Maybe nearer to Chico, mike, but that's meaningless to me, since I've never been there. Having made the trip from Portland to Santa Rosa, Oakland, Sacramento, Alameda, El Cerrito, and even Clear Lake a number of times, towns east of I-5 are only road signs along I-5 to me, but twons like Mt. Shasta, Redding, Red Bluff, Weed, Concord, etc. mean something.

I guess the main question I have is: how far (how long) is the gathering site from, say, Redding? Or Red Bluff?

That will give me a much better idea of how long it will take from Portland.

Thanks,

Genie