After the skies opened over us and the thunderstorm passed east, causing our cats to become exceptionally flat and small, we continued on highway 44 and drove past a historical marker. I squeaked. Don did a u-turn for me. In the RV.

As I made a beeline for the marker, I found a bonus second plaque. This tiny building is one of the smallest post offices in the country. It’s not operational any more, but you can peek through the dusty panes and see the tiny mail-sorting cabinet and the tiny post office boxes, free-standing on the counter in a block of about half a dozen How cool is that?

Hat Creek Station was an old stagecoach stop on the Oregon-California and Nobles Trail routes. This tiny settlement has a bloody history; forcing a route through here created conflict with the Indians and there was enough bloodshed to require the establishment of a military post out of Fort Crook.

The station was abandoned in 1861, thus becoming the “Old Station.” A handful of businesses and houses seem to be all that remain.

With my history itch scratched, we drove alongside the startling Hat Creek Rim (my pictures didn’t come out, alas) to where route 44 split off from route 89. We crawled up a steep and twisty road until we turned off to the Hat Creek Rim vista point (much to the relief of the cars and motorcyclists behind us, I’m sure).

Hat Creek Rim was formed when the Earth’s crust dropped down a thousand feet or so (pesky volcanoes!). You know you’re going up, but you have no sense of the sheer scale until you actually get onto the overlook.

In one direction Mount Lassen rises, magnificent and snow-clad, towering over an ocean of pines. At the base of the mountains lie jumbled piles of old, black lava, and the vista unfolds off into the distance.

Far, far below, highway 89 sweeps toy-sized trucks and cars towards Mount Shasta, a mountain that we could not see that day due to the haze and drizzle of the storm we’d just missed.

Whatever you do, if you’re in the region, do not miss this stop. The view is quite literally jaw-dropping, and the interpretive panels talk about eruptions and pioneers and all sorts of interesting stuff. Besides, it’s fun to press the buttons and listen to the recordings.

When I was finally able to stop gawking, we set off on the road again.

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