On September 13th the Model A tourists paid homage to some non-mining California history. First was the Chaw’se Indian Grinding Rock State Park and Museum in Pine Grove. The Krills explain the photo below. It’s “…a close-up look at the Soaproot plant the Miwok people used for soap, food, etc.” The word Miwok means people in their native language. … Continue reading From Miwok Culture to a Foundry to a Castle!
I never knew there were so many mines in the California Gold Country! Here the Touring Club’s on the way to the Kennedy Mine in Jackson, CA. According to Fearless Leader John, “This mine along with the Argonaut across the street, produced over $53,000,000 in gold. They call this section the richest 1/2 mile of … Continue reading Another Day, Another Gold Mine!
Ah… September 11, Patriots Day – a day to reflect and to remember, so here are a couple of flag images from Placerville, CA: The one on the left shows a flag one of our cars was flying, reflected in another car's window. The one on the right shows the Gold Bug Mine, which was … Continue reading Model A Folk Are Becoming Gold Mining Experts
We LOVE our Model A Fords! If you’re up early on a Sunday morning during a tour, this is what you’ll see: Since Placerville, CA, is our headquarters for a couple of days, we spent 2 or 3 hours enjoying Apple Hill. Here are some of our A's at Larson's Apple Farm. People really enjoyed … Continue reading MODEL A FORDS, APPLES AND BBQ!
On Saturday, September 9th, the Model A’s travelled down the “Golden Chain Highway” to Placerville, CA via Auburn. Along the way they had a chance to see sites as the Bernhard Museum Complex. Built in 1851 as the Traveler’s Rest Hotel, the Bernhard House has been welcoming visitors for over 150 years. Filled with artifacts … Continue reading TAKING OUR TIME VISITING THE GOLD COUNTRY
I have some leftover photos from the 7th: The Hulstroms, Bennetts & McBrides at the Historic Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley were on their way to dinner – having WAY too much fun! And, here's another shot of the Bourne Fountain: The stone used was from the mine after the gold was extracted. I usually … Continue reading DOWN INTO THE MINES…
This day, Sept. 7th, included a tour of the Empire Gold Mine, in Nevada County, California. The Empire Mine is on the National Register of Historic Places, a federal Historic District, and a California Historical Landmark. It is one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest-running and richest gold mines in California. More mine images: The … Continue reading GOLD, ANTIQUES…AND ERA FOOD!
Wow! The first full day of the tour was amazing! Below is a shot from the Nugget in Sparks, NV – just before the power outage! The Sisson’s car is outfitted with the official tour license plate for the tour, and you can see that the Model A's have marked their territory in Sparks, NV: The … Continue reading Immersing the Model A’s in the Mother Lode Country
The answer is... Almost anything! Model A people are persistent… They’ll drive through 115 degree heat in smoky California…Then they’ll drive over mountain passes… (That's Donner Pass and Spooner Summit) They’ll make new friends in a gas station… This man (didn’t get his name) was a professional musician who wrote a song about a '29 … Continue reading What Will a Model A’er Do to Get to the Start of a Tour?
The MATC Gold Rush Tour of Nevada and California officially starts tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 5th, with a welcome dinner at the Nugget Hotel in Sparks, Nevada. Some participants are trailering their Model A Fords to this starting point, but those of you who know Jay realize that he’s driving… through record heat! I opted to … Continue reading GOING FOR THE GOLD!
Model A Touring Club 