Spring Break in Gold Country
March 2018
March 2018
| Indian Grinding Rock State Park has the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America! Back to Road Trips Back to Tarol's Homepage |
We spent my son's spring break camping at New Melones Reservoir near
Sonora. On the way there we visited a cool spot near Zamora north of
Sacramento where there is a big "Snort". Unclear on what that is? Then
you must read the classic children's book "Are you my Mother?" by P.D.
Eastmann! Next up was Railtown 1872 State Historic Park and Columbia
State Historic Park (our second visits). We also went to Calaveras Big
Trees State Park, which I have been to before but T had not. Mercer
Caverns, the Angel's Camp Museum and Indian Grinding Rock State Park
rounded off the week, and it was our first time visiting these spectacular
locations!
Sonora. On the way there we visited a cool spot near Zamora north of
Sacramento where there is a big "Snort". Unclear on what that is? Then
you must read the classic children's book "Are you my Mother?" by P.D.
Eastmann! Next up was Railtown 1872 State Historic Park and Columbia
State Historic Park (our second visits). We also went to Calaveras Big
Trees State Park, which I have been to before but T had not. Mercer
Caverns, the Angel's Camp Museum and Indian Grinding Rock State Park
rounded off the week, and it was our first time visiting these spectacular
locations!
| This is the last operating roundhouse left in North America |
| This is the caboose that was in Back to the Future 3 |
| It rained a lot the day and night before our train ride |
| At Columbia we panned for gold, went bowling, had lunch at the saloon and visited the old brick schoolhouse on top of the hill! |
| Rare aragonite crystals deep within Mercer Caverns |
| The Angel's Camp Museum is simply awesome for kids who like to do activities - you can build a wagon wheel, play old time games like chess and tic tac toe, play with letter stamps emulating a printing press, etc. |
| The sidewalks of Angel's Camp have bronze plaques for the winning jumping frog each year. Unsure of the reference? Another must read! "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain. Many of the frogs have very clever names :) |
| Calaveras Big Trees State Park contains two beautiful giant sequoia groves. We took the easy walk through the North Grove. We saw where the infamous "drive through" giant sequoia, the Pioneer Cabin Tree, fell down :( We also ran into an old boss of mine! Mary Anne from Sequoia National Park has retired from her NPS job and now volunteers at the visitor center at Calaveras! |
