Watching Hulu TV

Yesterday was a day of rest after our long drive to Pismo Beach on Saturday.  Well, it was a day of rest for Dave, anyway.  He was glad to watch football all day.  I went out on some errands to Walmart and Albertson's.  The temperature here in Pismo Beach was in the 70s and it was a beautiful, sunny day.  We went for a bike ride before the football marathon started. :)

Like most RVers, we don't get our local network stations on our motorhome satellite once we get a certain distance from home.  During this trip we've been taking advantage of hulu TV which lets us watch network programming for free on our computer. 

After making a useless trip to the Radio Shack in Arroyo Grande, (a very poorly-supplied store), we went to Best Buy in San Luis Obispo to get a cable that allows the computer to hook up with our motorhome TV.  Using hulu, yesterday we watched last week's Amazing Race in anticipation of watching this week's finale using the RV park's cable.  The WIFI speed is fast enough at this park so that we can use Hulu.  Tonight we watched the last two episodes of Hell's Kitchen in preparation for the finale of that show this Wednesday night. 

CASA in Placerville and Travel to Pismo Beach

We made it to Pismo Beach today!  See Dave's blog for the full story of our ten day stay at DeMartini RV while we got several motorhome repairs done.  Everything is fixed (we hope) and we left Grass Valley at 7:30 am this morning and arrived at Pismo Coast Village by 3:30 pm.  This is the park where Margie and Bruce were stockholders and were staying when they were killed.  It's bittersweet being here and, of course, we are thinking of them.

In the meantime, while we settle into the Pismo Beach area, I'll share another sight we saw during our walk along Placerville's historic main street, which was the following sign for their local CASA branch.  I occasionally see this national CASA symbol of arms raised to form a heart during our travels.  It always warms my heart to see that CASA is active in these towns.

My own CASA volunteer work has been on hold lately.  I fininished up a three year case in October, and haven't taken on a new case yet.  I got a little burned out while working on such a long case.  In addition, I knew we would be doing a lot of traveling this fall and winter, and it's hard to do a good job advocating for children when I'm not home to do the interviewing, attend court dates, etc.

Festive banners displayed in Placerville

Now if they would just say "Merry Christmas"!

Mandarins

While we were in Placerville, I bought a few mandarins which were for sale outside Placerville Hardware.  This hardware store had a plaque outside which stated that it is the oldest continuously operating hardware store west of the Mississippi.  It has been in business for almost 160 years.  Old hardware stores are always interesting to look at, but I've never bought mandarins at a hardware store.

Ever since we arrived in the Gold Country over a week ago, I have been seeing signs advertising mandarins.  Usually the signs were at Christmas tree farms or lots.  Evidently the weather and elevation here are just right for growing mandarins. 

My Satsuma mandarins

I know them as "mandarin oranges", which turns out not to be correct.  That name has incorrectly been given to canned mandarins, which are the kind I was most familiar with.  I am fond of mandarin oranges--as a snack or in a salad.

Canned mandarins

After doing some internet research, I discovered that they are not, in fact, oranges.  They are more like tangerines, but, as I found out, tangerines are really mandarins!

Even though tangerines are a traditional Christmas stocking item, I'm not fond of them, despite how easy they are to peel.  I don't like all the seeds. 

Mandarins, however, generally don't have seeds, are still easy to peel, and have a sweet taste.  I bought a few mandarins at the hardware store, and after I ate a couple of them, I wanted to buy some more.  We were back in Grass Valley by then, and I didn't feel like going to a Christmas tree farm to buy more mandarins, so I bought a bag of satsuma mandarins at Safeway.  They were good, too, but not quite as good as the hardware store mandarins.

It’s believed that Satsumas were first grown in Japan around 500 years ago. Their skin is slightly bumpy, loose and zips right off, thus the nickname “zipper skin.” Their seedless fruit is sweet and juicy.

Mandarin tree

Another variety of mandarins are the Clementines.
Small and seedless, Clementines are known for their red-orange skins, which are smooth, glossy and easy to remove. Their juicy fruit is sweet and tangy, with a hint of tangerine.

The internet reported that mandarins may hold secret to fighting allergies and colds according to the USDA
In a recent study by the USDA, mandarins grown in Placer County have been shown to help fight allergies and cold symptoms. The USDA tested mandarins from 10 different micro climates in Placer County and found that they contain six to seven times the amount of synephrine, a naturally occurring decongestant, than other citrus fruits.

During Chinese New Year, Mandarin oranges and tangerines are considered traditional symbols of abundance and good fortune. During the two-week celebration, they are frequently displayed as decoration and presented as gifts to friends, relatives, and business associates.

More from my internet research about mandarins:

"According to most of the world’s citrus experts, all of the loose skinned, cold-hardy citrus are mandarins, botanically known as Citrus reticulata. Properly speaking, they are not mandarin oranges, but simply mandarins. However, since many Americans’ only acquaintance with mandarins is from a can labeled “mandarin oranges”, it may be helpful to call them mandarin oranges, even if it is not technically correct. Interestingly, DNA technology has revealed that the common or sweet orange is probably a hybrid of a pummelo, a large, thick-skinned citrus, and a mandarin. So, even your orange is part mandarin!

Where did tangerine come from? Mandarins were first imported from China into the Mediterranean region through the port of Tangiers, hence the name tangerine. However, to quote one citrus expert, Lance Walheim, “The name tangerine has no botanical standing; rather it appears to have developed as a marketing term for bright colored (reddish-orange) varieties of common mandarin, such as Dancy”.

Use of the term tangerine is not consistent, as some pale yellow- orange fruit are also called tangerines. Outside the US, the term is rarely used. To put it succinctly, a mandarin is a mandarin and so is a tangerine."

A mandarin is not an orange...and that's all you need to know about mandarins, except that if you type "mandarin" into an internet search engine, you will get an article about the mandarins who are Chinese bureaucrats.  If you want to find out about the fruit, you have to type in "mandarin orange"!

Chinese mandarin bureaucrat--perhaps he likes to eat mandarins?

Coloma and Placerville, CA

Today's day trip took us on historic highway 49 south of Auburn, CA.  The first six miles south of Auburn were very curvy and hilly.  We were in the car, and Dave decided that he would never want to drive our big motorhome on this part of the road.

It took us almost 50 minutes to drive the twenty miles to Coloma.  There we visited Marshall Gold Discovery State Park, the site where James Marshall first discovered gold and sparked the California Gold Rush.   We didn't have time to visit the museum, but we saw Sutter's Mill.   Marshall was an employee of John Sutter's when he found several flakes of gold.  Sutter and Marshall tried to keep the discovery a secret, but eventually the word got out.  During the next seven years, around 3000,000 people came to California to seek their fortunes.

Sutter's Mill was only in operation for a couple of years, then a flood damaged it.  When it was rebuilt in 1967, they found some of the original timbers still there.

Sutter's Mill in Coloma

The South Fork of the American River where John Marshall discovered gold in 1848

After our brief visit to Coloma, we drove further south on Highway 49 to the town of Placerville, where Highway 50 intersects with 49.  Many Californians know Highway 50 as the "road to Tahoe".  We didn't have time to visit Lake Tahoe this trip, as it was another 61 miles away.  

Placerville was a fun town to visit.  After lunch at Buttercup Pantry, we walked up and down the historic main street.  Many of the old buildings had signs explaining their history.  Many of the old buildings had been refaced and it was good to see them still in use today.

Placerville used to be called Hangtown.  It's the county seat of El Dorado County, and during the Gold Rush era, it was known for the many hangings that took place there.  The hanging tree is gone now, and the old buildings that replaced the tree are now being refurbished.  It was renamed Placerville after the placer gold mining that took place there.

A person of fame in Placerville was Snowshoe Thompson, the famous Norwegian skier who delivered mail, medicine, and supplies in the treacherous Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The California seal on the El Dorado County courthouse in Placerville.

This historic bell tower was used to summon the volunteer firemen.

One of the old buildings, now an Italian  restaurant

The next picture is not one of the old buildings.  This dress was featured in the window of a formal wear shop.  Dave couldn't understand why I wanted to get a picture of it.  This dress was all metallic and was one of the most unusual modern dresses that I have ever seen.  I didn't go inside the store to inquire about the price of the dress.

The dress to be worn by the belle of the  Christmas Ball?

And finally, on our way home, we had a good view of  this I-80 bridge, crossing the north fork of the American River, just east of Auburn, a road that many Californians know as "the road to Reno".

Rough and Ready, CA

We are still camped at DeMartini RV in Grass Valley.  Now we are waiting for a couple of parts which will (hopefully) be here by Wednesday morning.  Dave and I had some free time this afternoon, so we went on a little trip to the nearby town of Rough and Ready.

The first established settlement in Rough and Ready was made in the fall of 1849 by a mining company from Wisconsin known as the Rough and Ready Company. Their leader, Captain A. A. Townsend, named the company after General Zachary Taylor (nicknamed "Old Rough and Ready") who had recently been elected the 12th President of the United States. Captain Townsend had served under Taylor when he commanded the American Forces during the U.S.-Mexican War.

Rough and Ready is the only mining town to have "seceded" from the Union and then voted itself back in.  Populated mostly by miners from the state of Wisconsin, the town hoped to rid itself of a recently-introduced tax on new mining claims and the prohibition of alcohol in Nevada County. It was decided in a town meeting in April 1850 to draw up articles of secession, forming the "Great Republic of Rough and Ready." Less than three months later, when preparing for an Independence Day celebration, community members realized that they were no longer entitled to celebrate US independence, and the secession was rescinded by popular vote.

 

The Toll House 

Tolls charges

Not much remains of this town today, but the drive on Highway 20 was pretty, the town name unique, and the secession history interesting.

Empire Mine State Historic Park, Grass Valley, CA

On Sunday, while Dave watched football all day, I went out to explore Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley.  After reading the reviews of this park online, it sounded like it was worth checking out.  I was not disappointed.

This historic park tells the story of hard-rock gold mining and its significance in California's history.  The Empire was the oldest, largest, and richest gold mine in the Grass Valley area.

I paid the $5 entrance fee plus an extra $2 to go on the guided cottage tour.  I did not pay for the mine tour since I was able to a self-guided tour of that area.  The park was not too busy and I was the only customer for the cottage tour.  My tour guide, Paul, was one of 250 volunteers who work at the park.

Paul, my tour guide

 

First, Paul told me about the history of the mine, including details and pictures of the families involved.  Then we went on a walk to tour the clubhouse, which was built as a place to entertain wealthy visitors, mostly from the San Francisco area.  The clubhouse contained a bowling alley, squash court, billiards room, a ballroom,  a bar, as well as a few rooms for overnight guests, and outside, a tennis court.

The mine clubhouse

In 1850, flecks of gold were found in a surface outcropping of quartz where the park's main parking lot is now located.   Hearing the news, hundreds of miners flocked to this area to stake out the customary 40-foot by 30-foot placer claim.   They soon discovered that they lacked the skills necessary to tunnel deep into the earth. 

Granite with flecks of gold

The original owner, George Roberts, became discouraged and sold his claim for $350.  In 1879, Willam Bourn, Jr. took over management of the mine after his father's death.  At that time, the mine was thought to be non-profitable and was about to be closed.  Bourn reorganized the company and by 1884 the operation was making a profit once again.

The headframe supported the track which carried the men, equipment, and rock to and from the mine.

Much of the Empire's success was due to George W. Starr, who served as superintendent until 1929.   Skilled miners who emigrated from Cornwall, England, were experienced in hardrock tin and copper mining, and brought in experience, skill, and the latest technological advances in mining equipment.

A view down into a mine

Ore cars 

The Empire mine offices, built using waste granite.  

Remains of the mine stamping operation 

The highlight of the tour, in my opinion, was the tour of the Bourn cottage.  This house was 4600 square feet and used by Mr. Bourn and occasionally by his family when they came to visit.  It was called "the cottage" to distinguish it from the family's mansion in San Francisco.

The Bourn family "cottage"

The cottage was built in 1897 at a cost of $25,000 for the house and an additional $10,000 for landscaping the extensive grounds.  The lower wing was used for storage.  The main floor contained the kitchen, service rooms, a spacious living room, a dining room, and a reading room which was later converted to a bedroom after Mr. Bourn's stroke in 1922.  The family's four large bedrooms and two baths were across the front of the second floor.  Two bedrooms and one bath for the servants were located above the kitchen area.  The interior of the cottage is paneled in heart redwood.  The home was built with indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, and electricity which was generated from the mine. 

Living room

Dining room, with a view out to the screened porch

Mr. Bourn's office and reading room

The system of bells used to summon the servants

A view of some of the grounds of the park

If you are ever in the Grass Valley, CA area, I highly recommend taking the time to visit this state park!

Snowshoeing in Truckee, CA

After spending Thursday and Friday killing time in a conference room at DeMartini RV while we waited for news about the progress of the repairs to our motorhome, Saturday we were ready to take a drive.  We chose to go to Truckee, in the Sierra Nevada mountains near the Nevada border.

Viewpoint from Highway 20 on the way to Truckee

We took our snowshoes with us, and we found lots of snow in Truckee.  After lunch at a interestingly named place called "Coffee And", we visited Donner Memorial State Park.   Most everyone knows the story of the infamous Donner party of emigrants who took a "shorter" route and ended up being stranded without food during the winter. 

Donner Lake

The small Emigrant Museum at the park features exhibits about the Truckee Basin, local Native American life, the overland immigration of the Donner party in 1840, construction of the transcontinental railroad, and lumbering and ice harvesting.

Emigrant Trail Museum at Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, CA 

Truckee is at an altitude of over 6000 feet and is full of natural beauty, especially when the area is full of snow.  We strapped on our snowshoes and went for a walk on the nature trail at the state park, following a marked guide written for winter viewing.

Dave snowshoeing on the nature trail

A winter scene along the trail

Donner Creek (next three pictures)

We didn't mind spending the weekend in this area and now we are refreshed and ready to spend another day hanging out in the conference room at DeMartini.   Hopefully the motorhome repairs will be finished on Monday and we will then head on to our next adventure!