It was now time for Ashley's trip to see early California,  So, with pillows, suitcases, CDs and CD player we took off.

Ashley served as navigator almost the entire time.  We took rest breaks at M'D's, eating hamburgers and drinking shakes on the way up Interstate 5.  On the way home we took Hwy 101, which was much more scenic.

Santa Nella for Lunch

Of course, a major stop is Anderson's in Santa Nella.   Tom and I had their famous split pea soup, Ashley had a hamburger.  And all the good bread and crackers we could eat.  After that we passed the HUGE cattle feed yard, which Ashley says is nothing to what she saw at her grandmother's in Texas.

Ashley decided she didn't want to stop in Sacramento and slept as we went thru.  In Placerville, we stayed at the same hotel that we did with Chet and Joey.  They have nice rooms and a nice pool.  Cousin Mary Enfield, who lives nearby in Shingle Springs, brought her Uncle Ben and Aunt Cassie and we all went out to eat dinner together.  Then we all sat around the pool for a while, it was nice and warm.  It was good seeing Mary, Ben and Cassie.  We bought coffee and hot chocolate and they stayed until after evening.   Ashley swam and dived until dark, only getting out when the hot chocolate came!  Ben is Loleate's brother.

Placerville

Ben, Nancy, Mary, Cassie	Of course, they have a good spa!
Ashley was the swimming and diving	queen of the trip

 

This is Ashley's "shoe wardrobe" for a 5-day trip !!!!!

And was she ever neat and organized.

Sutter's Mill

After breakfast the next day we drove to Sutter's Mill.  We checked out all of the old buildings, the old machinery and the mill.  But Ashley was intrigued with the American River, hunting blackberries and panning for gold.  She got a bit, too.  And she got lots of fresh blackberries - we always picked from waist high!

	There were a lot of nice, ripe blackberries on these bushes.  There were also a lot of thorns!
Sunning on the American River
GOLD !!!!
	The road to this monument is the shortest State Highway in California.  This monument to James Marshall is California's first state monument. James Marshall stands on the top, pointing towards the river to the spot below where the first gold nugget was discovered.

 
 
 

This is a neat spot to drive by.  Quite a while ago they started nailing boots, old shoes, you name it, on the fence posts.   There are probably a couple hundred of  feet to this "foot fence".  This is just outside of Placerville on the way to the mill.

After two nights in Placerville, we left and headed for Sonoma.  We found Grannie Marzo's house and the Sonoma Creek which runs right behind it.

We headed for the Buena Vista Winery, one of the early ones established in the Napa Valley.  We didn't know it, but it has been closed for several years, after the Loma Vista earthquake.  But we walked around the grounds, found some more blackberries and went close to the large opening which goes into the mountain.  We could feel the cool air blowing gently out.  That is where they used to make and keep their wines ; they have a new facility now.

We had lunch in town in the garden of an old hotel.

Sonoma

Grannie Marzo's old home.  It looks small, but six adults lived there at one time, maybe more!
Lunch	in the garden

Dessert

John Muir State Park

Solitude among the redwoods
The Bohemiam Grove.  We have a photo of Uncle Dolf and some friends on this tree in the back, in the early 1900s

San Francisco

Over the Golden Gate bridge

A seasoned trolley rider.	Waiting for the next trolly back to Fisherman's Wharf.

Morro Bay

   

Morro Bay	A Corn Dog snack before lunch

San Luis Obispo

At Mission SanLuis Obispo

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