Gold Rush Days

 

Labor Day Weekend in Sacramento means one thing – Gold Rush Days in Old Sac. They cover up the normal cobblestone streets with dirt, have docents all dressed up, and have shoot out shows in the middle of the street.  It’s been a few years since we’ve gone, and the weather wasn’t too hot so we decided to go early in the day to beat the crowds and we went on Saturday, not actual Labor Day.

We parked in our secret (shhhh don’t tell anyone) FREE parking area that we found during the St Patty’s day parade and have parked there ever since when we go to Old Sac. It’s closer than even the $8 an hour parking!  It does require a 6.4 minute walk to Old Sac, crossing the Tower Bridge.  In all the years and times we’ve been to Old Sac, we’ve never seen the bridge go up.  As we were parking, Jacob said, “I wonder if the bridge ever goes up. We’ve never seen it working.”

As we started across the bridge, we looked down the river and saw the train bridge had opened and was letting a boat through, and the boat was heading our way.

 

 

 

Just then  we heard the loudest horn you’ve ever heard. It came from the top of the bridge we were crossing!  Then lights and bells on the bridge started to go off and gates closed across the bridge, closing it to traffic.  We proceeded walking past all the signs that say “GET BEYOND THIS GATE YOU HEAR THE WARNING BELLS” so we hurried to get beyond the gate.

Shortly after that, a gate closed blocking walking traffic as well.

Right next to us on the road, these HUGE steel pillars came up from the ground, just in case a car blew past the crossing arm. These would sure stop you!

 

And then the middle of the bridge started to rise!

 

 

 

 

When it was up all the way, the boat sailed calmly through, and then the bridge came back down again. 

 

We were so lucky to be there just at the right time!  It was very cool to watch it and be right there.

 

We then walked around Old Sac and watched some shoot-out old west shows, and heard an extremely loud cannon be shot that made our ears ring for about 15 minutes after it went off. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to the car, we found this very disguised geocache hidden in a hollowed out branch. Hannah was the one to find it, and she wanted to make sure I wrote down that it was the first cache she found by herself in “about 5 years” she said. She was very proud!

 

All Aboard!

We found out that the Steam Trains at a local park were free one Saturday afternoon, and it had been probably 2-3 years that we went, so it was time.  The train are 1/8 scale of the real thing, and the track is about 2 miles long winding around, through and over the park.  It’s a fun little ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then went on a hike at the Maidu Indian place where we found some geocaches, and walked along the river skipping rocks.

 

 

 

In A Van…..Down By The River…….

 

So we’ve lived here now for almost 8 years and we’ve never floated down the American River.  Groupon made it time to try.

We picked a good day, upwards of 105 degrees, and we got to the river raft place as instructed before 11. It was CROWDED!  It was like opening day of a new Apple Store or something!  We couldn’t believe how crowded it was!  It almost made us think about opening another river raft rental place on the river to provide some competition…..Almost……

Anyhow, after snaking through the huge line, in the sun, we finally made our way to the front and got our raft.  The put-in location was packed with large groups, some renting 4 and 5 of the 12 person rafts, then they would tie the rafts all together, and the 40-50 people had coolers, water squirters, umbrellas, they came prepared. One group even had a fire hose to squirt water, complete with a gas powered generator to shoot the water! It was amazing!

We were lucky as we put in the river quick, and got inbetween all the big groups, so we didn’t have too much company during our 3 hour float down the 3-4 miles of the river.  It’s not white water, it’s smooth and slow going, but perfect for just watching, swimming, relaxing and floating by the mansions looking at the expertly manicured backyards.

It was fun.  We would recommend not waiting 8 years to do it. Do it sooner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utah Bound

 

Seems it’s time for the annual summer trip to Utah. To visit family, drop Marissa off at EFY, and have a Fam Reunion.

I decided to do some research on a particular spot in Nevada that everyone drives by and looks and says, “What is that junk yard?  What is it for? Why is it there?”  It’s between Reno and Winnemucca.  I knew there had to be a geocache there, so I looked and of course there was!  Along with more information about the place. And that it’s a historic site. And that you can walk the grounds. And that it’s free!

Story goes that a Creek Indian, who was 47 years old parked an old travel trailer in the sagebrush and covered it with concrete and lived in it. For the next 20 years, he continued to add onto it. He added onto the trailer and made many rooms, using old glass bottles to let in light, and using old car windshields as larger windows.  It was three stories, with a basement. He had 5 acres that he covered with “stuff” like fake rock walls built over scrap iron frames, rusted old wagon wheels, car hoods, typewriters and gas pumps. Junk cars were used as berms. Plastic baby doll heads on tree branches, (Our favorite).

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a very strange place, and definitely one that you should stop by and take a look when you’re in the area.

 

 

We went to the Balloon Fest in Provo this year. We always mean to go, but then 5:30 am comes around and the bed usually wins out. Not this year!  It was worth it and we were glad we went!  You get so up close to the balloons! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course the favorite is the Pig balloon and the Smokey balloon.

 

 

Coca Cola had a HUGE balloon there, and we were standing right next to it when they were blowing it up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the kids rolling on the Coca Cola balloon to get all the air out of it.

 

 

The balloons then came back over the field for some balloon games – they would have to either pop another balloon floating on a string, and/or drop a beanbag on a big X in the middle of the field. Whichever came closest won.

 

 

 

 

 

We went to Heritage Days at the Park in Orem. Jacob said he was glad we didn’t have to get water like this anymore, as he was too short and it would always drag on the ground and the water would spill out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course we watched the fireworks at the Stadium of Fire. We changed our spot this year as our normal spot got smaller due to construction on campus and we found a new spot for us.  Right next to the Stadium where you can actually hear what’s going on inside and see all the fireworks, and it’s next to an empty parking lot (cuz it’s the fallout zone) so all the kids play and run around and have fun.  This year we got to hear the Beach Boys concert.

 

 

 

We went to a few museums…….

 

 

 

 

 

Had yummy dinner at our favorite place………..

 

 

Jacob had fun mowing Grandpa’s lawn  (and riding the 4-wheelers around the newly mowed lawn afterwards)…….

 

 

 

Went to a great family reunion and it was fun seeing everyone and catching up…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way home we stopped at a new museum-like rest stop information area in the middle of Nevada, right before (if you’re going West) the tunnel.  It’s where the two trails the emigrants took met up into one trail.  It was a VERY nice information center, that rivaled museums you would pay for, and this one’s free!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent time with Meghan, and family and had a great time!