Donner Party Memorial – CA

On my way out of California this past Tuesday, I stopped at the Donner Party Memorial State Park in Truckee CA.  I has been over 20 years since I was here so I decided to stop again.  Because it was still early morning, the Visitors Center was not open yet, but I did spend some time walking around the monument and took a stroll down the trail to one of the cabin sites.  If you have never read the book Desperate Passage: The Donner Party’s Perilous Journey West, do so, it is very good.  I can remember reading it before I was ever stationed in California, or knew there was a memorial.  Now, standing in front of the monument, and realizing the snow that winter was over 22 feet deep, it is a miracle that any one survived.  Knowing that some of the survivors were mere children goes to show the inner strength that people possess in difficult times.  Another one of my favorite places in Northern California and I’m glad I had the opportunity to stop.