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| Rotunda |
This is the State of California Capitol Museum. I say museum but it is also the actual Government for the state. Found an entrance and unsure if it was the right way to enter we just blundered through the door. Were met by three security officers and a police officer. They informed us that we were correct. Went through a metal detector. No discrepancies in the groin or buttock areas. They gave us a map and we just walked in. There were guided tours that started at 10am but we just did the self tour. Basically we wandered around wherever we wanted to in the building. Not sure that would happen in England. Saw rooms that were modelled as the would have been over the last 150 years as well as current working rooms.
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| Governor's Office |
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| Rotunda from below |
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| Stairs |
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| Floor of the rotunda |
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| I'll be back |
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| I won't |
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| Assembly Chambers |
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| Statue of Big Ronnie |
Went to the shop. Ann had a long chat with the woman about England. Bought a magnet. Went back out into the growing heat of the day and walked back to the hotel. Ann checked out online. We went and got our stuff from the room and went to the car. Drove out the car park, used the door key one final time to exit out the gate and dumped them in the box of keys as you leave.
Drove to Sutter's Fort as it was on the way out. Ann went to go and get a magnet from the shop. I drove a lap around the block. She got back in the car. No luck, the shop is in the part which is having work done so is not open. Set the satnav and got the hell out of Sacramento.
Headed south on the 99. It was busy to start with but as we got further away from the city it started to calm down. Cut eastwards and the temperature began to climb. Hit 103 as we neared our lunch destination. Shouted at Siri a lot as it couldn't understand the simplest music requests.
Stopped in San Andreas at the hilariously named
Patio Drive In. I had a grilled cheese and fries. Ann had something.
Got back in the car and headed a few miles south. Stopped at the
angels camp museum. Went in. Got asked by a chap in there (presumably the owner) where in the UK we were from. Ann said Suffolk and then started her description of where Suffolk is with Cornwall. He asked if we knew Virginia Water. We said yes. He said he owns a house there. Must have a couple of quid. He asked if we had come because we'd seen the advert in National Geographic magazine. We said no. He said he had advertised in it in the UK. He asked how we found out about the museum. I said I looked on Google maps as we were driving this way and wanted something to do. Later I said to Ann should we tell him that nobody in the UK reads National Geographic magazine?
Were told that the museum was over three sections over the site. It was suggested to us that we start at the mining and farming barn which was the furthest part away as it has no aircon and will be at the temperature of outside. We followed the advice. Ann made me drive down to it as she didn't want to walk. Went in. It was warm but had some industrial size fans which made it bearable.
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| Tractor |
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| Loom or something |
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| Printing machinery |
Next I was made to drive to site two which was five yards back up the hill. It was a section on carriages and wagons. At this point I think we were the only ones in the museum. There was a man from the museum called Tom in there. He decided he would give us a guided tour of the place. He spent hours telling us about the carriages and wagons. Also he kept telling us about other people who had been to the museum and he had shown around and their reaction to each story which therefore made the original story even longer. He also ran a quiz of things that are obvious and was amazed when Ann kept getting the answer right. He told us about a place near New Zealand called Tonga and another called Samoa where guests had come from and had we heard of them. There was also a little bit of casual racism in there too.
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| Waterwheel |
Next drove up to the final top part of the museum. Not much there except a lot about the frog jumping championships which are held in the town each year. Sounds like a barrel of fun. Bought a magnet and then headed for our accommodation. Stopped to get some supplies on the way as it is self catering. Arrived at the Motherlode Miners Cabin just outside of Jamestown. Unloaded. Read the advice about if you hear a rattle it will be a snake so probably best to move away. Annoyed Ann by making rattling noises.
Sat around for a bit. We had planned to have scrambled eggs on toast for tea as all the online reviews of the place bang on about the owner leaving eggs in the cabin from their chickens and how nice they are. As you can imagine that meant we were left no eggs. That meant we then had to go out again to get something else.
Saw Mule deer as we left the drive. Drove to Walmart at Sonora and got some more stuff. As we left a employee on the door held his hand out. I just looked at him wondering what he wanted. He stared back and went 'Receipt?!'. Presumably I was meant to know that he wanted the receipt. He took it and then underlined the date and gave it back and we walked out. We discussed what the hell had just happened as we walked back to the car. The only thing we could think of is that people in Sonora must buy stuff, get a receipt and then go back and get the same stuff again and then walk out using the same receipt.
Drove back to the cabin. Saw Mule deer on the drive again.
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| Calm down Deer |
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| View from the deck |
Ate dinner and then had some ice cream. Two new Ben and Jerry's flavours, Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch and Vanilla Caramel Fudge. Very nice.
Put a wash on as we are staying here for two nights so we'll have time to dry it. Cabin is now about the right temperature. The aircon is having to work super hard to cool the old place with its tin roof. Hopefully it won't get too hot in the night.
States visited - 4
Mule deer watch - high
Rattlesnake watch - low
