Drought-stricken Berryessa

Can a place be a ghost town without actually being a town?

I found Lake Berryessa to have that creepy vibe. Closed-up businesses along the roadside, dry lake beds, terse-spoken store owner and, oh, those squirrels (more on that one later).

Still, there’s a quiet beauty to this lake that lies in the foothills between Napa Valley and Winters. If you’re looking for some alone time, there’s plenty to be had here. Surrounded by dusty hills, dotted with with oak trees and Gray pines, the lake has been hit hard by the ongoing California drought. Whole sections of the lake are now scrubby meadows.

We first stopped at the Turtle Rock store to grab some drinks and munchies for our afternoon at the lake. Inside was a jaw-dropping sight. Money dangled from the ceiling and walls, and most other surfaces. Ones, fives, even one $50 bill that I saw. I took out my cell phone and snapped a few photos.

“You’re taking a lot of pictures. Did you want something?”

The friendly greeting was from a flat-expressioned woman I guessed to be the owner.

“Snacks,” I responded.

She pointed us in the right direction and we loaded up with overpriced items. My advice here? Definitely stop by to view the inside of this place, but beware the owner.

Next was Smittle Creek, which our hiking guide had called one of the best hikes at Berryessa. On a different day, this could be a beautiful hike. July during a drought isn’t the right time.

It was dry, dusty, barren and hot.

Almost immediately, the brush around us started moving. There were squirrels everywhere, scurrying and staring at us. It wasn’t just me who felt, well, a little outnumbered, and watched.

Steady, I told myself, squirrels aren’t carnivorous.

In any case, there was plenty of traditional squirrel food around.

We saw acorns embedded into pines everywhere. At first, we puzzled over this – every pine tree was riddled with holes that were filled with acorns – but later the mystery was solved. Acorn Woodpeckers are the culprits, drilling the holes and then tucking their treats away for later.

 I doubt I'll return soon to Lake Berryessa, but still, there's no better day for me than being outdoors with my family.