We hopped in the Pathfinder and headed out Highway 49 to the Chili Bar Put In, close to Coloma, to take a half-day river rafting trip on the South Fork of the American River. Read More »

We woke late after a lovely restful sleep, and unfortunately no encounter with the ghosts, to the smells of a multi-course breakfast. Read More »

On January 24th, 1848, James Marshall discovered gold in the tail race -- water exiting a mill stream used to power the mill wheel -- of the new lumber mill in the mountains east of Sacramento California. Had it not been for his partner John Augustus Sutter's tremendous ongoing demand for milled lumber for his fort in Sacramento, Marshall would have never setup the lumber camp or built the mill that caused the discovery of gold in California. Read More »

We flew into Sacramento late in the afternoon and picked up a new 1999 Nissan Pathfinder at the airport to take on our tour of the California Gold Country. We drove into town and deposited our luggage at the Sterling Hotel -- a lovely 12-room Victorian hotel conveniently located near all of the historical attractions in Sacramento. Read More »