Our Temporary Town: Weed, California

Before arriving to Northern California neither Brad or I knew Weed existed on a map. A quick google search sparked endless excitement for all the outdoor exploring, hiking and fun to be had in the areas surrounding this small town. We were also thrilled to get to know Mount Shasta, a potentially active volcano that peaks at an elevation of 14,179 feet and in view all over from the College of the Siskiyous track to walking out of Ray’s grocery store to pumping gas at the Pilot truck stop. 

Weed is an easy exit off the I-5, which runs up and down the west coast, and a popular stop for truckers and road travelers. Also known as "Windy Weed" by the locals, it was initially driven by a lumber mill because the strong winds that drove Brad and I insane for 6 months were helpful in drying lumber. During my time working in the area I even met a few patients employed there decades ago! This town once fueled by logging now relies mostly on tourism for survival and it’s not uncommon to see dozens of RVers or van-lifers passing through daily on South Weed Boulevard. The area has survived devastation by a wildfire in 2014 and has some of the freshest water you’ll ever drink from the spring - seriously, we didn’t put our filtration system on our hose to the RV because of how pure the water tastes! This town is something special and the people who live here are no exception. Kind, determined, independent and welcoming.

We’ve been doing this camper gig while I work as a travel speech therapist for over 19 months now and each place we live in temporarily steals a little piece of our heart and soul in the best kind of way. Weed is no different and during the last two weeks of driving to work and mentally preparing to leave I realized there are a lot of little details I’d like to remember about this town and every place we "live". I wish I would’ve done it in previous locations but there’s no better time to start a new tradition than the present. 

So we drove and walked around town while I photographed bits and pieces that we hope to keep fresh in our minds. Many are buildings or signs we pass regularly, some are places we’ve actually visited and others hold a special meaning that belong to us alone. Either way, with each little town or city we stay in for future assignments I’d like to keep this tradition going of photographing places before we leave and sharing without caption. 

For the remainder of this post I invite you to enjoy a lovely little town in America: Weed, California captured in photos as seen through our eyes. 

"My confession is I fall in love with so many places I’m always half broken-hearted by goodbyes. And I don’t believe in non-attachment. There’s no passion inside of that. I believe in burning, and longing. And I believe we leave tiny pieces of ourselves in every place we’ve loved." - Victoria Erickson