Auburn, California--My World

After a hike in Hidden Falls Regional Park, Hubby and I decided to go to nearby Auburn for lunch. Most of the local shopping has moved away from Old Town Auburn leaving it much as it was in Gold Rush days. A nice place for tourists and even locals to wander and stop for a bite to eat.
We had heard the old Tsuda Grocery had been turned into a Deli and that it was quite good. It had been promoted as a New York style deli but except for the Ruben sandwich it was very California and very good. Hubby had the Ruben and I had the Veggie, Yum!

After lunch we stopped in the co-op gallery in the old livery stable. I like to see what the local artists are doing.

I had to get a shot of the old fire station.

Old Town is anchored by the Court House up on the hill.

In May the Amgen bike Tour of California will make a circuit through Old Town Auburn on its way from Nevada City to Sacramento.

After it leaves Auburn it will go up to the Foresthill Road and cross this bridge, the highest in California and the third highest in the country.

She more views of the world at Show Your World, hosted for us each week by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Bishop--My World

Bishop, California, for 15 years it was our home town. The largest town in the Owens Valley and the largest in Inyo county, it has a population of less than 4,000 with little room to grow. Most of the surrounding land is owned by the City of Los Angeles. Most of what LA doesn't own is owned by the federal government or is held by Piute-Shoshone bands. Los Angeles is over 200 miles south and Reno, NV 200 miles north. Few highways cross the Sierra to the west and most of these are closed in winter.
The economy is largely dependant on tourism. With abundant hiking, fishing and rock climbing in the area, the town tries to make itself appealing to tourists. In addition to sprucing up main street the town has had murals painted in several places where there are large exposed walls. These murals depict scenes from the area's past and are some of the nicest I have encountered in my travels. The first one we spotted was over a store entry and commemorates the early railroad. The slim princess is on view at the local railroad museum of Laws.

This one is on the side of a restaurant and depicts the inn which had once been on the site.

Across the street is a large three part mural showing more of the areas history

Father Crowley was priest and friend to the area's residents. In the 1930s he was an advocate for area tourism. The LADWP named a major reservoir in his honor.

This one is the most personally meaningful to me. It shows the area where we lived, at the confluence of Pine Creek and the Owens River. Our children went to school in Round Valley with the children from the mining camp at Rovana. Round Valley and its K-8 school was our world until the boys started high school in Bishop. Then Bishop became our focus.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, Hubby in the Bronx. Who would have thought that the most important years of our lives would have been spent in this small, isolated, rural community.

See more worlds at My World Tuesday, hosted for us each week by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia.

Lodi Shadows

On our way to visit the sandhill cranes we passed through Lodi. The area around Lodi is one of many wine producing areas of California though certainly not the best known. I found its historic downtown to be quite charming and well maintained.
At one time most visitors would have approached the town through this arch, one of few remaining mission style arches in California. It is adjacent to the railway depot. In 1907 when the arch was constructed the railroad would have been the main source of transportation. I wish I could have had a higher viewpoint to better show the arch's shadow.

It's easy to see the shadows on this building, an adjunct to the refurbished train depot, it seems to be a bus depot.

Shadows from a nearby tree grace this lovely mural commemorating the Tokay Carnival of 1907. The right side advertises the annual Grape Festival now held each year in September.

I think Lodi is worth more time than we gave it but the sandhill cranes were our primary goal this trip.

To see mores interesting shadows visit Hey Harriet.