Sonora California March 17-April 2, 2017
March 17, 2017: Arrival in Sacramento
First you have to get there and this time it was not easy. Snow on the east coast meant everyone had to rebook. AlteCocker finally got a flight out on March 17, about 1 1/2 days after originally planned. Never fear, the people on the other end also had problems. We both ended up booking into the same crummy Super 8 near the airport--or at least it advertised it was near the airport. Neither of us would stay there again. Yuckaroo! It was in bad need of a redo, was not really near the airport and do not even ask about the airport transport. The guy in the run down van did not even assist me with my bag. He then proceeded to take AlteCocker to the wrong hotel. He did not get a tip and AlteCocker is a very good tipper, but this was, well, beyond the pale.
AlteCocker's home exchange partners were also at the same hotel to make the car handoff easy in the morning. Since there was hourly transport to the airport, her partners decided to take that. There is only one airport in Sacramento, so AlteCocker presumes that her home exchange partners arrived at the correct airport because they did get to her house!
After the car handoff was accomplished, AlteCocker drove to Sutter's Fort, which is in Sacramento. This is to be distinguished from Sutter's Mill (where gold was actually discovered). The Mill is north of Sacramento and AlteCocker was going South to Sonora, so she did not go there. Sutter's Fort is very interesting but AlteCocker did have to thread her way through masses of school children who picked the same day to have school outings. Since most of the kids spent a nanosecond at every attraction, they did not provide anything but an annoying momentary impediment. The Fort is largely a reconstruction. It's usage as a rest stop for emigrants from "The States" is explained. There is a film and lots of recordings in the various rooms. AlteCocker could have spent more than the 1 1/2 hours she was there but it was time to hit the road for the long drive to Sonora (a disadvantage when home exchange places are not in main cities).
A stop was made at a Mexican Restaurant, El Torero for lunch (very good food), and then at the Angel Camp Museum in, duh, Angel Camp. The Museum is huge and is in bad need of a millionaire donor (any out there?) to fund a huge new building for it. It has an enormous collection of horse drawn carriages and also preindustrial tools. It must be a fascinating place for school groups, but, thankfully, none were there when AlteCocker visited because it was later in the day. It was another museum worth more time than AlteCocker had to give it, but she was dragging and wanted to finally get to the house. Please note that Angel Camp is in Calaveras County. If it doesn't sound familiar, it should. Think Mark Twain and the "Jumping Frog". Yes, that Calaveras. They even have a jumping frog competition in May. Every place has to maximize its tourist potential. AlteCocker will be long gone for that one.
She did and crashed.
AlteCocker's home exchange partners were also at the same hotel to make the car handoff easy in the morning. Since there was hourly transport to the airport, her partners decided to take that. There is only one airport in Sacramento, so AlteCocker presumes that her home exchange partners arrived at the correct airport because they did get to her house!
After the car handoff was accomplished, AlteCocker drove to Sutter's Fort, which is in Sacramento. This is to be distinguished from Sutter's Mill (where gold was actually discovered). The Mill is north of Sacramento and AlteCocker was going South to Sonora, so she did not go there. Sutter's Fort is very interesting but AlteCocker did have to thread her way through masses of school children who picked the same day to have school outings. Since most of the kids spent a nanosecond at every attraction, they did not provide anything but an annoying momentary impediment. The Fort is largely a reconstruction. It's usage as a rest stop for emigrants from "The States" is explained. There is a film and lots of recordings in the various rooms. AlteCocker could have spent more than the 1 1/2 hours she was there but it was time to hit the road for the long drive to Sonora (a disadvantage when home exchange places are not in main cities).
A stop was made at a Mexican Restaurant, El Torero for lunch (very good food), and then at the Angel Camp Museum in, duh, Angel Camp. The Museum is huge and is in bad need of a millionaire donor (any out there?) to fund a huge new building for it. It has an enormous collection of horse drawn carriages and also preindustrial tools. It must be a fascinating place for school groups, but, thankfully, none were there when AlteCocker visited because it was later in the day. It was another museum worth more time than AlteCocker had to give it, but she was dragging and wanted to finally get to the house. Please note that Angel Camp is in Calaveras County. If it doesn't sound familiar, it should. Think Mark Twain and the "Jumping Frog". Yes, that Calaveras. They even have a jumping frog competition in May. Every place has to maximize its tourist potential. AlteCocker will be long gone for that one.
She did and crashed.
March 18, 2017: Murphys St. Patrick's Day Parade a Day late
redappleranch.com/parrots-ferry-bridge/ For the first full day in Sonora AlteCocker was tipped off about the St. Patrick's Day parade in the nearby town of Murphys. It was a struggle to get up early on AlteCocker's first day of a vacation and get to Murphys for a parade that was to begin at 11:00am. She was, of course, late and the traffic was monumental. There was a huge back up on the highway and any legal parking had long since been snagged. AlteCocker created her own parking space--meaning she parked illegally. Nothing bad happened.
The Murphys' event is not to be compared to the New York City or Boston hoopla. No doubt that many people in the small town are not Irish and the parade is just an excuse to make a buck for the town off of its name. Even normally in Murphys, a lot of wine is drunk there as it is a hub of wine tasting. That was going on the day of the parade, but beer was doled out freely from the stands along the parade route. Many of the adults had on what only could be described as "outlandish". There was one booth where your hair could be larded with green dye. AlteCocker passed, but she did her share of junk food eating. One gourmet treat she had was a "tip top" sandwich (money going to local preschool) that consisted of barbecue beef (large slices, not shredded) topped with grilled onions and green peppers. It was delicious, but, believe me, AlteCocker did not need it.
After the parade and over eating, AlteCocker joined the parade (pun intended) over to the Ironstone Vineyard where a daffodil festival was in progress. Some were, of course, wine tasting. AlteCocker regrettably had to take a pass on that as she was driving. AlteCocker does not drink and drive--especially when she is driving someone else's Lexus. She did examine the prize winning (and not winning daffodils). There were a lot of varieties she did not recognize but almost all were the usual yellow and/or white color. At least the daffodils in California were in relatively good health. Those in AlteCocker's yard in McLean, Virginia, were frozen in the recent East Coast frost.
At the end of the daffodil viewing, it was time to head for home and a nap. It will take a few days for AlteCocker to settle in. AlteCocker did take the Parrots Farm Road to the bridge over over the Stanislaus River; where there used to be a ferry. No remains of the ferry were visible, but it was a beautiful viewpoint.
The Murphys' event is not to be compared to the New York City or Boston hoopla. No doubt that many people in the small town are not Irish and the parade is just an excuse to make a buck for the town off of its name. Even normally in Murphys, a lot of wine is drunk there as it is a hub of wine tasting. That was going on the day of the parade, but beer was doled out freely from the stands along the parade route. Many of the adults had on what only could be described as "outlandish". There was one booth where your hair could be larded with green dye. AlteCocker passed, but she did her share of junk food eating. One gourmet treat she had was a "tip top" sandwich (money going to local preschool) that consisted of barbecue beef (large slices, not shredded) topped with grilled onions and green peppers. It was delicious, but, believe me, AlteCocker did not need it.
After the parade and over eating, AlteCocker joined the parade (pun intended) over to the Ironstone Vineyard where a daffodil festival was in progress. Some were, of course, wine tasting. AlteCocker regrettably had to take a pass on that as she was driving. AlteCocker does not drink and drive--especially when she is driving someone else's Lexus. She did examine the prize winning (and not winning daffodils). There were a lot of varieties she did not recognize but almost all were the usual yellow and/or white color. At least the daffodils in California were in relatively good health. Those in AlteCocker's yard in McLean, Virginia, were frozen in the recent East Coast frost.
At the end of the daffodil viewing, it was time to head for home and a nap. It will take a few days for AlteCocker to settle in. AlteCocker did take the Parrots Farm Road to the bridge over over the Stanislaus River; where there used to be a ferry. No remains of the ferry were visible, but it was a beautiful viewpoint.
March 19: Railtown 1897
It was time to hit the local railroad attraction. AlteCocker is a nut for old steam trains. It was to early to climb on one and ride, so she took a tour of the round house. The thing that is unique about Railtown 1897 is that some of the trains were used in various films. It seems that that is the reason for many of the visits. AlteCocker hadn't seen most of the films and was more interested in the engines. She had been a fan of the Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House on the Prairie" books as a kid and one of the engines had been in the TV show spin off, so that was mildly interesting but not top of the list.
Arriving in Jamestown, where the Rail Park is located, AlteCocker did a detour into the town and had breakfast at Pete's, recommended by a local. It reminded her of The McLean Family Restaurant, where she frequently orders an omelet near here home. Could be because both places are run by Greeks. AlteCocker had a Greek omelet. What she did not need was dessert so she had a spumoni ice cream cone from the ice cream place next door. Jamestown has a main street that contains a lot of old buildings that sort of reek of the wild west.
The Rail Park only had a small number of visitors besides a group of kids running around by the picnic tables. They bothered no one. As is true with all railroad restoration places, volunteers are heavily involved and it was volunteer training day. They were learning to use the round table and AlteCocker got to watch but she did not see any trains moved. Train rides start in April, but the first day will only be diesel rides. If it were steam train rides, AlteCocker could guarantee a return visit on the last day of her stay in Sonora, but diesel, ho hum.
Then it was time to return for, you guessed it, a nap. Dinner was a burger in downtown Sonora--where most of the restaurants seem to be burger type joints or Mexican. Gotta say that AlteCocker had the largest glass of wine she has ever had in a restaurant.
Arriving in Jamestown, where the Rail Park is located, AlteCocker did a detour into the town and had breakfast at Pete's, recommended by a local. It reminded her of The McLean Family Restaurant, where she frequently orders an omelet near here home. Could be because both places are run by Greeks. AlteCocker had a Greek omelet. What she did not need was dessert so she had a spumoni ice cream cone from the ice cream place next door. Jamestown has a main street that contains a lot of old buildings that sort of reek of the wild west.
The Rail Park only had a small number of visitors besides a group of kids running around by the picnic tables. They bothered no one. As is true with all railroad restoration places, volunteers are heavily involved and it was volunteer training day. They were learning to use the round table and AlteCocker got to watch but she did not see any trains moved. Train rides start in April, but the first day will only be diesel rides. If it were steam train rides, AlteCocker could guarantee a return visit on the last day of her stay in Sonora, but diesel, ho hum.
Then it was time to return for, you guessed it, a nap. Dinner was a burger in downtown Sonora--where most of the restaurants seem to be burger type joints or Mexican. Gotta say that AlteCocker had the largest glass of wine she has ever had in a restaurant.
March 20: Columbia State Park
Another wild west site was knocked off the list today. The nearby town of Columbia, which AlteCocker had passed when she went home from the Murphys Parade excursion, contains what is reputed to be the largest assembly of gold rush era buildings in California. My home exchange hostess is a docent at the museum and told me to go there. It's was very interesting, but would have been better had more been going on. The goings on are largely limited to weekends (no stage coach rides when AlteCocker was there--not that that would have been good for her back. Nevertheless, it was wandering around--especially in the shops selling pioneer replica things. Who buys that stuff besides kids buying cheap replica cowboy hats? AlteCocker guesses someone must or it wouldn't be there. AlteCocker did not buy anything. The Museum is worth about 30-45 minutes if you watch the film in the back. The film is somewhat amateurish but contained a lot of good information that helped when you looked at things at the site. AlteCocker spent about 2 hours at the Columbia State Park.
Best thing at the park: Lunch at the tea room, Columbia Kate's. AlteCocker had a delicious chicken salad sandwich with a cup of soup, but the praline pecan topped pear pie was definitely what she will remember. It was a wow! An apricot scone AlteCocker brought allegedly to take home at the bakery opposite (also run by Kate) did not make it out of Columbia State Park.
Driving home AlteCocker went to check out the location for the Sierra Repertory Company. There is not a lot to do locally in the evening but the company is playing the musical "Sister Act". AlteCocker wanted to buy a ticket. AlteCocker found the theater but the box office is closed Monday, so no ticket. At least AlteCocker knows where the theater is. After a stop for gas (which is more expensive in California than in Virginia), AlteCocker headed home for a nap and another struggle with her blog. The website has had a problem posting text all weekend. It finally was fixed.
Best thing at the park: Lunch at the tea room, Columbia Kate's. AlteCocker had a delicious chicken salad sandwich with a cup of soup, but the praline pecan topped pear pie was definitely what she will remember. It was a wow! An apricot scone AlteCocker brought allegedly to take home at the bakery opposite (also run by Kate) did not make it out of Columbia State Park.
Driving home AlteCocker went to check out the location for the Sierra Repertory Company. There is not a lot to do locally in the evening but the company is playing the musical "Sister Act". AlteCocker wanted to buy a ticket. AlteCocker found the theater but the box office is closed Monday, so no ticket. At least AlteCocker knows where the theater is. After a stop for gas (which is more expensive in California than in Virginia), AlteCocker headed home for a nap and another struggle with her blog. The website has had a problem posting text all weekend. It finally was fixed.
March 21 and 22: Rain Rain Go Away
Wasn't a great day on vacation. The rain began last night and continued today--heavy at times. AlteCocker thought about visiting one of the many caves in the area but they all have tons of steps and her back has been aching a bit. So, "no" to that. Well the solution to rain on a holiday is always a good book or the movies. She finished "A Dangerous Place" by Marc Reiser yesterday; it's about all the challenges California faces--principally water and earthquakes--and how the government really is not prepared. It was published about 10 years ago after the death of the author (who also wrote "Cadillac Desert"). Excellent brief read. AlteCocker will leave it behind for her exchangers as she has been gradually getting rid of books she has read in preparation for downsizing to a 2 bedroom condo on or about July 1st. There will be no room for 1,000 plus books in the condo.
Since she is not at home, she did need to get out of the house and do something. First she picked up a ticket to the Sierra Repertory's production of "Sister Act" for tomorrow. More rain is predicted, so that is was a bit of advance planning. Then she had lunch at Applebee's. Now AlteCocker generally does not eat at chain restaurants but it was next to the cinema where the film "Lion" was playing. The lunch was Applebee's (meaning nothing worth a mention), but it was AlteCocker's first encounter with an automatic ordering/payment device on the table. It did not do very well when she needed a spoon for her soup and pressed the "call server" button. She did use the device to pay. Sonora is an area with a large number of retirees and many will never learn how to use those thingys. It will reduce costs for the franchise owners and put some servers out of a job.
The film was terrific. It's about a young boy in India who gets lost one day and eventually gets adopted by Australians and what happens to him. He ends up living in Tasmania, a place AlteCocker knows well and loves. So, in addition to liking the film there were some shots she recognized--and it is always welcome to see locales she recognized.
After a bit of reading, AlteCocker had an early bird dinner at Gus' Steak House. It was cheap and it has the feel of a restaurant that has been around forever with long term employees. The food was edible but it is not a place she would recommend; in fairness AlteCocker's steak was cooked as ordered but the Italian salad dressing was orange colored; Italian to AlteCocker means basically oil and vinegar. Nevertheless the restaurant was full; it is the right deal for seniors with limited funds who may like orange Italian dressing (the alternatives were all the creamy sorts that AlteCocker hates more than orange Italian). It was a good value if you get the early bird--which even includes a dessert. AlteCocker also took the opportunity to refill her ibprofun supply from the Rite Aid. Her back has been sore and she's used up her supply. Infuriating to buy it because she has a huge supply at home, but she was not at home and needed it.
Then it was time to mess with the blog at home.
March 22 started out even worse than March 21. Just torrential downpours in the morning. The morning, however, was well spent negotiating with someone in Capetown, South Africa, about a possible home exchange in 2018. Who knows if that will come to fruition? Eventually, AlteCocker hauled herself into the shower and got dressed. The rain had let up and she had lunch at Bon Appetit, a French style cafe in a shopping center known as The Junction (it's near the junction of two roads). She had a quiche lorraine and a chocolate chip scone and cannelle (French pastry with custard from the Bordeaux/Toulouse region. AlteCocker has been there and appreciated the memory. A chocolate croissant that AlteCocker was ostensibly going to take home, ended up consumed earlier than planned. Everything was delicious. Then it was off to "Sister Act". As it was still raining--albeit not with torrential downpours--the show turned out to be a good way not to waste a day. It was also an excellent show with a superb cast--a real plus for the small town of Sonora to have such a fine theater here.
Then it was time to go home and figure out the washer and dryer because AlteCocker really needed to do laundry. Predictably, she phoned her home exchangers and then figured out how to get the washer started. The clothes are currently spinning nicely in the dryer and that chore is over. AlteCocker also met the neighbors across the street and chatted with them (and their cat) briefly.
Evening was for podcasts and reading. Fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow, but the weather prediction is not optimistic. On the other hand, back home in McLean, Virginia, the weather is very cold. So, this exchange has turned out to be an exchange of lousy weather as well homes. One thing no one can guarantee on a holiday is good weather.
Since she is not at home, she did need to get out of the house and do something. First she picked up a ticket to the Sierra Repertory's production of "Sister Act" for tomorrow. More rain is predicted, so that is was a bit of advance planning. Then she had lunch at Applebee's. Now AlteCocker generally does not eat at chain restaurants but it was next to the cinema where the film "Lion" was playing. The lunch was Applebee's (meaning nothing worth a mention), but it was AlteCocker's first encounter with an automatic ordering/payment device on the table. It did not do very well when she needed a spoon for her soup and pressed the "call server" button. She did use the device to pay. Sonora is an area with a large number of retirees and many will never learn how to use those thingys. It will reduce costs for the franchise owners and put some servers out of a job.
The film was terrific. It's about a young boy in India who gets lost one day and eventually gets adopted by Australians and what happens to him. He ends up living in Tasmania, a place AlteCocker knows well and loves. So, in addition to liking the film there were some shots she recognized--and it is always welcome to see locales she recognized.
After a bit of reading, AlteCocker had an early bird dinner at Gus' Steak House. It was cheap and it has the feel of a restaurant that has been around forever with long term employees. The food was edible but it is not a place she would recommend; in fairness AlteCocker's steak was cooked as ordered but the Italian salad dressing was orange colored; Italian to AlteCocker means basically oil and vinegar. Nevertheless the restaurant was full; it is the right deal for seniors with limited funds who may like orange Italian dressing (the alternatives were all the creamy sorts that AlteCocker hates more than orange Italian). It was a good value if you get the early bird--which even includes a dessert. AlteCocker also took the opportunity to refill her ibprofun supply from the Rite Aid. Her back has been sore and she's used up her supply. Infuriating to buy it because she has a huge supply at home, but she was not at home and needed it.
Then it was time to mess with the blog at home.
March 22 started out even worse than March 21. Just torrential downpours in the morning. The morning, however, was well spent negotiating with someone in Capetown, South Africa, about a possible home exchange in 2018. Who knows if that will come to fruition? Eventually, AlteCocker hauled herself into the shower and got dressed. The rain had let up and she had lunch at Bon Appetit, a French style cafe in a shopping center known as The Junction (it's near the junction of two roads). She had a quiche lorraine and a chocolate chip scone and cannelle (French pastry with custard from the Bordeaux/Toulouse region. AlteCocker has been there and appreciated the memory. A chocolate croissant that AlteCocker was ostensibly going to take home, ended up consumed earlier than planned. Everything was delicious. Then it was off to "Sister Act". As it was still raining--albeit not with torrential downpours--the show turned out to be a good way not to waste a day. It was also an excellent show with a superb cast--a real plus for the small town of Sonora to have such a fine theater here.
Then it was time to go home and figure out the washer and dryer because AlteCocker really needed to do laundry. Predictably, she phoned her home exchangers and then figured out how to get the washer started. The clothes are currently spinning nicely in the dryer and that chore is over. AlteCocker also met the neighbors across the street and chatted with them (and their cat) briefly.
Evening was for podcasts and reading. Fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow, but the weather prediction is not optimistic. On the other hand, back home in McLean, Virginia, the weather is very cold. So, this exchange has turned out to be an exchange of lousy weather as well homes. One thing no one can guarantee on a holiday is good weather.
March 23: Calaveras Big Trees in the Mud & Slush
CaliforniOne advantage of travel in the off season is that there are fewer people and screaming children. There is a reason, however, that the off season is called the "off season": The conditions of travel aren't so good. Today was one of those days.
The sun finally came out--albeit on wet terrain. Seizing the opportunity of the sun, however, AlteCocker headed off for Calaveras Big Trees--the local best known local park--via Parrots Farm Road (more photos of the overlook from different angles that AlteCocker first photographed on the 18th). Calaveras is full of giant sequoia trees and was "ticked" for a visit by AlteCocker. She headed out to knock off this park, stopping first Murphys for lunch. The town looked a lot different from last Sunday's St. Patrick's Day hoopla. Lunch was at Alchemy at the corner when you first come in from the highway. AlteCocker had a Mexican special entree, which hit the spot and was not too large. The hit of the lunch, however, was the bread: Garlic bread with corn. AlteCocker could have made a meal of that without the entree. Really a good place even if you might have to wait a bit for a table. "Dessert" was a cup of coffee and biscotti from the cupcake place adjacent--the place where AlteCocker had the macaron ice cream sandwich on March 18th. AlteCocker brought the coffee along with her in the car while driving to Big Trees.
Then it was off to Calaveras Big Trees. As she climbed from 2,000 feet in Murphys to 4,000 feet at Calaveras Big Trees, it was obvious that the rain on the 21st and 22nd down below was snow where AlteCocker was going. When she got to Calaveras ($9 for senior citizens), it was mud and slush week. Most of the trails were damaged by the recent rains and are closed. Two short trails were open. AlteCocker was able to see the tree that recently fell over and the platform created with an absolutely huge sequoia was cut down when the the trees were first discovered. In the Visitors' Center she saw two films about the park and briefly looked at the exhibits. The signage for one of the trails was confusing and she had to get one of the people in the Visitor's Center to show her the way. At the end of her walk, she helped another bunch of confused people. The signage problem is probably because most of the trail is washed out. After she negotiated the two short trails, she returned to the Visitors' Center and visited the adjacent toilets. One thing she did there was clean off her shoes before getting into her home exchangers' Lexus. The last thing AlteCocker would have wanted to do was track all that mud in the car.
Then it was time to head to her home exchange home and try to put up her blog. There was another problem with requests for website verification tonight. The problems with weebly seemed to be endless on this trip. A few nights ago the site kept erasing text. Now this. There is a screen that was supposed to come up for requests to verify an account and it did not come up. When it did, AlteCocker was easily able to verify her account. You never know about websites--especially when they are free.
The sun finally came out--albeit on wet terrain. Seizing the opportunity of the sun, however, AlteCocker headed off for Calaveras Big Trees--the local best known local park--via Parrots Farm Road (more photos of the overlook from different angles that AlteCocker first photographed on the 18th). Calaveras is full of giant sequoia trees and was "ticked" for a visit by AlteCocker. She headed out to knock off this park, stopping first Murphys for lunch. The town looked a lot different from last Sunday's St. Patrick's Day hoopla. Lunch was at Alchemy at the corner when you first come in from the highway. AlteCocker had a Mexican special entree, which hit the spot and was not too large. The hit of the lunch, however, was the bread: Garlic bread with corn. AlteCocker could have made a meal of that without the entree. Really a good place even if you might have to wait a bit for a table. "Dessert" was a cup of coffee and biscotti from the cupcake place adjacent--the place where AlteCocker had the macaron ice cream sandwich on March 18th. AlteCocker brought the coffee along with her in the car while driving to Big Trees.
Then it was off to Calaveras Big Trees. As she climbed from 2,000 feet in Murphys to 4,000 feet at Calaveras Big Trees, it was obvious that the rain on the 21st and 22nd down below was snow where AlteCocker was going. When she got to Calaveras ($9 for senior citizens), it was mud and slush week. Most of the trails were damaged by the recent rains and are closed. Two short trails were open. AlteCocker was able to see the tree that recently fell over and the platform created with an absolutely huge sequoia was cut down when the the trees were first discovered. In the Visitors' Center she saw two films about the park and briefly looked at the exhibits. The signage for one of the trails was confusing and she had to get one of the people in the Visitor's Center to show her the way. At the end of her walk, she helped another bunch of confused people. The signage problem is probably because most of the trail is washed out. After she negotiated the two short trails, she returned to the Visitors' Center and visited the adjacent toilets. One thing she did there was clean off her shoes before getting into her home exchangers' Lexus. The last thing AlteCocker would have wanted to do was track all that mud in the car.
Then it was time to head to her home exchange home and try to put up her blog. There was another problem with requests for website verification tonight. The problems with weebly seemed to be endless on this trip. A few nights ago the site kept erasing text. Now this. There is a screen that was supposed to come up for requests to verify an account and it did not come up. When it did, AlteCocker was easily able to verify her account. You never know about websites--especially when they are free.
March 24: A lousy Movie & Tuolumne County Museum
Yes, it poured again. Whatever happened to sunny California? Must have something to do with AlteCocker going on vacation--ugh!
AlteCocker thought of going to one of the nearby caves when it started pouring. Mindful of the fact that the shortest road there was flooded after the last downpour, AlteCocker abandoned that plan and headed for the movies, this time to see the film "Get Out." A girl brings her black boyfriend home to meet her parents and all hell breaks loose--and AlteCocker does not mean it is the classic "The Man Who Came to Dinner." It's a downright weird, scary, bad film. OK, AlteCocker killed two hours.
After the film, AlteCocker headed over to Bon Appetit for a late lunch just before they closed at 2:00pm. She had a banana raspberry crepe. It was delicious. After lunch she ducked into the CVS next door to buy some tissues. She used up the one box of tissues she found in the house and has been unable to locate where the rest are stored, so it was just easier to buy a box. Then, a last minute decision, she headed for the Tuolumne County Museum, located off the main drag in downtown Sonora. It is in what was an old Jail and was a total surprise. She spent 1 1/2 hours there and could have spent longer. One room has all these films on a computer about different aspects of the area. You could while away several hours just watching the films. AlteCocker watched 3 of the shorter ones--including one about all the films made in the area, especially "High Noon". It was partially filmed in Columbia. There are also a lot of artifacts that were donated by descendants of some of the original settlers. It's free and don't miss it if you are in the area. Kids will enjoy the toy train. Yes, AlteCocker did press the button so it would run. A piece of her is a kid too.
The rain had let up some when AlteCocker was done at the museum. The downpour had turned to a persistent drizzle, but it was time for AlteCocker to go home, pull in the trash cans (it was trash day), and relax in the dry house. Tomorrow promises to be another wet day. Sigh. . . .
AlteCocker thought of going to one of the nearby caves when it started pouring. Mindful of the fact that the shortest road there was flooded after the last downpour, AlteCocker abandoned that plan and headed for the movies, this time to see the film "Get Out." A girl brings her black boyfriend home to meet her parents and all hell breaks loose--and AlteCocker does not mean it is the classic "The Man Who Came to Dinner." It's a downright weird, scary, bad film. OK, AlteCocker killed two hours.
After the film, AlteCocker headed over to Bon Appetit for a late lunch just before they closed at 2:00pm. She had a banana raspberry crepe. It was delicious. After lunch she ducked into the CVS next door to buy some tissues. She used up the one box of tissues she found in the house and has been unable to locate where the rest are stored, so it was just easier to buy a box. Then, a last minute decision, she headed for the Tuolumne County Museum, located off the main drag in downtown Sonora. It is in what was an old Jail and was a total surprise. She spent 1 1/2 hours there and could have spent longer. One room has all these films on a computer about different aspects of the area. You could while away several hours just watching the films. AlteCocker watched 3 of the shorter ones--including one about all the films made in the area, especially "High Noon". It was partially filmed in Columbia. There are also a lot of artifacts that were donated by descendants of some of the original settlers. It's free and don't miss it if you are in the area. Kids will enjoy the toy train. Yes, AlteCocker did press the button so it would run. A piece of her is a kid too.
The rain had let up some when AlteCocker was done at the museum. The downpour had turned to a persistent drizzle, but it was time for AlteCocker to go home, pull in the trash cans (it was trash day), and relax in the dry house. Tomorrow promises to be another wet day. Sigh. . . .
March 25: Stage Coach Ride and Mercer Cave
The morning did not look promising. First there was sun and then the pitter patter of a downpour on the roof. And then, woosh, it stopped. AlteCocker went off to Columbia State Park again. It was the weekend and there were a lot more visitors, reenacters in costumes, etc. First stop was at the The City Hotel for lunch. She had a chicken sandwich and salad and chatted with two women at the adjacent table who were natives. She had an affogato for dessert; it is basically a vanilla gelato with a shot of expresso coffee poured over it. Definitely memories of last summer's trip to Italy. Some photos in the hotel were of the women's ancestors! One of the women was just about to retire and was interested in home exchanging. AlteCocker gave her a card for the website and then, tipped off by the two women, proceeded to the highly recommended candy store where she bought a few specimens. Delicious chocolate immediately consumed. Then it was over to Kate's Bakery for a coffee and a pastry with raspberries. she tasted and consumed most of the pastry. When she had enough, she tossed it. It really was a bit too sweet and AlteCocker had badly overeaten at lunch. No dinner for her!
After a stage coach ride (we got attacked by a "bandit" much to the delight of the kids), AlteCocker decided she really needed to work off the over eating. She decided to go to Mercer Caverns. Now she did this with some trepidation. All caves have a lot of steps. There are two caves in the area: Mercer and Moaning and Mercer, from what she read, seemed to have less steps with more stops rather than a circular staircase going up and down at one go. So, she chose Mercer. There were a lot of steps and some of them were steep, but there were stops and the guide was tolerant when AlteCocker needed to slow things down. AlteCocker supposes there is a slow poke in every group. Cost was $16. AlteCocker huffed and puffed and sweated and did it. There was some satisfaction in knowing that she could still do some of these things despite being an AlteCocker.
Then it was time to go home, do some laundry and pack for Yosemite. Hopefully, it won't rain or snow, but AlteCocker is going anyway.
After a stage coach ride (we got attacked by a "bandit" much to the delight of the kids), AlteCocker decided she really needed to work off the over eating. She decided to go to Mercer Caverns. Now she did this with some trepidation. All caves have a lot of steps. There are two caves in the area: Mercer and Moaning and Mercer, from what she read, seemed to have less steps with more stops rather than a circular staircase going up and down at one go. So, she chose Mercer. There were a lot of steps and some of them were steep, but there were stops and the guide was tolerant when AlteCocker needed to slow things down. AlteCocker supposes there is a slow poke in every group. Cost was $16. AlteCocker huffed and puffed and sweated and did it. There was some satisfaction in knowing that she could still do some of these things despite being an AlteCocker.
Then it was time to go home, do some laundry and pack for Yosemite. Hopefully, it won't rain or snow, but AlteCocker is going anyway.
March 26: Yosemite Bust up
Well here AlteCocker sits on her bed in the Best Western in Oakhurst, California. Tomorrow was supposed to be her big day in Yosemite. More on that later.
It was a gorgeous drive out along the Merced River. The short cut from Sonora to Yosemite via Rte 120 is closed until the snow melts. There are a lot of high mountain passes in California. Rather than try and constantly clear the passes, they are closed down in winter and you have to drive the long way round. So AlteCocker drove the long way round following the Merced River. When she got to Mariposa, the gateway to Yosemite, she had lunch at the Sugar Pine Cafe that appeared to be the center of the action; then she had an ice cream at an adjacent ice cream place and an "interesting" conversation with a woman who voted for Trump and was still supporting him despite the debacle of the AHCA.
Finally she checked her phone for the latest weather and it hadn't changed. March 27, which was supposed to be AlteCocker's big day in Yosemite is going to be a day of miserable weather. So, AlteCocker decided to go to Yosemite immediately. The way in again traced the Merced. There were some beautiful pinkish purple flowers in bloom. Then, after an over 30 mile drive, there was the gate for Yosemite. AlteCocker was waived through with her senior lifetime pass. For once she had it with her and didn't have to buy another. The moment she entered the park, however, the weather began to deteriorate. Soon everything was fogged in. She got a photo of El Capitan but couldn't see Half Dome at all. She did a brief tour round The Majestic (used to be called the Ahwanee; name change did not please the locals), the deluxe hotel in the park. She went out the back to see Half Dome and all she saw was the fog. It was very disappointing. To come all this way to see almost nothing was not what she had in mind but you can't change the weather. The weather was cold, wet and the rain was increasing. There was nothing for AlteCocker to do but to cut her losses and head for the hotel in Oakhurst.
Dinner was at the Sweetwater Steakhouse in Oakhurst. It was actually quite good except for the time when her purse fell on the floor and the extra camera batteries fell on the floor. She had 4 batteries but after they fell out, she had only 3. Dessert was excellent apple pie. She recommends the Sweetwater should you ever be in Oakhurst but she hopes you have better weather. Ugh!
Then it was back to the hotel via a gas fill up and a stop at Rite Aid for more batteries. The room is comfortable, the internet works, the TV is fine and there is absolutely nothing to do here when it rains. AlteCocker has no idea what she is going to do tomorrow. She might make another stab at Yellowstone on Tuesday before returning to Sonora.
Today was a lot of driving to achieve next to nothing. No one can guarantee the weather anywhere. Another case of AlteCocker goes on vacation.
It was a gorgeous drive out along the Merced River. The short cut from Sonora to Yosemite via Rte 120 is closed until the snow melts. There are a lot of high mountain passes in California. Rather than try and constantly clear the passes, they are closed down in winter and you have to drive the long way round. So AlteCocker drove the long way round following the Merced River. When she got to Mariposa, the gateway to Yosemite, she had lunch at the Sugar Pine Cafe that appeared to be the center of the action; then she had an ice cream at an adjacent ice cream place and an "interesting" conversation with a woman who voted for Trump and was still supporting him despite the debacle of the AHCA.
Finally she checked her phone for the latest weather and it hadn't changed. March 27, which was supposed to be AlteCocker's big day in Yosemite is going to be a day of miserable weather. So, AlteCocker decided to go to Yosemite immediately. The way in again traced the Merced. There were some beautiful pinkish purple flowers in bloom. Then, after an over 30 mile drive, there was the gate for Yosemite. AlteCocker was waived through with her senior lifetime pass. For once she had it with her and didn't have to buy another. The moment she entered the park, however, the weather began to deteriorate. Soon everything was fogged in. She got a photo of El Capitan but couldn't see Half Dome at all. She did a brief tour round The Majestic (used to be called the Ahwanee; name change did not please the locals), the deluxe hotel in the park. She went out the back to see Half Dome and all she saw was the fog. It was very disappointing. To come all this way to see almost nothing was not what she had in mind but you can't change the weather. The weather was cold, wet and the rain was increasing. There was nothing for AlteCocker to do but to cut her losses and head for the hotel in Oakhurst.
Dinner was at the Sweetwater Steakhouse in Oakhurst. It was actually quite good except for the time when her purse fell on the floor and the extra camera batteries fell on the floor. She had 4 batteries but after they fell out, she had only 3. Dessert was excellent apple pie. She recommends the Sweetwater should you ever be in Oakhurst but she hopes you have better weather. Ugh!
Then it was back to the hotel via a gas fill up and a stop at Rite Aid for more batteries. The room is comfortable, the internet works, the TV is fine and there is absolutely nothing to do here when it rains. AlteCocker has no idea what she is going to do tomorrow. She might make another stab at Yellowstone on Tuesday before returning to Sonora.
Today was a lot of driving to achieve next to nothing. No one can guarantee the weather anywhere. Another case of AlteCocker goes on vacation.
March 27: Some Small sites around Oakhurst
OK, the weather is not great for Yosemite. Someone at the totally horrible and poorly organized free hotel breakfast says she is going to Bass Lake. AlteCocker ends up doing the same (and running into her there). Some nice photos are snapped but the road to Yosemite does not like it is a beautiful day there. Tourist services are, of course, closed because it is off season. After snapping some photos of Bass Lake, AlteCocker has the GPS do some work and look for museums in the area. She finds the Fresno Flats Historic Park and goes there. Predictably, it is closed on Monday. It is still possible to look around at the very interesting buildings that have been moved there. As usual, the history includes tidbits about the gold rush and 2 jails; one is a cage on wheels that was put on a trailer to cart prisoners around in the open air. AlteCocker is able to look in the windows of some of the buildings, but everything is locked up. Fresno Flats was the original name for Oakhurst.
Then it is time for another GPS consultation and she notes there is a small museum in the nearby town of Coarsegold (interesting name, no?) and heads there. The museum is closed and the gate is barred so no sneaking a peak at anything. The road, however, is mountainous with a lovely overlook over Oakhurst.
Driving back to the hotel, AlteCocker notes that Yosemite seems well clouded in. She'll go tomorrow when the prediction is for sun all day. AlteCocker went back to the Sweetwater for dinner. It was so good the first time, she wanted to go again. She again ordered a small steak. Let AlteCocker put it this way: If it had been as bad the first time as it was the second time, AlteCocker would not have gone again. AlteCocker asked for medium rare. She got a steak past medium. She just did not have the energy to send it back. Anyway, she would not return again after the second go round. She should have tried another restaurant, but she did like it so much she went again and was disappointed; it happens. By the way, the apple pie is great (eaten the first time), but the berry pie was just so so (second time).
Then it is time for another GPS consultation and she notes there is a small museum in the nearby town of Coarsegold (interesting name, no?) and heads there. The museum is closed and the gate is barred so no sneaking a peak at anything. The road, however, is mountainous with a lovely overlook over Oakhurst.
Driving back to the hotel, AlteCocker notes that Yosemite seems well clouded in. She'll go tomorrow when the prediction is for sun all day. AlteCocker went back to the Sweetwater for dinner. It was so good the first time, she wanted to go again. She again ordered a small steak. Let AlteCocker put it this way: If it had been as bad the first time as it was the second time, AlteCocker would not have gone again. AlteCocker asked for medium rare. She got a steak past medium. She just did not have the energy to send it back. Anyway, she would not return again after the second go round. She should have tried another restaurant, but she did like it so much she went again and was disappointed; it happens. By the way, the apple pie is great (eaten the first time), but the berry pie was just so so (second time).
March 28: Yosemite Is Much the Second Time Around
Well, finally a sunny day. AlteCocker didn't sleep well the night before but nevertheless got started about 8:15am. She did not eat the awful breakfast at the Best Western. She went to Judy's Donuts just down the street from the hotel. She had seen it the day before. She had a "donut" that was not really a donut. It was a sort of crispy tortilla with an apple filling. Then she made the mistake of buying some others to take away. Well, AlteCocker was on vacation even though she needed the donuts like a hole in the head. Judy's is run by two Cambodian immigrant women. The donuts were delicious and the place was full of locals coming in and out. Two Cambodians come to the US with no skills come to the US and sell donuts--moreover, Mexican inspired tortilla donuts. Only in America. Try the place if your travels take you to Oakhurst, California. AlteCocker did tell them she'd been to Cambodia. There was a painting of Angkor Wat on the wall.
Then it was the long drive in to Yosemite Valley. Let me say this: It was worth going back again. It was a drop dead gorgeous day AlteCocker got drop dead gorgeous photos with her mediocre camera. Blue sky, El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls and Yosemite Falls--she saw it all. There are lots of detours on the main ride. A flashing sign tells you to ignore your GPS--ha! AlteCocker missed the cut off for the Visitors' Center and Museum, she she did not do those. She also did not go to Mirror Lake. She had a long drive home and was satisfied just doing the highlights. Really a great day.
On the way home, AlteCocker noted that Rte. 120 opens for the season on April 3rd--the day she flies home. Figures. That road would have cut the driving time to less than half of what she drove. On the other hand, the long drive round via Mariposa gave her the opportunity to see some gorgeous scenery she would not have seen if she went in via 120. On the negative side, she has no idea what the scenery would have been on 120. Going back, however, there was a major detour that required meandering on side roads. There was no dinner because, well, she ate 4 donuts earlier in the day. She did stop in Mariposa for a coffee in the ice cream shop. The Trump supporter lady was there. AlteCocker nodded to her. She was seated with someone which gave AlteCocker an out not to sit with her. She shared a table with a high school student and consumed a piece of lemon bread with her coffee.
Then it was the twisty road home--made more twisty by the detour. She was glad to get back to Sonora to her own bed--well, at least temporarily. This was the best day of the trip. Moral of the story: Yosemite is wonderful on sunny day. When it's foggy, you might as well go and see a bad movie.
Then it was the long drive in to Yosemite Valley. Let me say this: It was worth going back again. It was a drop dead gorgeous day AlteCocker got drop dead gorgeous photos with her mediocre camera. Blue sky, El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls and Yosemite Falls--she saw it all. There are lots of detours on the main ride. A flashing sign tells you to ignore your GPS--ha! AlteCocker missed the cut off for the Visitors' Center and Museum, she she did not do those. She also did not go to Mirror Lake. She had a long drive home and was satisfied just doing the highlights. Really a great day.
On the way home, AlteCocker noted that Rte. 120 opens for the season on April 3rd--the day she flies home. Figures. That road would have cut the driving time to less than half of what she drove. On the other hand, the long drive round via Mariposa gave her the opportunity to see some gorgeous scenery she would not have seen if she went in via 120. On the negative side, she has no idea what the scenery would have been on 120. Going back, however, there was a major detour that required meandering on side roads. There was no dinner because, well, she ate 4 donuts earlier in the day. She did stop in Mariposa for a coffee in the ice cream shop. The Trump supporter lady was there. AlteCocker nodded to her. She was seated with someone which gave AlteCocker an out not to sit with her. She shared a table with a high school student and consumed a piece of lemon bread with her coffee.
Then it was the twisty road home--made more twisty by the detour. She was glad to get back to Sonora to her own bed--well, at least temporarily. This was the best day of the trip. Moral of the story: Yosemite is wonderful on sunny day. When it's foggy, you might as well go and see a bad movie.
March 28: Twain Harte
Yes, there really is a place with that name. It is up the road a piece towards the Sonora Pass. It is also a place AlteCocker has not seen--which is a good enough reason to meander there.
First there's a detour to Schnoogs--a local coffee joint for coffee and a pastry. Then it's off to the car was to deal with the filthy car. For $18 the car is looking and smelling good both inside and out with a fresh fragrance in the car. Having dealt with all of that, it is time to head on to Twain Harte. It isn't much of anything--just a small place with an interesting name. Ever hear of Bret Harte and Mark Twain? Those guys.
The town is not much of anything. On a recommendation from a local, AlteCocker stops at Cibo (It's Italian, and, therefore, pronounced "cheebo"). She has a pineapple cider (a new experience for AlteCocker) and a small pizza. The pizza was delicious but too large. AlteCocker doesn't take a doggie bag. When she mentions that Rte. 140 is closed to Mariposa to one of the locals, AlteCocker is told that the reason is not, as she had assumed, flooding; it's an earthquake refit. Even miles away from the known faults, California is taking precautions. The restaurant is known for its large poster of Mark Twain. If you look closely, you can see quotes from him. A bag with the same design is sold by the restaurant; AlteCocker asked how much it cost. $30 meant she did not buy it. A nice souvenir it would have been, but $30 was much more than she was willing to pay, so it was a no go. Besides, she has tons of bags.
Then she briefly looks for a place to buy, what else?, a t-shirt. She finds nothing and heads back to Sonora to listen to podcasts and relax. After the Yosemite driving of the past few days, it's a welcome respite from too much driving. So relaxing it is.
First there's a detour to Schnoogs--a local coffee joint for coffee and a pastry. Then it's off to the car was to deal with the filthy car. For $18 the car is looking and smelling good both inside and out with a fresh fragrance in the car. Having dealt with all of that, it is time to head on to Twain Harte. It isn't much of anything--just a small place with an interesting name. Ever hear of Bret Harte and Mark Twain? Those guys.
The town is not much of anything. On a recommendation from a local, AlteCocker stops at Cibo (It's Italian, and, therefore, pronounced "cheebo"). She has a pineapple cider (a new experience for AlteCocker) and a small pizza. The pizza was delicious but too large. AlteCocker doesn't take a doggie bag. When she mentions that Rte. 140 is closed to Mariposa to one of the locals, AlteCocker is told that the reason is not, as she had assumed, flooding; it's an earthquake refit. Even miles away from the known faults, California is taking precautions. The restaurant is known for its large poster of Mark Twain. If you look closely, you can see quotes from him. A bag with the same design is sold by the restaurant; AlteCocker asked how much it cost. $30 meant she did not buy it. A nice souvenir it would have been, but $30 was much more than she was willing to pay, so it was a no go. Besides, she has tons of bags.
Then she briefly looks for a place to buy, what else?, a t-shirt. She finds nothing and heads back to Sonora to listen to podcasts and relax. After the Yosemite driving of the past few days, it's a welcome respite from too much driving. So relaxing it is.
March 30: Lunch with a Friend At Talulah's in Sonora
So today was a sort of day off. AlteCocker's friend Phil came in from Tracey and we had lunch at Talulah's, an Italian restaurant that had been recommended to AlteCocker by her home exchangers. She hadn't gotten to it yet so why not do it with Phil? We met at the restaurant with Phil arriving a few minutes before AlteCocker. We knew each other from tour guiding days. Phil at one time lived and guided in DC. AlteCocker did some guide work in retirement, principally in DC but in other places as well. Hey, she once guided a tour into Mesa Verde National Park when she had not been there before!
Phil had 3 kinds of ravioli and AlteCocker had a chicken salad; the chicken salad was huge! Both of us enjoyed our main courses. For dessert, Phil had lemon cake and AlteCocker had creme brule cheesecake. We exchanged tastes and Phil's dessert was better.
After lunch AlteCocker took Phil back to her home exchange home. She gave him a brief house tour. Phil and his wife are considering Sonora as a retirement plan and he might be interested in a home in Sonora Hills, the development where AlteCocker's home exchange home is located, so it was a sort of exploratory house look. We then had coffee at Schnoog's and AlteCocker then drove Phil back to his car parked in downtown Sonora.
After Phil pulled out of his parking space, AlteCocker pulled in. AlteCocker walked down to Legend's, a combination ice cream parlor, eatery, and antique shop with an interesting basement. Legend's used to be the site of a bank. If you walk downstairs, you can see tunnels where people used to use to bring gold into the bank. Walking across the street with gold during the gold rush was not a very good idea. There is a place downstairs where you can see running water. It was not explained well while it was there. The bar upstairs is quite magnificent and AlteCocker remarked that you can't buy such a bar today. One of the workers said, "Oh yes you can." Legend's was put up for sale two weeks ago. She hopes the workers keep their jobs but who knows?
AlteCocker then stopped into a couple of nearby antique shops that were adjacent before a drizzle made the decision that it was time to go "home" and relax--which is what she did.
Phil had 3 kinds of ravioli and AlteCocker had a chicken salad; the chicken salad was huge! Both of us enjoyed our main courses. For dessert, Phil had lemon cake and AlteCocker had creme brule cheesecake. We exchanged tastes and Phil's dessert was better.
After lunch AlteCocker took Phil back to her home exchange home. She gave him a brief house tour. Phil and his wife are considering Sonora as a retirement plan and he might be interested in a home in Sonora Hills, the development where AlteCocker's home exchange home is located, so it was a sort of exploratory house look. We then had coffee at Schnoog's and AlteCocker then drove Phil back to his car parked in downtown Sonora.
After Phil pulled out of his parking space, AlteCocker pulled in. AlteCocker walked down to Legend's, a combination ice cream parlor, eatery, and antique shop with an interesting basement. Legend's used to be the site of a bank. If you walk downstairs, you can see tunnels where people used to use to bring gold into the bank. Walking across the street with gold during the gold rush was not a very good idea. There is a place downstairs where you can see running water. It was not explained well while it was there. The bar upstairs is quite magnificent and AlteCocker remarked that you can't buy such a bar today. One of the workers said, "Oh yes you can." Legend's was put up for sale two weeks ago. She hopes the workers keep their jobs but who knows?
AlteCocker then stopped into a couple of nearby antique shops that were adjacent before a drizzle made the decision that it was time to go "home" and relax--which is what she did.
March 31: Moaning Caverns
This exchange is almost history. The only major thing AlteCocker could do today was Moaning Caverns near Murphys (and near Mercer Caverns where she went earlier in the trip), but first she needed sustenance. She went to Schnoogs again. She had a chicken salad sandwich and coffee. OK, it would have been enough to have had just that but there was this raspberry tart/pie thingy that had her name on it. Her excuse was that this was the last day she was likely to go to Schnoogs. She stuffs herself. Well, she was going to do a cave, right? And it had lots of steps. So she would work off some of the calories on the up and down. It was not a good argument for the stuffing--or for the ice cream she had later--but, hell, it's a vacation.
Moaning Caverns is located off Parrots Ferry Road. It is well signposted. In addition to the basic cave tour, various adventures--such as slithering around in remote areas of the cave and rappelling in lieu of taking the stairs down. AlteCocker did the basic tour. It involved taking about 235 steps down and 235 steps up. She's writing this, so she made it but it is a lot of steps and the steps are mostly in a single go. The cave has one big impressive room, but it is not a cave where you go into a series "rooms" and go up and down. You go down all at once, first down some wooden stairs and then finally down this enormous circular staircase that was made from recycling the remains of a decommissioned ship from World War II. The tour guide, Bonnie, did a good job of pointing out cave formations and the things you do in caves. There were too many young children on AlteCocker's tour who were really not interested. She wouldn't say don't take kids at all though because some of the kids were well behaved--especially a 4 year old little girl. It was the older kids that would not shut up and really were interested in basically nothing in the cave.
Moaning is very different from Mercer--which is a more traditional cave with "rooms". For the ziplining crowd, Moaning offers a zipline but it was rather tame and cost $45. AlteCocker has gone ziplining before in both Costa Rica and Thailand. She saw no reason to spend $45 on a very tame one at Moaning. Due to the price she assumes, she saw no one using the zipline.
After Moaning she went into Murphys. Her intent was to have another macaron ice cream sandwich at the place where she had one on March 18th, but she found an artisanal ice cream shop, Jo-Ma's that called. The flavors had interesting names. She had mint chip and coffee almond ripple in common parlance. The shop had very funny names for their flavors (see photo below). She thought "Me Want Cookie" was very funny for cookie dough, but she was not in the mood for Cookie Monster ice cream.
On the way back AlteCocker noted a turn off for Natural Bridges from Parrots Ferry Road. She turned off, but noticed that the hike was down and she just finished climbing over 450 steps in a cave. Perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps not at all. Tomorrow is her last day in Sonora.
In the evening she did laundry. She even through her old white sneakers in because they were disgusting. They also were about ready to give up the ghost. They will be tossed in California. Fortunately, AlteCocker has an alternative pair of shoes. One of their soles is nearly off. Not a good idea to throw old sneakers in the wash when you are not at home where you have a gazillion pair of shoes!
Moaning Caverns is located off Parrots Ferry Road. It is well signposted. In addition to the basic cave tour, various adventures--such as slithering around in remote areas of the cave and rappelling in lieu of taking the stairs down. AlteCocker did the basic tour. It involved taking about 235 steps down and 235 steps up. She's writing this, so she made it but it is a lot of steps and the steps are mostly in a single go. The cave has one big impressive room, but it is not a cave where you go into a series "rooms" and go up and down. You go down all at once, first down some wooden stairs and then finally down this enormous circular staircase that was made from recycling the remains of a decommissioned ship from World War II. The tour guide, Bonnie, did a good job of pointing out cave formations and the things you do in caves. There were too many young children on AlteCocker's tour who were really not interested. She wouldn't say don't take kids at all though because some of the kids were well behaved--especially a 4 year old little girl. It was the older kids that would not shut up and really were interested in basically nothing in the cave.
Moaning is very different from Mercer--which is a more traditional cave with "rooms". For the ziplining crowd, Moaning offers a zipline but it was rather tame and cost $45. AlteCocker has gone ziplining before in both Costa Rica and Thailand. She saw no reason to spend $45 on a very tame one at Moaning. Due to the price she assumes, she saw no one using the zipline.
After Moaning she went into Murphys. Her intent was to have another macaron ice cream sandwich at the place where she had one on March 18th, but she found an artisanal ice cream shop, Jo-Ma's that called. The flavors had interesting names. She had mint chip and coffee almond ripple in common parlance. The shop had very funny names for their flavors (see photo below). She thought "Me Want Cookie" was very funny for cookie dough, but she was not in the mood for Cookie Monster ice cream.
On the way back AlteCocker noted a turn off for Natural Bridges from Parrots Ferry Road. She turned off, but noticed that the hike was down and she just finished climbing over 450 steps in a cave. Perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps not at all. Tomorrow is her last day in Sonora.
In the evening she did laundry. She even through her old white sneakers in because they were disgusting. They also were about ready to give up the ghost. They will be tossed in California. Fortunately, AlteCocker has an alternative pair of shoes. One of their soles is nearly off. Not a good idea to throw old sneakers in the wash when you are not at home where you have a gazillion pair of shoes!
April 1: Railtown 1897; A Free Train Ride
, The last full day in Sonora is Railtown 1897's opening day for the 2017 season. They are, as she knows from her previous visit, offering free train rides. Unfortunately, the engine is a diesel, not steam, because the train ride will be faster with a diesel engine. AlteCocker loves old trains, so it was rather a foregone conclusion that she would revisit Railtown 1897 to partake of a free train ride. A lot of people, of course, have the same idea. AlteCocker gets a ticket on the noon train. About a half hour before the ride, a queue forms--and people begin the great sport of line cutting. The handicapped are understandably being boarded first, but people with small children also join the handicapped queue. Not good. The whole place is run by volunteers, and AlteCocker guesses that there were just not enough people to manage the line cutting problem.
Finally the AlteCocker boards and gets one of the open air car seats (much better for taking photos. She sits with some people traveling with a small dog. The dog is very frightened of the train whistle. AlteCocker takes a few photos but the scenery is not very photogenic. There is entertainment online from a guy who plays a violin and a mandolin. He goes from car to car. Basically, the train goes on a straight line journey. The engine is moved from one end to the other at a stone quarry. Then the train goes back along the same route.
After lunch, AlteCocker heads to Historic Jamestown for lunch. After walking up and down Main Street choosing Pizza Plus, recommended by her home exchangers, for lunch. She has a mini pizza with green peppers and onions and a Diet Pepsi. Dessert is at Schnoggs back in Sonora--coffee and a raspberry scone. She begins chatting with a woman named Wanda (no not a fish). Wanda knows her home exchangers.
Before returning home, AlteCocker makes a quick trip to the grocery store and fills the gas tank in the car. Then it is time for the blog and packing. This home exchange is history.
Finally the AlteCocker boards and gets one of the open air car seats (much better for taking photos. She sits with some people traveling with a small dog. The dog is very frightened of the train whistle. AlteCocker takes a few photos but the scenery is not very photogenic. There is entertainment online from a guy who plays a violin and a mandolin. He goes from car to car. Basically, the train goes on a straight line journey. The engine is moved from one end to the other at a stone quarry. Then the train goes back along the same route.
After lunch, AlteCocker heads to Historic Jamestown for lunch. After walking up and down Main Street choosing Pizza Plus, recommended by her home exchangers, for lunch. She has a mini pizza with green peppers and onions and a Diet Pepsi. Dessert is at Schnoggs back in Sonora--coffee and a raspberry scone. She begins chatting with a woman named Wanda (no not a fish). Wanda knows her home exchangers.
Before returning home, AlteCocker makes a quick trip to the grocery store and fills the gas tank in the car. Then it is time for the blog and packing. This home exchange is history.
April 2: Marshall Gold Discovery State Park Coloma
It's the last day. So AlteCocker has one last shot at a major site. She goes to the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park in Coloma. It's really where California started. Now most think John Sutter found the gold at Sutter's Mill. Wrong! The Gold Rush did start at Sutter's Mill but it was James Marshall who found the gold--hence the name of the park. It takes 2 and a half hours to get there plus a diversion to La Taqueria, an absolutely terrific--not to mention inexpensive--Mexican restaurant in Placerville. It is full of people speaking Spanish having breakfast/lunch out on a Sunday--always a good sign. When AlteCocker goes to the counter to order, the menu on the wall is just enormous. She wants breakfast and orders huevos rancheros; later she regrets not ordering something she hadn't eaten before; there was this huge bowl of soup that looked delicious. You help yourself to as many taco chips with salsas as you want. One of the salsas had cactus and AlteCocker tries that (not good) in addition to chopped tomatoes and onions. Brunch was delicious and huge. Don't even think about ordering dessert if you go.
Then it is off to do a very windy road up to Coloma. Coloma is a sort of ghost town. There is nothing there besides the park. AlteCocker watches a short film on the Gold Rush and then takes a walking tour of the site with a tour guide from the park. It covers the recreated Sutter's Mill, the ruins of the original mill, and some other sites in the park including an original Chinese shop. No matter how many gold rush sites she has seen, there is something to be said for standing where it all began. So, Coloma will be the last tourist visit of the trip. She finishes by driving the car up the hill to visit the statue of James Marshall. His finger points to the spot on the American River below where gold was first discovered. He is buried beneath his statue. As with most of the miners, he died broke. The people who made money were those smart enough to go into the business of selling miners' supplies.
AlteCocker drives into her hotel for the night--Hawthorn Suites--which has an airport shuttle. It is much nicer than the Super 8 from the beginning of the trip. When she gets to the hotel, the only downer is that, after she returns the car in the evening, the only choices within walking distance are Denny's, McDonald's and Mexican. The hotel offers to drive her into Old Sacramento. After picking up one of her home exchangers at the Sacramento Airport and turning back the car, she had the hotel drop her off in Old Sacramento for dinner. The driver suggested Joe's Crab Shack--a boisterous place where people went to celebrate birthdays and eat masses of Alaskan king crab. AlteCocker would have preferred a quieter dinner, but, hey, Joe's was an experience. She, being only one, did not have the king crab in the pot but had a platter with crab cakes. Anytime it was time to celebrate a birthday, the birthday "victim" was put into a funny hat/costume and the waitstaff did a dance or performance. It is not a place where AlteCocker would like to celebrate her birthday!
After dinner, it was time for sleep. The hotel breakfast was excellent and then there was the airport shuttle and the flights home. The adventure was over.
Then it is off to do a very windy road up to Coloma. Coloma is a sort of ghost town. There is nothing there besides the park. AlteCocker watches a short film on the Gold Rush and then takes a walking tour of the site with a tour guide from the park. It covers the recreated Sutter's Mill, the ruins of the original mill, and some other sites in the park including an original Chinese shop. No matter how many gold rush sites she has seen, there is something to be said for standing where it all began. So, Coloma will be the last tourist visit of the trip. She finishes by driving the car up the hill to visit the statue of James Marshall. His finger points to the spot on the American River below where gold was first discovered. He is buried beneath his statue. As with most of the miners, he died broke. The people who made money were those smart enough to go into the business of selling miners' supplies.
AlteCocker drives into her hotel for the night--Hawthorn Suites--which has an airport shuttle. It is much nicer than the Super 8 from the beginning of the trip. When she gets to the hotel, the only downer is that, after she returns the car in the evening, the only choices within walking distance are Denny's, McDonald's and Mexican. The hotel offers to drive her into Old Sacramento. After picking up one of her home exchangers at the Sacramento Airport and turning back the car, she had the hotel drop her off in Old Sacramento for dinner. The driver suggested Joe's Crab Shack--a boisterous place where people went to celebrate birthdays and eat masses of Alaskan king crab. AlteCocker would have preferred a quieter dinner, but, hey, Joe's was an experience. She, being only one, did not have the king crab in the pot but had a platter with crab cakes. Anytime it was time to celebrate a birthday, the birthday "victim" was put into a funny hat/costume and the waitstaff did a dance or performance. It is not a place where AlteCocker would like to celebrate her birthday!
After dinner, it was time for sleep. The hotel breakfast was excellent and then there was the airport shuttle and the flights home. The adventure was over.