A Christmas Escape to Fairyland

I've always admired the work of artist Wendy Addison without knowing who or where she was. Now that she has dozens of imitators (including a passel from China), it means more to me than ever to know that she spends half her time in the tiny town of Port Costa, on the Sacramento River. Too small to have a post office, and once a loading area for trains, the town features a few old store fronts, one of which is her studio and a tiny outlet space, the Theater of Dreams.

Her workshop is open on weekends preceding many holidays, and Christmas is a favorite time of year to appreciate her special medium: glitter. Not just any glitter. Years ago she discovered a special type of silver glitter made originally in Germany that was actually broken slivered glass (like a mirror). The shine was unparalleled, but there was a downside--like all silver, it tarnished over time. This "defect" turned out to be something of an advantage to those who collected her work, and the blackened stars and other objects became collectibles.

The designs change every year, but during Christmas, Easter and Halloween, Port Costa is the place to be.

A Really (Really!) Short Trip to Phoenix

These are glass Dale Chihuly "cacti"

Journeyed out on a brief trip to visit my friend who moved to Phoenix recently, and her dentist. I meet with and approve all my friends' service providers. No, I really was visiting her dentist because some expensive procedures cost about 1/3 less there than in the Bay Area--and that includes two round-trip flights! The main drawback is the Phoenix airport; due to runway rebuilding, three of my four flights were delayed between one and three hours. Flight personnel clued me to the best terminal to hang out in (if you HAVE to): Southwest Airlines (Terminal 4)--better restaurants, art etc. If you're going there, fly as early as possible in the morning.

We were able to do a little sight-seeing during my visit; unfortunately being outside for more than 10 minutes during the day is not something sane people do there (unless completely submerged in cold water), so the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was saved for another day. We toured the tiny town of Florence--its few western-style streets looked like a cowboy movie set deserted in mid-day--and visited its well-stocked second-hand store that had some real treasures.

Outdoor dining at Gertrude's

Then it was up to the city of Phoenix, and the Desert Botanical Garden, which proved to be a fantastic find. Surrounded by hills resembling melted chocolate ice cream, the garden itself is beautifully lit and laid out (it was late in the afternoon by then, and the temperature had dropped to a reasonable 85 degrees). Our companion pooch melted the hearts of the attendants, but alas, no dogs allowed.
Since my flight continued to be delayed, we ended up spending a couple of hours at the restaurant in the garden. Gertrude's has an upscale seasonal menu and mixed drinks that are made from local ingredients and reflect the sunset in their beauty (my vote for best: Tombstone Tea, made with vodka, gin, triple sec, prickly pear nectar and lime syrup).

My favorite bite was the smoked and fried tofu appetizer with tomato kasaundi (a tomato-based dip) and curry salt--it was the chef's grandmother's recipe, modified by her Canadian upbringing and time in New Orleans. Our waiter, Kent, was a doll, especially given the amount of time we dawdled nursing our drinks and waiting for news from the airline. Jared, the bartender, was kind enough to let us taste his favorite (California) wine.

Next time--hopefully in winter, when the air temperature will drop down to the 70s, there's plenty I'd like to see in the Phoenix area beyond Casa Grande: Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, the Painted Rock Petroglyphs...

Chihuly cacti at night

I'm just getting started! I better need more dental work soon...

Tea for Two at San Francisco's Grande Dame

Antonio Benedetti sings his heart out in front of the Fairmont

Purview of Presidents (from William Howard Taft on), The Fairmont Hotel--the first hotel built on prestigious Nob Hill--began serving a full cream tea the year it opened in 1907. And what and where better to celebrate my daughter's birthday?

How cute is the birthday girl?

In the early 1890s, “Bonanza Jim” Fair used some of his gains from the world's largest silver strike--the Comstock Lode in Nevada--to purchase a plot of land atop Nob Hill for a family estate, His lucky life didn't extend to the building of his dream home; daughters Tessie and Virginia inherited  the property and began to construct a hotel as a monument to their father. As architect, they chose the first female graduate of the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Miss Julia Morgan,

The Lobby

In what had to be the mother of all bad timing, the opening scheduled for April 18, 1906 was somewhat delayed due to a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.The Fairmont survived the temblor and hundreds of aftershocks, but fell victim to the insatiable fires that leveled much of the city in the next few days (herewith a plug for my novel Shaketown--featuring the Fairmont ballroom as a makeshift hospital on the day of the 'quake). The grand exterior of the building made it through, though the interior was gutted.

Exactly one year and $5 million later, the Fairmont Hotel celebrated the rebirth of San Francisco with
a feast consisting of 600 pounds of turtle for soup, 13,000 oysters and thousands of dollars of California and French wines.

The ever-so-soothing Laurel Court

Though our tea lacked turtle soup (permanently off the menu thanks to the endangered species act), it featured, in addition to a panoply of teas, an impressive variety of sweets and savories, such as two kinds of sorbets, Dungeness crab mango salad on sourdough, deviled egg salad, mixed berries, fresh fruit, two kinds of scones and an assortment of teeny pastry dainties and more. It took us a couple hours to work our way through--not an unpleasant task, as tea is held in the restored Laurel Court, a bastion of old-time ritzy San Francisco, right down to the softly lighted Italian murals on the walls.

The staff went out of their way to accommodate dietary needs--and who could resist "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate on a plate presented with a delicious bite of cake. Yes, we chipped off the chocolate and ate it--so much more dignified than trying to scrape it off with one's teeth. We are classy girls, after all.

http://www.fairmont.com/san-francisco/dining/afternoon-tea-at-the-fairmont/

Angel Fest: Blue Angels on Angel Island

Friend Jenny and I took the ferry out from Tiburon on October 8 to Angel Island State Park, then a shuttle to Point Knox across the bay from San Francisco to see the beginning of Fleet Week. The Navy's Blue Angels Jet Team performed along with the Breitling Jet Team from France and a number of other stunt flyers. The air show ran from noon to 4PM; the seven-member Breitling team from 2-3PM (their vapor trails and maneuvers were particularly intricate) and the Blue Angels in the last hour (tight formations are a hallmark of this team). Different websites cited different times, though I understand the Angels ALWAYS perform between 3 and 4PM. The jets sound like thunder, and the sound reaches you well after the airplanes have moved past. The most thrilling moment for me was when the Blues arrived over our heads on Angel Island, flying in from points north.
Here's my brief video of moments from the day.


For an amazing video of the Breitling Team over New York, see this YouTube. It makes you want to be a jet pilot (or at least buy a very expensive watch).

Once They Were Giants--and Still Are!

It's Bob!

Draft horses--an animal most people associate with the Budweiser Beer team of Clydesdales--are enormous! Weighing in between 1500 to 2400 pounds (the weight of an average automobile) and standing 16 to 19 hands tall at the shoulder (64 - 76 inches; a "hand" is four inches), these gentle giants tower over their fans. The draft horse is the second strongest work animal in the world, after elephants; a pair holds the record for hauling 5.38 tons! Clydesdales are one breed of these hefty horses still used for farm and lumber work and wagon pulls. In addition, the American Cream (the only native American breed), Belgians, Percherons, Shires and Suffolks are popular breeds.

The Annual Draft Horse Classic in the Nevada City Fairgrounds has been held for the last 29 years, and features buggy and wagon driving and a log-hauling competition. Competitors come from all over the United States and Canada. During the Sunday show I attended, we were treated to single ladies and single men buggy competitions in addition to six-horse team driving that takes incredible skill and practice.

The driver actually holds the reins to all six horses separately

In between the competitions, trick riders, precision teams (the California Cowgirls), and antique wagons (including an authentic chuck wagon and dairy delivery truck) entertained the crowd. One of the most beautiful and accomplished displays of horsemanship I've ever seen was by wild mustang trainer and genuine horse whisperer Bobby Kerr; the two animals he rode for the crowd were trained from the wild in 120 days, and it was clear the horses adored him and worked with him as members of a team. He also brought in two of his trained dogs who acted the part of cattle to demonstrate the horse's ability to cut and herd. One of the funniest moments of the show was when Kerr had his main mount climb up into the back of his pick-up truck and have a seat for the ride back out of the area.

The show wasn't the only attraction: there was an excellent display of horse- and wildlife-themed art, and continuous entertainment in a nearby stage.including Sidewinder,a western swing band, and Sourdough Slim, the Yodeling Cowboy--seriously impressive yodeling, folks.

 Next year's Classic is September 21-24. If you, like me, had a total obsession with horses as a little kid, you will LOVE this. Between shows, visitors are allowed to visit the horse barns and say hello to the big boys and girls. It's a little disconcerting when a horse's head is three feet above your own, but these are truly the gentle giants of the horse world, and as sweet-tempered as can be.

See a bigger, better version of the video below at Vimeo:  http://vimeo.com/185190626

Livin' the Lush Life at the Claremont

Few properties in the San Francisco Bay Area rival the Claremont Hotel for fascinating history.

Even the light fixtures are gorgeous

The "castle" sits high atop the Berkeley hills and is one of two landmarks that any local resident can identify from miles away--the other being the Mormon Temple in Oakland. In fact, the original "English castle" was built to please the wife of a Kansas farmer who struck it rich during the gold rush and purchased 13,000 acres on the site. Something must have rubbed off, as his daughter married into British Royalty in true Masterpiece style. The property changed hands, but was burnt to ruin in 1901. A pair of equally lucky miners won what was left in a checkers game, and proceeded to build the Claremont we identify today in 1905. Their dreams were shaken and stirred by the 'quake of 1906 and subsequent financial panic. The building was completed and opened it's doors to guests in 1915, just in time for San Francisco's Pan Pacific Exhibition.

Art in the lobby

Prohibition came and went, but repeal did little to lift the Claremont's spirits (literally). The nearby University of California forbade the sale of liquor within one mile of it's borders; an enterprising student won drinks for life by carefully measuring the distance from the school's border to the door of the hotel. With a few feet to spare, the Terrace Bar was born.

This can be yours for five grand

In 1937, a night clerk that had worked at the hotel since 1926 purchased the property and brought in big bands such as Count Basie and Tommy Dorsey for dancing and dining. The Claremont became a destination for dignitaries and prom dates. The hotel changed hands a few more times until it came under the auspices of Fairmont Hotels, who put up $40 million for a total restoration and an all-white make-over. Now known as the Claremont Club and Spa, visitors can come for a complete package.

Fairmont's renovation and modernization of the property might have made the interior stiff and cold; yet, they've managed to update restaurant, lobby, and rooms that continue to be warm and inviting. I was able to peek into the luxe President's Suite (with president's prices, $5K a night--but if you're the president of anything, you'd want to stay here).

Chef Joe explains it all to you

Which brings me to why I'm lounging around the Limewood Bar & Restaurant nibbling appetizers. The Limewood is the newest star in the Claremont's firmament; Chef Joseph Humphrey has a resume that includes stints at some of the most famous eateries in the U.S., and General Manager/Sommelier Benjamin Chanler Laurin (he of the fabulous French accent) have put together an impressive menu and wine list. Favorites are oysters with hot pepper vinegar and grilled and glazed Gulf shrimp.
The old girl on the hill continues to be a destination, and a great one. Frank Lloyd Wright's words still ring true; he dubbed the Claremont: "...one of the few hotels in the world with warmth, character and charm."

Spies Roam the Streets of San Francisco!

Just had big fun playing an agent in the active spy game "Jericho", brainchild of FoxHound Urban Adventures. As an agent, different teams met with me in several locations in the city to pick up "intel" (instructions on where to go next, who to meet etc.). Of course, several of us agents brought disguises--

I covered 5.5 miles from the Fort Mason Chapel to the steps outside the Marine Museum, to high on the hill of Coit Tower, to a tea shop on Kearny, then finally to an alley between Market St. and Mission (and back). If you like your exercise to have a dash of mystery and fun, this is the bomb (or Nerf gun, depending...).

Foxhound hosts a similar Jericho game for free every month as a meet-up.


Jericho was just one of the urban games featured as part of "Come out and play SF", hosted by Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture. Fort Mason has really upped the ante on the variety and quality of the events it supports. Check it out, and watch out for those Nerf bullets!

Swanning around Carmel with Mini-me

It was the all-girl get-away--just me and my daughter (who is taller than me, which I guess makes me the "mini"). We wanted to see the Monterey Aquarium again after many years. We stayed in a modest little hotel closer to Carmel than central Monterey: America's Best Value Presidents Inn Monterey on Munras (it has so many names it should have been more than a glorified motel, but it wasn't). I think the owners were new, as they were renovating the place--it was inexpensive, clean and quiet. My favorite thing about this hotel (even more than the well-kept hot tub nobody used): the waffle-maker in the lobby. Seriously. You'd fill this thing with batter from the dispenser, flip it over, and it would produce maximum-wonderful waffles in three minutes. Even my daughter, a confirmed waffle-hater, loved them. We figured out how to get there early enough to beat the waffle stampede.

The Aquarium was even more amazing than I remembered. The only sour note: I left my tickets at home, and had to buy new ones, not an inexpensive mistake. Ah, travel. The jellyfish exhibit is non-pareil, the otters adorable, and every "tenant" of the exhibits seemed lively and content--not always true for places where live animals are kept for the amusement and enlightenment of human visitors.

For dinner, we trusted Yelp--much as I love Yelp, I know what can happen. We chose a place in downtown Monterey called Sea Harvest on Foam Street; the owners must have a lot of relatives willing to give it four stars. For a place that sells fresh fish, the cooked version tasted suspiciously like dog food--but the "cuisine" wasn't the worst part. The bathroom was in a cinder-block building in the back; some dissatisfied customer ripped out the inside of the doorknob, so when it was time to leave, I discovered there was no way to open the door. I called for help thirty times, then proceeded to karate kick the door until I managed to bang my way open. My daughter thought I had instant food poisoning--a tip, take your cell phone with you if you have to make a journey to the loo.

Carmel Mission

Dametra Cafe

The next morning we awoke to faucet water the color of Coca Cola. A water main down the street broke. No showers for us! Fortunately, they gave out bottled water in the lobby, so we wandered down to Carmel for a long walk on the beach and a fantastic lunch at the Dametra Cafe on Ocean Ave. Delicious Mediterranean food in a charming place--well priced, well placed, and well worth 4.5 stars.

We also made a stop at the Carmel Mission, where Saint Junipero Serra is enshrined. The mission itself is historic and full of character, in spite of Catholic missionaries' misuse of the native population. On the last day, we hung out in the quiet town of Pacific Grove, and had a delightful snack at the 17th Street Grill.

Photo courtesy  of Adriayn Lee

See a better-quality version of this video on Vimeo:
http://vimeo.com/170577746

All in all, a great get-away, and a superb chance to bond over waffles with  my best gal.

It's about the Grass: Stemple Creek Ranch Grass-fed Beef, Baby!

My name is Joanne, and I am an Omnivore. There, I said it. I was a vegetarian for years, but realized one day that the entire world operates by eating something else, and ALL of those somethings were alive at some point, be they plants or animals. I lived on a farm in college, and raised my own meat: beef, pork and chickens. My animals enjoyed full, good lives, and met a quick and painless death (we should all be so lucky). I vowed if I was going to eat meat, it would be from the best possible sources. I'd like to say I kept that vow, but I often bought the cheapest meat I could find simply for lack of alternatives: that's where Stemple Creek Ranch comes in.

Loren Poncia and his wife Lisa  took over the 120-year-old  ranch from his parents in 2001 and expanded the ideas his father had set out years before: improving the quality of the creek that ran through the property by planting trees, improving the soil with more than 20 different types of grasses, and moving his herds of Black Angus from patch to patch to feed (and fertilize).

Hidden away behind the gentle hills off Fallon Rd. in Marin County, Stemple Creek is part of a 10-year soil study, the Marin Carbon Project--as dry land farmers, the Poncias depend on carbon in the soil to absorb rain like a sponge, producing clear run-off into the waterways. Last year, the farm saved the equivalent of auto emissions from 81 cars.

I was at Stemple Creek for a tour, which is scheduled on their website throughout the year (below). The tour started with an outdoor barbecue that left every fervent carnivore in the group sated (coulotte steak, yes!). Loren cooks up several different cuts of beef and there's plenty to go around, even if you're tempted to sneak a piece to Bailey, the very attentive golden retriever. The tour takes in the grounds and gives a lot of history of the place and the ideals which are the driving force of Stemple Creek Ranch.

Loren gets down to grass level to talk about soil improvement

To everything there is a season, and so it is with animals. The cattle wander fertile pastures for  24 months before they reach the valley of the shadow. Some calves are born in the spring, some in the autumn, and each year only a certain number are ready; however, from November to March, less beef is available because the grass quality is different, and Loren takes quality seriously. One of the objections to grass-fed beef is that it's too lean (and therefore tough when cooked). That is NOT the case here; all the cuts were some of the best fat-marbled beef I've ever laid tooth to, perfectly tender and tasty.

Beeeef!

You can schedule a tour or buy pastured, grass-fed Angus beef and lamb from Stemple Creek's Website (www.stemplecreek.com)  and have it delivered to your door. The site also lists all their current purveyors, including:

San Francisco Plaza Farmers Market, Ferry Bldg. Plaza on the Embarcadero, San Francisco, 8AM-2PM Saturday year-round    Ferry Plaza Market 

Marin Farmer's Market, San Rafael Civic Center, 8AM-1PM Thurs. and Sun. year-round   Marin Farmer's Market

The Local Butcher Shop, 1600 Shattuck, Ste. 120, Berkeley, CA    thelocalbutchershop.com/

V. Miller Meats, 4801 Folsom Blvd., Ste. 2, Sacramento, CA   vmillermeats.com/

Thistle Meats, 160 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma CA    thistlemeats.com

Lisa and Loren also rent out a cute rustic cabin on the property through Air B&B--great for a farm stay for families ($175/night): Rustic Cabin

All photos copyright Joanne Orion Miller unless noted

Toddling in Tuolumne: A Sweet Visit with Mr. Twain, Followed by Psychedelic Bowling

Buffet option at the Black Oak Casino (Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey)

While in the historic town of Columbia, I chanced upon Mark Twain (who preferred to be addressed as Mr. Clemens, his birth name). Mr. Clemens entertained with amusing stories of his time in the foothills and answered questions so authentically that I forgot our Samuel was really actor MacAvoy Layne, visiting from the Mark Twain Cultural Center in Incline Village, Nevada, where he appears regularly. If you love Twain and his humor, Layne's performance is worth a trip to Tahoe. I left him as he wandered off to find his "carriage" in the parking lot.

Inside Kate's Tearoom

Nelson's yumbos! Chocolate porn!  (Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey)

Columbia has a few unique places to visit: Columbia Kate’s Teahouse on the outskirts of town is the perfect spot for ladies who lunch; they also sell a plethora of tea blends. The nearby bakery offers killer scones and other baked goods. 

As a true sugar connoisseur, I feared Nelson’s Columbia Candy Kitchen was going to be another of those places that sold bulk wrapped candies in barrels, but was delighted to find they made most of their confections—for five generations, since the 1930s. In fact, they were named among the top ten sweet shops in America by USA Today. The chocolates, fudge, jellies and many other types of candies are all made in-house: a rare find these days. I remember with great fondness the milk chocolate/caramel/pecan turtle I devoured there. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Candy Kitchen holds a “make your own candy cane” event that’s so popular participants are chosen by lottery—go to their website (below) for information.

While in Tuolumne County, I stayed at the Black Oak Casino Resort Hotel. The hotel is new, the rooms are clean and spacious, and it’s a non-smoking facility located a sufficient distance from the casino that makes it both quiet and convenient. The casino is…a casino. Smoky, busy, loud and full of action: this is the place to go if you’re craving excitement. The two restaurants within the casino have filtered air, the better to enjoy decent quality meals. There’s a special occasion restaurant on another floor for big spenders. In the lounge, a rocking cover band (the Spazmatics) played hits from the 80s, put on an energy-filled show, and whipped the crowd into a dancing frenzy. The bowling alley in the basement is a party in itself.

It had to happen: folks who live in the old mining towns of the Sierra foothills want to enjoy a lot of the same distractions that urban dwellers do, from local theater productions to boogeying down in front of ear-shattering speakers, but it’s nice to know that the foothills have retained a lot of their rural and historic charm—the real gold these days--that makes the area so nice to visit.

Mark Twain Cultural Center, 760 Mays Blvd., Ste. 10, Incline Village, NV 89451 (775) 831-2820. This is a small bookstore and theater. Call to make sure a performance is scheduled.

Columbia State Historic Park, 11255 Jackson Street, Columbia CA 95310 www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com/

Columbia Kate's Teahouse, 22727 Columbia St., Columbia CA 95310 www.columbiakates.com/:

Nelson's Columbia Candy Kitchen, Main Street, P.O. Box 191, Columbia, California 95310 www.columbiacandykitchen.com/

Black Oak Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians www.blackoakcasino.com

All photos by Joanne Orion Miller unless otherwise noted.

Gold Country/Columbia, Gem of the Mother Lode

Strolling the streets of Columbia (Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey)

Everyone has heard the story of Sutter’s Mill, and how workman James Wilson Marshall found a few flakes of shiny stuff in a nearby brook in 1848; word spread to San Francisco and the subsequent gold rush built that city from a sleepy Spanish colony of 1,000 souls to a megalapolis of 100,000 in a year. Miners competing for claims spread out, and gold was found in the town of Columbia in 1850, many miles south of the original discovery site; between the first grains panned out of a boulder-strewn stream and the early 1900s, $87 million in gold was removed from the surrounding hills. Unlike many boomtowns of the Mother Lode, Columbia wasn’t deserted when easier methods of gold extraction petered out: because the lack of flowing water in the area didn't lend itself to destructive placer mining, the town remained a pleasant place to live. Though the population dwindled from several thousand to less than 500 at a low point, locals lobbied to make the town into a State Historic Park, succeeding in 1945. Buildings that were once hazardous were refurbished over time to create a sort of *Williamsburg West of the Gold Rush period (without the high prices to get in the buildings—all of the buildings, parking, and tours are free in Columbia).

Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey

Though the historic part of town covers only a few blocks, many buildings have costumed interpreters that enlighten visitors as to who lived and worked there (the nonprofit Friends of Columbia sponsors interpretation and education). A stagecoach takes riders around the town for a fee, and many of the storefronts house real businesses; some with touristy souvenirs, others with more substantial products like leatherwork and ironwork. 

Hot babe on the Fire Engine

There are displays of authentic period goods in a few buildings (the pharmacy and firehouse are particularly interesting), a couple of restaurants, and a playhouse that features modern performances. 


Two of the original hotels of the era are nicely refurbished and open for business: the Columbia City Hotel (most rooms have a toilet and sink, with shower down the hall) and the Fallon Hotel; both run from $50 to $105 per night, depending on choice of room. The state park has also fixed up three “modern” cottages in town ($115-155).

The upstairs parlor of the Columbia Hotel

Yes, it is touristy, though not at the level of Disneyland, where every shop sells trinkets emblazoned with Mickey Mouse. It's more of a cross between a well-preserved ghost town and a small-town downtown. I found the interpreters—often volunteers—to be a friendly font of information—they love what they do. In a following blog, I’ll review a few of my favorite places in this charming little historic town.

Inside the Pharmacy (Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey)

Columbia State Historic Park, 11255 Jackson Street, Columbia CA 95310

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=552

Map to this location

*You can read about Federal-era Williamsburg, VA in MoonHandbook: Chesapeake Bay

 All Photos by Joanne Orion Miller unless otherwise noted.

Gold Country/Father Knows Best: Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey

Conductor Brian gives us the goods (Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey)

My dad was a railroad man—he worked for the Southern Pacific for many years, and loved it. You can see that ardent love of the rails in all the volunteers who populate the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, one of only two fully operational roundhouse complexes left in the country (the other is at East Broad Top Railroad in Broad Top City, PA—yes, it’s in my book, Moon Travel Handbooks: Pennsylvania). A roundhouse is the shop facility that maintains and repairs rail engines and cars; equipment that's being restored is on display. The roundhouse is open for tours year-round, but there’s far more here. Most of the repairmen and "rail personnel" are volunteers, many of them former rail employees like my dad.

Our engineer by his locomotive (Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey)

Hollywood saved this historic site from being scraped during the Great Depression. Starting in 1919, more than 200 movies and television programs were filmed using the former Sierra Railway's steam engines, buildings, and other equipment. This historic landmark hosts regular round trips on a three-mile long-track Saturday through Monday from April through October: steam trains pull passenger cars on Saturdays, and vintage diesel locomotives operate on Sundays, plus Wednesdays in July and August (tickets $10-15, under 5 free). Each passenger car has a “conductor” that tells of rail days gone by. There are multiple events held throughout the year, and volunteers dressed as passengers during the hey-day of rail travel wander through the park and answer questions. One of the most popular and fun events is the Polar Express Train Ride in December; families can enjoy hot chocolate and cookies with costumed characters from the animated film, Polar Express. When passengers reach the North Pole, Santa comes aboard and gives each ticketholder a silver sleigh bell, “the first gift of Christmas.”

Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey

 The singular smell of the roundhouse—grease, dirt, steel and smoke—though rooted in a long-distant past--brought back so many memories of my dad returning from work, bearing a whiff of engines and rails on his clothes. The people who dress up and give their time and energy to this bit of American history, engineers in their stripped caps and Victorian ladies with parasols alike, are equally dedicated to the gritty romance of trains. This is a special place.

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, 
10501 Reservoir Road, Jamestown, CA 95327

www.railtown1897.org


Map to the location