The Peña Adobe in Vacaville is another one of those sites I’ve passed by on hundreds of occasions, wishing to stop but never finding the time to do so. Well, I finally got there! This historic adobe, built in 1842 by one of the first European families to live in the area, sits right beside Interstate 80 and yet exists […]
Although it runs the length of California’s coast, once north of San Francisco State Route 1 becomes a scenic two-lane roadway that dips and climbs as it snakes its way across rivers (like the Russian, the Gualala, the Navarro, and the Noyo) and through a lot of small towns, one of which is Point Arena, population 473. It’s all too […]
I only caught a glimpse of this spot as we passed by, heading east on Highway 50 — but I knew immediately that I had to go back to try to capture it with my camera. A bend in the South Fork of the American River, a small bridge, and a cluster of log cabins in the shade of towering […]
There are just so many details to examine all over the grounds of the Empire Mine State Historic Park that I’m sure I didn’t see them all during my trip in April. I still have a keen desire to go back and spend more time exploring — and revisiting bits that I missed or that I didn’t capture properly with […]
A foggy morning along Highway 1 in Sonoma County.
It’s been more than a decade since my last visit to the Empire Mine State Park in Grass Valley, so last Wednesday I returned to see how much exploring I could fit into roughly four hours. I was originally planning to stay only two hours, but the time flew by so quickly! Even though the interior of the buildings was […]
I’ve visited Anderson Marsh State Historic Park a few times now, usually during our springtime visits to Clear Lake. The park is located just off Highway 53 near the city of Clearlake. The old farmhouse was once part of a working ranch, and during normal times is often the scene of historic re-enactments and other events. Even though it was […]
There’s a pretty nice entrance into Folsom Lake State Recreation Area at the eastern end of Horseshoe Bar Road (Placer County) — but only if you’re on foot. There’s no parking allowed along the road’s shoulder and no lot for cars. That’s why I had never actually seen this area until the day I hiked the two or so miles […]
This week, I have the last of my slides from the 1950s — family photos featuring relatives from my mom’s side of the family. The photo above shows my Uncle Howard (my mom’s big brother) and his wife, Betty, along with their eldest daughter Joyce. Betty passed away in 2006.