On the lower end of Sutter Street, not far from the Light Rail station, sits a small nondescript house. This tiny building, so easily overlooked, actually holds the key to a rich and fascinating — and mostly forgotten — chapter in Folsom’s history that reaches back to the 1850s gold rush. During the 1880s, Folsom contained a vibrant Chinatown with […]
Because Fort Point is a military museum, of course there are several different types of 19th century artillery on display. I tried to make notes about some of them, but mostly I just marveled at their size and power.
Here’s another great episode of California’s Gold that I can’t believe I haven’t shared already. The Japanese Tea Garden was one of my favorite places to visit as a kid — although I must admit it was mostly to climb on the Moon Bridge and buy trinkets at the gift shop. It wasn’t until I grew up that I really […]
Three bridges cross this stretch of the American River, connecting Fair Oaks on the north bank and the community of Gold River on the south bank. The westernmost span is Jim’s Bridge (discussed in last week’s post here); just upstream lies the Sunrise Boulevard bridge, built in 1955. The easternmost crossing is the Old Fair Oaks Bridge. This double-span Pennsylvania […]
You might be tempted to think that the Golden Gate Bridge is one of a kind — but you’d be mistaken. I’m actually kind of amazed that I haven’t already shared this episode of California’s Gold… especially since one of the replicas just happens to reside at my alma mater, and I’ve walked across it any number of times! Huell visits […]
Fort Point is considered one of the finest examples of military architecture in the United States and is San Francisco’s only major building constructed before the Civil War which has remained basically unchanged since it was completed and garrisoned in February 1861. Two months later the firing on Fort Sumter, South Carolina…clearly demonstrated that brick and granite fortresses could not withstand the devastating power of the rifled cannon. Fort Point was the last such fortress to be constructed — Fort Point Museum Association plaque
It was October 1996 when I first visited this stretch of the American River with the Big Guy. We rode across a small pedestrian bridge (officially named Jim’s Bridge as of 1989) on our bikes to explore the north bank, looking for promising fishing spots along Sacramento Bar. I had seen this particular bridge many times but had never set […]