Bill and I have lived in the Reno area for about fifteen
years, but we had never heard of Big Springs Gardens. Of course we had to go as soon as we learned of its
existence. The garden is located
in the Tahoe National Forest near Sierra City, California, a pleasant driving
distance from our home. Bill
powered up the GPS – no need for a map!
I’m so fond of the GPS lady – let’s call her Gypsy – for taking over my
most unwanted role of navigator.
Gypsy can read road signs way in advance, and she never loses her
temper, no matter how many times we ignore her instructions.
Gyspy directed us to Interstate 80, headed west toward
Verdi. This seemed right to me
since I was under the mistaken impression that the garden was near Lake
Tahoe. Then she told us to take
the Verdi exit and go north.
North? The lake is south
and the Hwy 89 turn off is 30 miles away.
No, Bill explained, as he took the exit, we’re headed to Hwy 89 on the
other side of the freeway. I
mentally reviewed the two most likely routes. We could stay on the interstate and take Hwy 89 N at
Truckee, or go back to Reno and take US 395 into Hallelujah Junction and points
west. I looked at the map,
finally, and discovering that there was indeed a road at Verdi, although not a
major road, we opted for the adventurous route.
There is much more to Verdi than you might assume if you
never ventured off the freeway.
It’s not all million-dollar estates like you see along the Truckee
River. There are old homes, new
homes, mobile homes, big homes and miniscule homes. There were several businesses, most of them known to me by
name from my years of processing business license renewals. We passed all these, wondering where we
were headed, as Gypsy assured us that we would reach the garden in an hour and
forty minutes. She always chooses
the shortest route, you know.
At Gypsy’s next direction, we turned onto Dog Valley
Road. Ah, we know this road! We accidentally discovered it many
years ago from the other side of Peavine Mountain. If we stay on Dog Valley Road, we will pass a campground and
a crystal mine, and eventually come out at US 395. And, we remember, it’s a dirt road. Soon enough, the pavement ended and we
began bouncing along at 10 mph.
Now, one thing about Bill is that he doesn’t like
to backtrack. He was
committed to traveling this road even though it would take two hours
to get to Hwy 89. We had packed a
picnic lunch. We were good to
go. 
The road was never really pleasant, but the scenery improved
as we drove deeper into the forest.
We enjoyed several glorious meadows including the one for sale along
with 170 acres and this old outbuilding. The
terrain was surprisingly marshy and green.
Just before noon, we stopped to eat. By the time we reached Hwy 89, 2½ hours into our dirt road,
we had passed 5 cars/trucks, an ATV, numerous cattle and a jogger. Bill says the driver of one truck
glanced over at us and laughed. (Note to self: Next car should be a small 4-wheel drive.)
At long last, we reached the garden. We were greeted by red maples, a
great favorite of ours, in the parking area. A short walk led to the owner’s home overlooking the
beautiful pond. Big Springs Gardens
features a kitchen across the pond from the house. They serve lunch at outdoor seating, and we had been tempted
to eat there. So glad
we opted for a picnic instead – they were setting up for a wedding that
evening, and the kitchen was closed.
Bill took many
pictures of the pond, but the one I’m showing here is by far the best. It has become my new computer
wallpaper.
The property has a natural spring (hence the name!) and two miles of hiking trails. We planned to hike up to the spring,
but my arthritic knee, which hates inclines and unstable surfaces, refused to cooperate. I sent Bill up the trail to get
pictures while I waited by the pond, enjoying the fish. 
Leaving Gypsy in the glove compartment, we headed home via Hallelujah Junction
and were home in about, oh, an hour and forty minutes.
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