Outdoors with Don Q: Make plans for the last big outdoor weekend of the summer

This is a reminder that the big Labor Day Weekend, Friday, August 29 through Monday Sept. 1, is coming up. The weather forecast is promising, and for countless folks in this general area, it will be their last big outdoor adventure of 2014.

Be advised that no matter where you go, unless it is to some God-forsaken location in the middle of nowhere, you can expect to encounter big crowds of people also wanting to enjoy an outdoor outing for the holiday.
So, be prepared for lots of company wherever you go or whatever you do.

With that said, here are some annual Don Q suggestions on where to go, ranging from just staying home to traveling to nearby Northern California. Pick one and then enjoy long weekend.

Stay home and be safe and sound:
This could be the best suggestion, because of worries about being laid off at work, businesses closing, the cost of gasoline, big crowds, the drought, etc.
Just stay home and have a nice, quiet barbecue in the backyard with family members, relatives, neighbors or close friends, where you can enjoy visiting with one another, conversations, story telling, laughter, etc.
If you do stay home, consider this backyard Labor Day menu:
Barbecued hamburgers with a choice of cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, catsup, mustard, mayonnaise; dill pickles, potato chips; ear corn smeared with butter; and either potato or macaroni salad.
Then for dessert, how about shortcake, sliced fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries and a big gob of whipped cream. Yum! Yum!

Davis Creek Park:
If you don’t want to travel very far, drive to Washoe County’s Davis Creek Regional Park, just north of Bowers Mansion in nearby Washoe Valley.
At that park, you have a choice of day picnicking, hiking or horseback riding in the nearby mountains, camping, group camping, horseshoe pits, etc.
If you camp, the campground offers 62 camping spots, including 19 pull-through trailer sites (with no hook-ups) on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Best of all, this campground is one of a very few in our general area that offers hot showers. Hot showers! Not too shabby for “roughing it."
And, if there is any reason to terminate your trip away from home, you can quickly return to Carson because of the short distance.
For information, call the Park Ranger at 849-0684.

Topaz Lake:
Topaz Lake, which is next to U.S. 395, about 40 miles south of Carson City, offers lots of choices for having a holiday weekend of fun.
At that lake, you will find a Douglas County campground, the Topaz Lodge and Casino, an RV park, a general store and a gas station.
Even thought the boat ramps are closed due to low water levels, there is fishing for trout and even bass.
And, as a bonus for traveling to Topaz Lake, stop at the Topaz Lodge restaurant for their (in-my-less-than-humble-opinion) "Best-In-The-World" steak and eggs for only $5.95 every day.
For information, call the Topaz Lodge at (775) 266-3338.

Alpine County, California:
Take a combination of U.S. 395, Nevada S.R. 88 and California S.R. 88, south from Carson City.
That combination of highways will take you to Alpine County to all kinds of neat places like: Woodfords, Markleeville, Grover Hot Springs, Carson River Resort, Sorensen’s Resort, Caples Lake Resort, Kirkwood Resort, etc.
You can fish at places like Upper and Lower Blue Lakes, Caples Lake, East Carson River, West Carson River, Indian Creek Reservoir, Red Lake, Tamarack Lake, Upper Sunset Lake, Lower Sunset Lake, etc.
If you like to camp, there are all kinds of campgrounds and resorts, pick one and enjoy the holiday weekend in the beauty of Alpine County.
If you plan to camp in that general area, here is a special hint: The BLM Campground at Indian Creek Reservoir has hot showers.
For Alpine County information, call the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce in Markleeville at (530) 694-2475.

Davis Lake, California:
From Carson City, take the combination of U.S. 395 & I-580 to Reno, and then U.S.395 north to the Hallelujah Junction with California S.R. 70.
At that junction, take S.R. 70 west to Vinton and Beckwourth and finally to a junction with Grizzly Road.
Turn onto Grizzly Road and travel about five miles to Davis Lake.
The trip to Davis Lake is about a 1.5 hour drive from Carson City.
Davis Lake offers camping at a number of U.S.F.S. campgrounds, boat ramps and fishing from shore, float tubes or boats for rainbow trout.
If you forget to bring something or would like to eat out, visit the J & J Grizzly Store's Frosty on the south end of the lake.
My favorite lunch there is a cheeseburger with French fries and a soda pop, followed by chocolate ice cream.
For information, call the J & J Grizzly Store at (530) 832-0270.

Frenchman Reservoir, California:
It is reached by a paved road from Chilcoot, which is on S.R. 70, between Hallelujah Junction and Portola.
The reservoir has both good shore and boat fishing for rainbow trout.
The area near the dam is popular with both shore and boat fishermen.
If you would like to fish at Frenchman, be sure to stop at Wiggins’ Trading Post in Chilcoot for the latest tips on where to go and what to use. As a bonus, try their homemade fudge.
You might also want to buy some of their meats and cheeses.
Our favorite purchases are sliced Italian salami, Swiss cheese, country sausage, Italian sausage and hotdogs.
For information, call Wiggin’s Trading Post at (530) 993-4683.

Finally:
No matter what you do, who you do it with or where you go, have a fun-filled Labor Day weekend to end your summer. Here are some suggestions for making it a better weekend:

If you stay home, try not to be too noisy for the next door neighbors.
If you camp in a campground, try not to be too noisy for the neighbors.
If you travel, drive safely, drive courteous and be a defensive driver.
If you drink, don’t drive, don’t drive, don’t drive.
Save the drinking for when you arrive at your destination. Don’t be a DUI.
Have a happy and safe Labor Day Holiday!

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon he can’t tell you where we will be for the holiday.
If he grins and says, “Don and Elaine will be staying home, avoiding the heavy holiday traffic on the highways," he could be one of the folks invited to enjoy a tasty barbecue in their backyard.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. Don's wife, Elaine, is the Outdoor photographer. They live in Carson City and can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com.