Thanks Carl, Byron & Betty. I like the 395 to Susanville route but since the Sierra got 3 to 5 feet of snow last weekend with another front on the way, it might not be an option for this trip. When we come home from visiting family back east we take I-80 to 395 to Susanville to McCloud and it is a peaceful drive through the forest...in autumn, not winter. We do live and play in CA and, like the rest of the country, our roads are in bad shape but better than we experienced from MN to MA. Guess we'll stick with the devil we know and take I-5.
"Firststring" is a word play on our name - no orchestra here, but I was first chair clarinet in junior high - haha. Now I need to go figure out how to complete my profile on the forum.
Again, thanks for your recommendations.