Railtown 1897

Railtown 1897 is one of the California State Parks on the closure list.  We want to visit as many of the parks on the list as possible and since we love trains this was a good place to start.

We chose May 21 for our visit because they would be using the recently restored engine #3 for their Saturday excursion.  Currently the park is open daily but the train runs only on Saturday and Sunday for a six mile round trip.

We arrived early so that we could see them back the engine onto the turntable.  Steam from the locomotive is used to operate the turntable.

After fueling it's backed up to the old water tank.  This is the same water tank seen in the TV show "Petticoat Junction"

Although it is a state park, all of this work is done by volunteers.

This little car follows the train down the track to check for fires.  I couldn't help but wonder what was done in the days when all railroads were operated by steam.  I suspect that a lot of fires went undetected until the next train came along.

A visit to Railtown is a like a step back in time.  Volunteers in period dress add to the ambiance.

The state hopes to find partners to take over the parks it will close. Considering the amount of work already done by volunteers and the economic value to the town of Jamestown, I think it likely that this park will continue to operate.

Sky Above James Marshall

James Marshall discovered gold at the site of a lumber mill he was building on the American River for John Sutter in 1848.

Marshall never profited from his discovery and died penniless. A monument stands above his grave on a hill in Coloma. His statue points to the spot where he discovered gold, starting the great California Gold Rush.
The site is now a California State Park.


Your can see more skies from around the world at Sky Watch Friday, hosted for us by
Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Daffodil Hill--My World

Since it is March, I thought I'd dig into my archives and show you some pictures of Daffodil Hill.

This is a non-commercial spot in Amador county that is only open for a few weeks in the spring.

The family that owns the property has been planting daffodils for generations and when 25% of the bulbs are up and blooming they open it to the public until the blooms are mostly faded.
Not real big or fancy it has an old fashioned charm, especially for the photographer.

Pea fowl roam the grounds.

Red bud and fruit trees bloom.

Bulbs are planted in cast off containers.

Rusty old equipment adds to the charm.

See more sights of the world at My World Tuesday, hosted for us each week by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Amador Wine Country--My World

I mentioned before that each of the Amador Wineries has its own character. Let me show you what I mean.

I showed you the metal sculpture at Story Winery but I find this wall intriguing as well. The acorn woodpeckers have stored their acorns in the siding.
I think I mentioned that it is a great place to picnic.
Driven is a new winery. It doesn't have the fancy building or gift shop that some do. It does have a wonderful view. I didn't capture it here but if I had moved a bit I could have captured a peek at a Sierra peak.
And of course, there are the cars. I played a little with the HDR on these.

The tasting room at Dobra is cut into the hill like a wine cellar. The winemaker is quite a character and his Jack Russel terriers will chase a ball until they drop.

You can take you tasting or a picnic out into the garden.

Like all of the wineries in Plymouth, Deaver has a lovely setting. We like the wine and the folks who run the tasting room.

I pondered a bit as to whether or not to name the wineries. It is not my intention to be a commercial site. It is my intention to show you places I enjoy, to give you ideas for places you might enjoy visiting.

See more interesting places in the world at My World Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Shadows in the Graveyard of Old Trucks

To see more shadows vistit Hey Harriet, hosted for us by Tracey.

Wine Country Sky Shots

Did you think I meant Napa? No, this is

Gold Country/Wine Country.

We had blue skies and a few high clouds this week when we visited.

Several areas in the Sierra foothills have vineyards and wineries and recently

we went to some in Plymouth, Amador County, California.
Whose that peeking at us from behind the tree.
Mama Giraffe and her little one.

Each of the wineries has a distinctive character. We like this one for its great views and metal sculptures for sale. We bring a picnic and eat under the oaks while looking out at the hills and vineyards.

It makes a nice outing even if you don't drink wine. Many have nice gift shops and lovely grounds.

If you do like to taste, most of the wineries here don't charge a tasting fee as wineries do in the more popular regions and the wine here is quite good.

You can find more amazing skies at Sky Watch Friday, hosted for us each week by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Hidden Falls Regional Park

My Watery Wednesday contribution this week is Hidden Falls in Hidden Falls Regional Park near Auburn, California. That's my only watery shot, the rest of the post shows some of the other sights in this park.

Mid winter usually is the end of our fog and low clouds. Unless there is a storm we can expect high clouds and blue skies.
Blogger is being difficult and this shot won't enlarge so you will have to take my word for it, there is a coyote on the hill below the oak which is standing alone on the ridge.

It seemed to have injured its hind leg and was limping.

Bright red berries adorned the native Toyon.

Recent rain and fog cause the moss to swell to a beautiful emerald green.

I love the smooth red bark of the Manzanita.

I'd never seen this bright orange fungus before.

I don't know what caused the interesting pattern on this stump, maybe another fungus. There was quit a variety growing here, the others were not as attractive.

Find more water sites at Watery Wednesday, hosted for us by 2sweetnsaxy

Gold Country Halloween

Last week I showed you Bodie, a gold rush ghost town in the Eastern Sierra. This is Columbia State Historic Park, a gold rush town on the western side of the Sierra that has been preserved much as it was in the late 1800's.
Cars are kept off the streets and merchants sell food and items of interest to tourists.

Some of the buildings have exhibits to show life as it was. This had been a saloon and bowling alley. Other exhibits include the jail and firehouse. There is a working blacksmith shop.

What we enjoyed the most was the parade. It was Halloween and the local elementary school was across the street. We noticed that a lot of people who seemed to be locals were lining up on the street and soon we saw why. They brought all the kids in their costumes to parade down the main street.

Our next stop was Sonora. This is a living town that dates back to the gold rush. It is one of the larger towns in the Gold Country serving a larger rural populace. While other parts of town are quite modern they have preserved the old Main Street.

We were treated to another parade of costumed children. Here the merchants had treats for the kids. They said that since many children in the area lived in isolated homes it was safer for them to come to town and do there trick-or-treating on Main street during the afternoon. Some may not be familiar with the Halloween tradition of children dressing in constume and going door to door asking for treats.

It turned out to be a great day for people watching.

See other worlds here.