Sorry for the delay in posting; it’s been one of those days! This episode of California’s Gold first aired in 1999. This bit of California history is special to me because my dad grew up in Richmond, California, and I had relatives who worked in the Kaiser Ship Yards, playing their part in the tremendous ship-building effort of the 1940s. […]
I didn’t spend anywhere near enough time in the town of Upper Lake on my recent trip to Lake County, and I wish I had managed to shoot more pictures. It was my first outing of the day, and I was still undecided exactly where I wanted to go and what to see. But in between making a quick survey […]
On my recent trip to Clear Lake, I finally had the chance to pull over to the side of the road and shoot some California historical monuments and other markers of the sort that I normally miss. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught a quick glimpse of a “Site of Historical Interest” sign as we flew past […]
As I drove east through the hills along Highway 20, heading home from Clear Lake, I wasn’t especially looking forward to the Interstate 5 leg of my trip. I had traveled that way so many times before; and even though that route would most likely have me home in less than 90 minutes, the scenery wasn’t very interesting. So as […]
Last Monday, I wrote about climbing up the trail at Mt Konocti; but of course that was only half the story. As I limped my way up the road (at an elevation of roughly 3500 feet) toward Mary Downen’s cabin, I was marveling at the view through the old orchard and down into the valley below. I happened to turn […]
I hiked up Mt Konocti alone, and I’ll admit there were a few moments when I wondered if I’d made a big mistake. It wasn’t that the trail was rough — but the climb was unrelenting, and I had to stop several times just to get my breath back. And then there was the pain in my left knee; it […]
In my brief visit to Rodman Slough County Park, I found only one fairly short trail, but it was a beautiful hike — and I had it all to myself. I started near the shore and climbed a series of switchbacks up to a ridge, which then took me down through the trees and back to the parking lot. I […]
It’s not every day that I get a chance to climb an honest-to-goodness mountain, and Mt Konocti had been beckoning to me for quite a long time. Once I learned about the Canyon oak grove and the ruins of an abandoned cabin along the trail, I was hooked. I had no idea of the amazing story behind this lonely cabin […]
… but I’m not really complaining!