Travels with Debbie and Vince: Tulelake, California

We are now in Tulelake, California, our last stop in California. We have been in this state for 10 months, seeing the sights. On our way here from Chester, we encountered our first snow flakes. As we rose from 2,800 to 5,800 feet, the temperature dropped to 32 degrees and the snow blew in. It only stuck on some trees and the ground atop the mountain. We are now at the Tule-Butte Valley Fairgrounds, all alone in a nice park with full hookups for only $18.00 a night, a rare bargain.

Tule Lake is the location of one of the ten WWII Japanese-American interment camps. It is a piece of history most Americans are ashamed of. Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941. Some California politicians, jealous of how the hard working Japanese-Americans were doing so well financially, they convinced Washington that many of those living here were possible Japan sympathizers or spies. So, internment camps were built and 120,00 Japanese-Americans were interned until 1946. This location held nearly 24,000 people in in over 100 wooden barrack style buildings. It was a very demeaning time for loyal American citizens, who had to endure this treatment. We visit the site, which now has only a few old wooden buildings. The barrack style buildings are all gone.