Nature

There is something peaceful about being outdoors. This past summer, my family and I went to a very small town outside of Truckee called Sierra City. My dad and brother go to Sierra City every year because they love the outdoors. This year they wanted to treat me to their tradition before I went off to college. Sierra City consisted of three hotels, two restaurants, and one market. When we first drove through Sierra City on the winding, dirt path, I felt isolated. We were staying here for four days. Four days was too long of a time to go without cell phone service, Internet, and people, seeing as Sierra City has a population of approximately forty people. From first sight, I thought I’d rather be in Tahoe. However as the days rolled by, I found peace in this small, quaint town. The minute I stepped outside the hotel room, I was overlooking the flowing creek below, surrounded by trees and plants. It felt like a movie or a dream, and as if it wasn’t real. I never would’ve guessed such beauty existed here. The Buttes and mountains towered over everything. It was so quiet that a squirrel could be heard fifty feet away. At nighttime we could hear the creek trickling. After a few days in Sierra City, my brother and I had been staring at a small waterfall carved into a cliff, and we decided we wanted to see it up-close. So we hiked down to the creek, across the water, and finally we made it to the waterfall. Once we were there we were completely mesmerized by its beauty. The scene was straight out of one’s imagination. My brother and I climbed halfway up the waterfall and stuck our heads into the downpour just to see what it would be like. It was a moment I will never forget. My trip to Sierra City put me at ease, despite my first impression of the town. I would love to return with my family next summer again.