we decided we would go up for it.  The fair was not as large as I thought it would be, it was still enjoyable.

After we left the fair, we decided to drive up to Virginia City.  Gerry thought we hadn't been there, however we had been, it had been several years ago.  The drive up the mountain was gorgeous.  I took pictures with my iphone, however I'm not sure how to save them to my computer so I can share.  The weather was beautiful.  We had lunch at a little BBQ place...pulled pork sandwiches with cole slaw on top of the pork.  It was YUM...the buns are made by the restaurant and were awesome too...and huge!

It started to get cold so we stopped at the car to get our jackets and walked a little further.  There were more shops to see...I was getting tired so Gerry went and got the car.  We drove around the town a little before leaving...taking the highway that goes to Carson City.  Virginia City sits on the side of the mountain so it was another gorgeous drive down to Carson City.  From there we got back on Hwy 395 and headed back to Reno.  The mountains look so different in Nevada than they do in California.  The trees are sparse and are mostly covered with sagebrush. 

When we got back into Reno Gerry asked if I wanted to go to Scheels which is a huge outdoors store.  He walked around looking at stuff that interested him and I looked at ladies clothing.  Saw several things I really liked, however, too expensive for my pocketbook.  Gerry did buy me a fleece vest, something I've been wanting.  It was getting close to dinner time so we decided to get a sandwich from the café there and go back to the hotel to eat.  It had gotten quite cold by then.

We stayed at Harrah's, our room was on the 14th floor.  After we ate, we walked over to Starbucks which is in the West Tower, our room was in the East Tower.  Harrah's charges $11 per day, per device for internet.  I wanted to check my emails.

Harrah's is an old hotel...the rooms are comfortable, however kind of outdated.  We didn't eat at any of the restaurants in the hotel since we prefer the kind of places where the locals might go.  We went to a BBQ place Thursday night and breakfast Friday and Saturday were at a couple of neat places...food was excellent at both places.

After going to two quilt shops and stopping again at Cabela's, we headed home Saturday morning.  We had stopped at Cabela's on the way up.  It is another outdoors store.

I didn't check my phone before we left Reno.  When we got home, I discovered that I had a Facebook message from Jim Alfaro telling me his father, Julius had passed away that morning.  Julius and my mother were 1st cousins...their mothers being sisters (Aunty Jane, Julius's mother and my grandmother).  I was so sad to read his message.

When I first came to California, January 1962, I stayed with Julius and Mary (his wife).  I, was of course, married to John Bledsoe then.  I first stayed with his uncle.  I had met Julius and Mary when they stopped in Honolulu, years earlier, on their way to Kaua'i.  I contacted them after I arrived and Mary would come and get me during the day and take me to their house.  John was at Oakland Naval Hospital during the day and would get leave to come to Castro Valley.  Julius and Mary lived in Hayward with their kids.  Mary decided she didn't like me being there by myself with John's uncle so we gathered up our belongings and I went to stay with them.  Their daughter, Yvonne was just a few years younger than I and the boys were quite a bit younger...Jerry and Bill. Jim is their younger son. John would come when he could get leave.  Mary taught me quite a few things to cook which was so helpful.  She even gave me some things for when we were able to get settled.  John was released from Oakknoll and stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside.  We left in March of 1962 to go south. 

Julius was also very helpful to John.  We would drive north whenever we could to visit.  We've lost touch over the years...pretty sad since Gerry and I don't live that far from them. 

Julius had cancer and died peacefully in his sleep.  There will be a small service so we will drive over to be with the family.  Jim and I connected on Facebook...for which I am so thankful.  I probably would not have found out about Julius.

This is the 3rd family passing since July...my sister Marie in June, her son Michael Alan last month (both on the Chung-Hoon family side) and now Julius (on the Camara family side, my grandmother's family).