Day Seventeen

For probably the first time this trip we didn't need to be up for any reason. No flight to catch, booking to be at, check out to beat or breakfast to find, so made the most of it. Ate breakfast sat at the table in the cabin and eventually got ready to go out after 11am.

First stop today was Columbia SHP (ca.gov). Basically a preserved gold rush town. We started by paying for the opportunity to pan for gold. There were choices, for example you could hire a pan and have a go or pay more for a lesson and have your first pan dirt guarantee you gold. We went for the latter. Was given a pan which already contained dirt and presumably gold and a small plastic container for storing your gold. Got told that the bloke outside would teach us how to do it. Went out. He took our pans and then used them to show us how to find gold. That meant we then couldn't find it as he had already done so. We then got to have a go on dirt which presumably didn't have gold in it. Spent some time doing this until we got too hot and bored finding no gold. There were plenty of gemstones of one kind or another but no gold. Here is Ann finding no gold.

Wandered up the main street having a look around. Ann bought a sarsaparilla. Looked in museum. Bought a magnet. Took the odd photo.

Building

Stage Coach

Stage office

Realising it was getting on we went back to the car and drove to the next stop. Railtown 1897 SHP. This was another state park but this one is a preserved railroad. We started out by getting an ice cream as we were hot and hadn't had lunch. Bought a magnet as well. We then wandered around. Unfortunately trains only run on the weekends so we couldn't take a ride. Didn't realise this when we initially planned the route of our trip. The reason we wanted to come to this place is that it has been used an awful lot in films and TV shows, most notably as far as we are concerned in Back to the Future III. Had a look around the place and did get to see the actual engine that pushed the DeLorean up to 88mph.

Station

Turntable and shed

The train from Back to the Future III

Car converted to train

Saw all there was to see. In truth it was actually not that good. Very unAmerican in terms of the quality of the place. 

Headed to get gas as we were running low and we'll need lots tomorrow. Then headed back to the cabin. Had a relatively early dinner as we hadn't had lunch. This means Ann is very much awake as I write this at 7.38pm. Planning an early night as we are back to getting up early tomorrow so we can get packed and out by 6.30am.

States visited - 4

Gold found - 0

Day Sixteen

Less noise in the hotel last night. Much better sleep. Got up and went to Starbucks to buy breakfast. Sat outside in the small garden at the front of the hotel to eat. We didn't have to check out until 11am so we did our final activity in Sacramento on foot as it was opposite the hotel.

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.

Governor's Office

Rotunda from below

Stairs

Floor of the rotunda

I'll be back

I won't

Assembly Chambers

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.

Tractor

Loom or something

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.

Fire engine

Wagon

Hearse

The Stage

All different types of horseshoe

Eventually we managed to get away. I needed to use the toilet which was situated back at mining and farm section. I walked back down the five yards. Stopped on my way back up to take a photo.

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.

Calm down Deer

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

Day Fifteen

Had a bit of a sleep in. There was quite a lot of noise in the hotel during the night. Went to Starbucks under the hotel for breakfast. Brought it back to the room to eat.

Eventually headed about around half past ten. Drove down towards Old Sacramento. Parked up a little bit short of it as it was free parking outside the old part of town as opposed to being charged in it. Headed to the californiarailroad.museum in the already very warm day.

Went in and learnt about Sacramento's first railroad and then how the person behind that was then involved in completing the first trans continental railroad across the USA. Also lots about his wife who supported him and was involved in documenting stuff via paintings and pressings for when they took the idea to congress for backing. There was lots of information about the difficulties building the railroad and the conditions for the workers especially the ten thousand Chinese migrants who worked for the company. 

It was quite warm in the museum and it turns out the air con had stopped overnight and now was struggling to cool the whole building down from scratch.

Took a fair few pictures of trains and stuff.

Surveyors camp

First train in Sacramento

Depiction of Chinese workers

Red diesel

Ann for scale

A few model trains

Once we had seen it all we bought a magnet and moved out into the intense heat of the day. It was now over 100F so we tried out best to stay in the shade. Wandered around the old town. Was a bit disappointed because a lot of the buildings were empty or for let. Ended up going in here to cool down and get some refreshment. Frankies Pizza Old Sac. It was ok but not the best. Main thing was we got free refills on our drinks and we were thirsty.

Went back out into the furnace. Ann said she wanted an ice cream so we went to sacsweets.com.

Cones

Stood in the shop eating it under the air conditioner for a while before going back out in the sauna. Wandered a bit more in the old town and took some photos.

Old Railroad Yard

Steamer

Sign

Old Town

Headed back to the black metal oven or car as its known. Used the feature on the keys that lets you start the engine and air con as you are walking towards it. Drove the short distance to the California Automobile Museum. It didn't look that busy and we weren't sure what it would be like as it wasn't in the nicest of areas but inside it was very good except no air con. Luckily it wasn't as warm as the railroad museum. There were lots of volunteers inside eager to talk cars with the punters. As it was quite empty and we were some of the only punters they kept wanting to talk to us. Heard the same things repeatedly. We wanted to wander fairly quickly around and take some snaps and then move on but kept getting stopped and talked at. We were typically British, very polite whilst at the same time thinking please leave us alone. Anyway here is a plethora of car action for your delight.

Big Silver Car

Big Light Blue Car

Jeep

Marilyn Monroe's Car

Pontiac Firebird

$1.5million worth of car

Linda Ronstadt's Porsche

The car John Dillinger stole when escaping from jail

Long black car

Lambo

Bought a magnet from the shop and headed out into the afternoon kiln. Started the aircon from a distance again. By now it was 4.40pm. We wanted to try and get to one other place but it was shutting at 5pm. Set the satnav for Sutter's Fort SHP and drove there. Initially we thought it was shut as the big gates were closed but we drove a circuit around the block and found a smaller entrance open. Did another circuit to get back to the best place to park. Got out and hustled in. They told us it was shutting in four minutes, we said we know, we just want a quick look. It is currently free entry as there is building work going on hence why we didn't mind only seeing it very quickly. Sutter's Fort was the first European settlement in central California. It is named after the guy who founded it, his name was John Sutter. Makes sense. Took an obligatory photo or two.

Big gate and guns

Stuff

Camp mock up

Couldn't see any magnets so headed back to the hotel. Sat in the room with the aircon on for a while just cooling down. Decided to head out for dinner at Mel's Diner as we had done the night before. This was because we couldn't be bothered to find anywhere else. Discussed, as we have on previous trips, the issue of homelessness in American cities. We have seen tent cities in Anchorage, Honolulu and Sacramento on a scale you just don't see in the UK. We are still debating whether that is because we hide it better or more is done to help people back home. 

On the way back we tried to find some of the large murals that are dotted around the city as Ann wanted to photograph them.

Johnny Cash

Got back and made sure the aircon was still on full blast. Just heard what I hope was fireworks but could also have been automatic gunfire. Just found out that Sutter's Fort has a shop but it closes at 4.30pm hence we couldn't see it. They do a nice magnet. Might have to try and get one before we leave Sac tomorrow.

Ann now asleep.

States visited - 4

Car watch - high

Train watch - high