Forbidden Universe
Paranormal => The Paranormal & Ghost Society => Topic started by: AngelOfThyCosmos on February 12, 2018, 08:37:01 PM
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When I first moved on up to the area I had a fascinating with the Forty-niners and the discovery of gold which paved the way for the American West. Prior to that not allot was known about the west because nobody dared traverse its mountains. Even today despite the great migration of millions of emigrants building towns in the most remote regions of the country some areas still remain unexplored even today. Coloma however was not one of those locations in fact it was the gold discovered here which led to a great rush and people from all over the world poured into the gates of San Francisco.
About six years ago I visited Coloma it was on accident really I read about this place but had no idea we would be going through town. So when I seen ruins and other historic sites I had to stop even for a brief half hour. So my first visit I walked downtown briefly which was Main Street, check out the old jail and looked around a bit in the museum. I thought to myself wow not much remains but a few homesteads and buildings downtown boy was I wrong. Coloma is a fairly large semi ghost town and I say semi because there are folks who have nice homes on the hillsides of this gorgeous forest in the sierra foothills of California.
Since we already have Coloma on our site in the future its going to be revamped were going to bring so much content to our viewers they are going to go wild. Coloma deserves an extensive web addition on our site but also for the schools to take advantage of. I am all about education that is really my goal of why I run PGS its not about me its about giving back to others. Coloma may just be one of the top ten relevant historic sites in the nation and really the entire area is a massive historical landmark.
I was excited to go back you have to understand its been six years since I been here back then I did not have time to explore it. This time around I had the entire day just to grab the pack and hike around this ghost town seeing what kind of gems I could find. You never find anything unless your willing to work a little for it believe me. This time of year Coloma is the perfect adventure with all the leaves changing colors and with Halloween approaching. I am very careful with how we take on the month of October every year for almost 20 years when it comes to investigations mixed in with Fall events.
People do not realize that if Coloma never happened then all these ghost towns, mines and places I investigate out west would never have existed. Once gold was discovered here millions of pioneers made there way into Nevada, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Washington and all of California. I love Nevada it is my home has been for a long time but also California is a second home to me also. I mean what more could I ask for other then to be surrounded by nature, history, mountains and good times? Like I told everyone on facebook I would be happy living in a small little cabin in the woods of Coloma right on a stream surrounded by the beautiful forest there in the apocalypse living a simple life.
When miners came here that is what they did their was no amenities they had small cabins with a Woodstock, cot for sleeping on and a few bare necessities. On this adventure I would get to visit such cabins where its early residents lived and even the most wealthy of men had so very little. So visiting Coloma you sort of get an idea of what life was like here at one time. I have to say it had to be a good life being on the American River after all the Native Nisenan and Miwoks lived in this area for thousands of years. So you can imagine how much of a shock it was when the white man started pouring on in taking there land and spreading disease nearly wiping out entire tribes. Life was hard here not just for the natives but all pioneers coming here with nothing therefore men and women died making Coloma a truly haunting little gem.
I could not wait to go up here as you can see I am once again making trips out of town on a regular basis. In the winter or cooler months its more risky you have to bring wood, blankets, supplies etc I mean after all you have to cross the snowy sierras to get to Coloma even in the fall. But when you get here it really is a world of its own with nature everywhere, rolling hills, ranches, streams, history and so forth. In a sense you feel magic here. The Fall is the best time to go when its cooler out and the leaves are changing. Their has to be over 100 types of trees and foliage that grows in Coloma it is truly a wonder to see.
We had great plans for Coloma as we would visit the Pioneer and St. Johns Cemetery, two churches, many cabin sites including where James Marsh resided, Native American village site, Sutters Mill at least the replica of it, Historic Bridge, Marshall's Monument, Theater, Jail, Nature Center and all of downtown. It is quite extensive and if you really want to get into it there are some hikes that loop all the way around the back end of the town for a few miles then again you can drive also above the town whichever you prefer. I mean really you could spend days roaming this place if you wanted there has to be at least 30 sites worth checking out and I believe whit just about hit them all.
I left for Coloma at 5am everyone seems to be so anti leaving early such as friends I talk to and even my family. They just do not get that it gets dark out early even if you leave at five am getting somewhere at 8am still almost is not enough time to see any ghost town if your truly investigating and exploring it. I like to get out hike, climb, explore and investigate the paranormal. I am not a fancy paranormal investigator but I get the job done no matter where I go or what I do because I am talented but also committed to truthseeking. I believe Coloma is a viable haunted location I have heard stories but I wanted to make my own. So we set off early on my way over the mountains we hit snow, below zero temperatures and I had gotten me a Toffee Latte it was pretty decent. Our adventure would begin at the old Pioneer Cemetery.
Coloma California
Expedition 2
I have to say this is a creepy little cemetery I mean the sun just came home the air was crisp, leaves all over the ground, dismal and nearby their was a herd of lovely deer just grazing looking up at me. You can imagine how excited I am just to see nature at such a historic site. I felt lucky to have gotten here in one piece you see the road going up to Coloma is so narrow and up on cliffs it is dangerous. A fire engine nearly hit me coming down its amazing how one mistake could change everything including if your alive or dead. I certainly was just glad to be walking around this cemetery and not a permanent member of it lol.
This is a gorgeous gold rush cemetery believe me with moss growing on the stones, shady trees, hills, wrought iron enclosures and beautiful gravestones that were etched with precision. Sadly its hard to imagine that their are around six hundred burials here yet about five hundred gravestones or markers have simply vanished. Therefore no matter where you walk your walking on unmarked graves here its just a stone cold truth.
The cemetery dates back to around 1848 but the oldest gravemarker remaining today dates back to 1849 really this is the oldest cemetery found in the west at least in relation to the white Europeans who first came to the region. Prior to the gold rush California was a part of Mexico and was under Spaniard rule. So when the miners came to Coloma many of them including their children died only to end up being buried here on this hill above town. Since many were very poor they had gotten wood crosses which over time blew away or the elements ruined them so it became a cemetery with many fallen whose names may never be known to any of us.
The cemetery is dismal at night this place probably is creepy as hell I just get that vibe. To be honest with you out of all the locations I visited in Coloma this place felt like this is where it is at in regards to it possibly being haunted. Many of the graves are weathered, vandalized and others are illegible. We found towards the very back of the cemetery a newer section with all its graves having fresh flowers on them. But other then that you could tell that the cemetery gets very little visitors. Despite its relevance to the gold rush people are to much in a hurry to stop by and at least pay there respects. I made sure I paid mine before I went adventure into town.
It was quiet here my EMF may have spiked once not a big deal but its important to take photos and EVP because I aim to always get evidence a place is haunted. Sometimes I get something other times I do not when I do not I just value the history of such a graveyard. Many of the first miners and people who braved the American West are buried on this hill its incredible when you think about it. They probably had no idea what life was going to be like in today's time with how many of these places grew into major cities. Coloma though never grew as a matter in fact within a few years it went bust and most miners moved on to Nevada or places like Virginia City.
The cemetery has a haunting feeling you ever just get that feeling your not alone? That is how I felt here I do not feel that to often but the place has potential. Many of the kids buried here died in epidemics while some just were victims of the wraith that the wild west brings such as harsh elements. None of the wood gravemarkers remain but the stone ones from emigrants from all over the world sit on this hill today. I mean its not to often you can say you went to the first gold rush cemetery in the west. Strangely James Marshall was never buried here unlike the other pioneers.
We would eventually move on to the next stop which is an old theatre its quite historic surrounded by forest. Next door to the theatre is a private winery you could see this stone archway through the trees its old but there is no way to get access to it unless you decide to visit here. The theatre looked less like a theatre and more like a saloon in my opinion. No less its a wonderful site to see most theatres have a long history of being haunted. It was closed when we seen it but they do open it up time to time we seen some posters and events posted near the front door.
Our next stop would take place at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church its white has a giant steeple in the front. The bottom of the door has pieces of wood chipping away and you can see its age. But no less its in great shape for as old as it is. There are not many churches with this age left to stand here out west. Its an old white church with long glass windows on the sides and a large one in front. My only regret of my expeditions is that I should have looked inside the church and I got side tracked with something else nearby. Something I tend to do when I am exploring is jump around allot because like a big kid I get excited. So I have to apologize ahead of time because I did get photos of many of the locations inside Emmanuel I forgot too out of exploration deterring lol.
After the church and theatre I parked up near this homestead its actually quite large. I think out of all the cabins and homesteads in town this one was the largest of the estates. It was a two story wood home with a giant porch on it. I parked up here because its near the Marshal Trail, Coloma Catholic Church and St. Johns Cemetery. The nice thing about Coloma is you can drive to various parts of the ghost town park and hike on in just about anywhere here. The church is a bit of a distance from the road you have to walk through these gates and up a hill through the woods its pretty quaint and relaxing. I mean honestly if you want away from the city this is the place to go.
This church is a little smaller then Emmanuel rather then having a steeple it has a separate bell tower out front that could be rung for services. It has some wear in tear but again for its age its in good shape. I did manage to get some photography inside here the wood pews are still all in tact along with a chalice for holy water and a fairly simple alter with a cross. Not like today's Catholic churches which have gold in the ceilings or giant marble statues. This is a pioneer church so when you see it you get the idea of what life was like here in the mid 1800's if you were a miner attending Sunday service. The foundation of this church is all stone and the wood frame rest on top of it its the real deal!
If you walk up a hill next to the church you can also visit the Marshall Cabin. The man that discovered the gold that sparked the gold rush lived here for so many years. Even today the fruit trees he planted still grow around this old homestead. I am impressed with how great of shape the cabin in I mean how can you not love this little house on the prairie type of stuff? This is much larger then your average miners cabin he had a kitchen, living room, storage area, outhouse and bedroom. If you look around inside you will see an old saw, lantern hanging from the ceiling, old china wear, kitchen table, wood stove, small bed, crawlspace with a set of narrow stairs and a few other nice relics of the past. Back then this would be considered paradise people were simple and if you had anything more then a single room you were considered well off.
I heard Marshall is buried next to his cabin there is no way to know where for sure. But since there is a boulder next to the homestead between that and the outhouse my guess is this was used to mark his gravesite. This is why Marshall was not buried in the pioneer cemetery because rather they wanted to bury him next tot he home he built and loved so much. When you think about it after the funeral it would be a hop, skip and a jump just to bury Marshal since the church is nearby.
Also nearby is St. John's Cemetery which is a matter of 12' away from the front of Marshals Cabin Site. You can stand on Marshalls front porch and see headstones just across the dirt road. While most websites tell you that St. Johns only has a few graves this is not true there are at least 30 stones but because its so woodsy and overgrown with foliage back here its easy to miss some of them. This was not as big of course as the pioneer cemetery but it sits up on a hill behind the church. There was some wrought iron enclosures and stone walls just like the pioneer cemetery. At the entrance is a couple small white wooden crosses with a sign that says St. Johns. Overall id say this would be a creepy cemetery to sit down during the night on a wall at its very dark back here one can imagine that the moon does not even peer through the trees.
About halfway through the exploration we drove up to the James Marshall Monument which has the statue of him pointing to the location of where he discovered gold. The monument is probably about 50' tall you really cant miss it and it overlooks the ghost town below which is another cool feature. The monument sits on a huge base but it also has some nice sculpture work carved into it. This would be also the area we had a nice picnic lunch with peanut butter crackers, fruit snacks, pastry, fruit and many other treats. Its worth coming up here for a family picnic they have a nice picnic area in the forest lots of birds and its quiet here. I was putting on my alien mask when some cute blonde was jogging past us oops yeah I tend to scare the locals a little shit happens lol.
We would hit the road then make our way down into the main part of Coloma which I call downtown because back in the day that was what it was. There was over a hundred structures downtown at one time but you see in the later 1800's the Chinese kind of game in decided to remove many of the buildings to look for gold under there foundations so they pretty much decimated the town. But still downtown is rather extensive you have many structures remaining like the blacksmith shop, post office, homesteads, stores etc but imagine if all of downtown was never touched it would be big like Bodie or some of these other ghost towns you read about.
Our first stop would be the Nature Center of course it use to be a home to one of the residents in the 1800's but today its a place of education. We went in and got to see many stuffed wildlife animals found in the area. I seen all sorts of animals ranging from a porcupine, river otter, snakes, deer, turkey all the way to a mountain lion. You are allowed to touch them and they have a bunch of vials and other exhibits as well. This is a great place to take the kids plus you get to see the inside of the historic Thomas Kane house so that is another plus. Allot of what your going to see here whether its maps or exhibits are in direct correlation to the Coloma area.
We begin our hike on foot from the nature center to the school house. The school house is really amazing its nothing fancy but it is a nice piece of history with a bell tower and rope that ran inside the main class room so the teacher could pull on the bell. Its well preserved old wood desk, chalk boards, maps, teachers desk, wood stove etc But it is a one room school house but a very big room for all the local kids to attend. I wish I attended a school like this when I grew up holy hell my school was to big as a kid we had a couple thousand students, two gyms, Olympic pool, multiple fields etc so you can see the difference between a city school and a rural pioneer one in gold rush country for sure. Also note behind the school was this old wooden garage or storage shed so the school probably kept there supplies in there.
Next to the school is ruins of a old Bell Store in 1856 a fire destroyed most of the town but this was the one of the first structures to be rebuild and made out of brick with giant iron doors in the front. This was a large general store but today once again its in ruins. As a matter in fact six years ago the entire front along with its doors was standing I have a photo of it. But upon revisiting it on this trip the entire front of the store had collapsed there was iron doors laying on the ground and bricks everywhere. They had the entire store fenced off with surveillance cameras to keep people out of here how sad. I wish it was still standing today! Glad I got to see it when it was but it just goes to show you how history in the west is becoming decimated due to the elements, vandals and fires.
I started to head back into town where across the road was a homestead very small but if you go in the backyard you can find an old well its pretty cool. Of course its now filled in but back in the day you could lower a bucket down to get some water. Like I said you have to explore Coloma if you want to find these kinds of gems most folks see what is in the front of these locations very few ever know what is behind them. So finding this well was a nice addition to the whole explorations.
Downtown you will then hit the blacksmith shop it was opened up and there was two men working on an anvil pounding away on some hot iron. I have no idea what they were trying to make look like a fire poker who knows. I think one of the guys was a visitor and they were letting him give it a whirl its pretty cool if you ever seen this being done. The blacksmith shop is loaded with all sorts of rusty relics from the past but there was far to many people in this small building so I left. However, next to the Blacksmith is a big open lot with some kind of giant old wood barn I guess a hotel stood here at one time and some other smaller shops.
Just past the Blacksmith Shop is an old little cottage called the Monroe House and next to that is the newer post office. Its not that new but its newer then the old post office that use to operate across the street. This post office today is used by the locals of Coloma but its very small and quaint. Next to that is an open wooded area you can see an old stone wall or basement of some kind and next to that is The Argonaut Farm To Cafe its a massive two story wood structure built into the hillside. I would have eaten here but man not only is it pricey they have only about ten items on the menu.
Just past that is a brick building its Bekeart's Gunshop and well since its all sealed up you cant even look inside. But its believed to be the oldest standing building in Coloma today. The nice thing about Coloma is you have wood, brick and stone buildings here. Its very diverse and mixed you wont see all the same thing while roaming downtown. This is an old brick building in my opinion its in rather good shape. It was built in the 1840's so again old probably survived the great fire in Coloma and today is really an icon of the town.
Next to that is a few open lots there was other structures in between since long gone but you can read the plaques that now are found around these empty lots. I think its great that Coloma has so many tidbits of historical information as you walk along that you can read. Honestly they did a great job trying to preserve this towns history and that is what I like to see on my explorations. Along the gun shop is also a side road if you take it you can go stand out on an old iron bridge that spans the American River. Be careful though its single lane and vehicles do still use it to this day. But back in the day a covered bridge spanned the river wish it was still around I love covered bridges they remind me of Sleepy Hollow lol.
If you go back down the road there is a giant old wood structure its two stories tall and has an upper balcony this is the Grange Hall it also boast a nice cannon out front. I did not spend much time at the Grange Hall probably missed the plaque because my eyes caught something else which were two stone buildings across the street, Indian village and a sign for Sutters Mill down the road just past this place.
We moved on to this Mormon Cabin it was cozy but small with a series of bunks, dirt floor, table in the middle and a stove. It was built near the mill because many of the men who worked at the mill were from the Mormon Battalion. Right across from it is Sutter's Mill its a replica but it still looks the same as the original mill. If you take the discovery trail you can actually read all sorts of cool historical facts about the mill and Coloma. You can also walk right down to the river and see an old stone wall I believe its original it has a plaque on it. When I was on the bridge you could see the stone wall further downstream.
This is the site where cold was discovered he was not looking for gold he was tending to his mill when he noticed gold specks were collecting in a tailrace. Of course he bragged and the rest is gravy it sparked one of the largest migrations ever in the world as people came here from all over the world to strike it rich. Marshall actually worked for John Sutter he was the founder of Sacramento and was a Captain at the fort which today became the city. We have visited his grave site in Old City Cemetery and now Marshall's grave site. The strange thing about the two men is that worked together and were involved in multiple business ventures. But by the time they both died they both died in poverty and never really capitalized off there gold discovery. The mill had to be scary to work and live at there was no towns or anything out here till gold was discovered then they built the town around the mill.
Just across the street is an Indian Village which had two bark houses, giant basket, some cave or mine that collapsed and a giant grinding rock. Grinding Rocks are found all over the west where Indian villages once stood. The cupules are formed by years of grinding berries and flour by the women in the tribe. Eventually the erosion creates the cupules and you can see a rock full of them at the village site its pretty cool. No doubt the village site has some energy one can imagine how it was for the natives when the white men poured into Coloma they were friendly to them but in turn these miners basically took there land or brought disease wiping out most of the tribe members in the area. But Sutter's Mill was built directly across the wagon road from the village and I am sure Marshal traded with the tribe as well.
If you follow the village and go back up into downtown Coloma you will come across two stone structures. They were Chinese shops one of them was open I did not go in my family did. I should have but there was allot of people inside and they had some mining dioramas I guess. Nothing I have not seen before I guess I am a bit standoffish when it comes to big crowds. I mean by the afternoon there was loads and loads of people in Coloma. People dining outside at the cafe, joggers, families, couples reading plaques etc. It just was getting far to busy for me luckily we were almost done here.
Next to the stone buildings is a mine park with a hydraulic water cannon, stamps, mine carts, shacks, ore kegs etc. So if you like old rusty iron relics of the past this is where you will find it in town. Honestly Coloma really is one giant museum outdoors and indoors. That is why I want to renovate it on our website because I want people to see it all for what it is. This exploration takes time and effort because its scattered but also a big area. Also if you roam this mine park you can see remnants of the old Chile Mine their is an arrastra here as well which crushed the gold ore.
In front of all the equipment is a couple homesteads one is very large the other is smaller which use to be the old post office it was the sixth one in Coloma the seventh is next to the blacksmith shop built in 1949. There was also a carriage house with two old wagons in it I love this kind of thing that Weller owned. The homestead next to the carriage house/old post office has a nice front porch on the front I did not get to see the inside I probably should have been once the people poured on in and tour buses you sort of know its time to go. I try to do my paranormal work in peace not in tour groups if that makes sense for the best results. But the house with the white picket fence and porch out front was the Weller House also known as Letners Exchange before a set of brothers renovated it who owned a hotel.
Behind this large homestead you can visit the visitors museum I was in there years ago did not go this time. But if you go behind the museum there is a large open field with a forested hill which backdrops this open area. The only thing sitting out in this field is the old jail stone ruins. But at one time I am sure there was quite a few structures that sat in this large open area it was a few acres in size. Coloma at one time was many more times larger then what it was today but any open areas cleared of trees such as fields or basements were the site of other businesses that graced Main Street.
We made our way to the jail not far from where I had parked also near the Kane House where the nature center is. The jail is a must see yeah its in ruins only about three walls stand but you can see on both sides iron bars over the windows and there are a couple iron holding cells not to far away. I know back in the day lynching's or rather hangings were common. So I am sure some lawless men were hung from the giant tree found in front of the jail. I remember six years ago one of the first sites in Coloma I took my kids to was the old jail we thought it was so cool. Today it looks more like a temple but back in the day nobody was escaping this fortress of iron and stone. I had to be miserable to be imprisoned here only to know you would hang a short distance away from your cell.
We pretty much were done looping around the entire town of Coloma this was a great adventure because I seen more then I ever thought id get to see. I got to see the inside of some of the structures, hike, paranormal investigate and visit a variety of different sites that I had a map for. I never realized it was so extensive allot of websites make it out to be that there is only five or six things to see that is not true. There is at least thirty structures plus many plaques found throughout the town. I wish I had more time to hike in the woods here but my main focus was on the town site and trying to visit the sites I did not get to see on our first trek through here. I cant say I captured ghost but I ran EVP and EMF so we will wait to see. Haunted or not this really is the perfect fall edition for our site and 2017. I even brought some creepy costumes to wear around town and of course war my cape and top hat almost nearly the entire time we had fun.
When I left Coloma which btw I hated leaving we decided to have some fun time. Not that Coloma is not fun but we were near Apple Hill. Last night we were in Apple Hill it was about five to six years ago I took my family there we had pie, picked pumpkins and I did some bigfoot hiking. Bigfoot sightings are very high in this area especially surrounded the orchards because this cryptid has virtually a endless food supplies of apples and other fruits that fall off all the trees. I get reports on our site privately all the time about sightings, tracks and farmers catching them eating the apples. With the river and high sierras nearby they can come down steal some apples then go right back up along the river into the mountains so its a fascinating little area if your also into the whole bigfoot lore thing which is why I love this place so much. Plus there is allot of nature because the area does not get as Wintry as other parts of the sierras even during my visit still many flowers growing around Apple Hill.
See Apple Hill is composed of many orchards, vineyards and farms. Many of them date back to almost when gold was discovered in Coloma at least mid 1800's. Some of them farms have been passed thru the generations of one family name. But this time of year Apple Hill is known for its pumpkin patches, corn mazes, wine tasting, breweries, petting zoos, treats, hikes and other fun events. I also love Apple Hill because many of the women are pretty little blonde country gals and I am a ladies man. I love the ladies always have always will but women in Apple Hill are simply adorable and well you cant beat that!
The problem with Apple Hill is its becoming far to overrated everyone is coming up there now from Reno, Sacramento and every bustling town in between. Many farms are not very large so they cant sustain allot of people especially those wanting a few pumpkins per family. So when I started driving through the rolling hills looking for a pumpkin patch there was miles of cars and traffic slowed to a halt. I was not happy about this I just wanted to get out hike around some of these old farms and find something fun to do. The first time I went to Apple Hill some farms had nobody at them hell the Jack Russell Brewery was empty so I drank ales on a picnic bench under a shady leaf changing colored tree.
But this was utterly ridiculous I get it a week till Halloween but I did not expect everything to be so busy with a couple hours of closing time left. I must had stopped at two or three pumpkin patches that had no pumpkins left. I was getting discouraged because I had the farm I wanted to go too and they were just to busy but also out. I mean its pretty bad when families are walking down the roads to there cars with no pumpkins in hand. We heard a guy over talk that this year many of the farms sold many of the stories huge crates of pumpkins so maybe there just was a higher demand by some of the local stories.
I stopped at an orchard called Pine O Mine Farm they had some pumpkins on hay bails out in the open but some kid ran to it claiming the largest pumpkin as his. Only when he turned it over the entire pumpkin was busted open. Meanwhile we walked past another family who put a pumpkin off to the side and this mom yelled at my son and I saying hey that's our pumpkin. We already knew this and we just were walking past to go back to the truck. People man were killing over pumpkins if that is not bad enough we went to one pumpkin patch that the entire field was busted up pumpkins while another one only had a few left and they were very tiny. You guys know me I like big ass 20 to 30 lb pumpkins that I can carve and make my famous cinnamon seeds with man it was frustrating.
I will say this though we did get to meet the family who ran Pine O Mine Farms an older gentlemen liked how I was dressed all up for Halloween and wanted a selfie with my son and I. So I took a selfie lol but then he suggested he wanted one of us with his family. I was like okay its all good he said hey maybe ill become famous or this will go viral and in a sense it will. Because with that pic will be able to share Pine O Mine Farms with thousands of our viewers so in the end it will give them business. They mainly are known for there U pick Apple Orchard and Berries. I wish I had more time id picked some apples here but because I could not find a pumpkin it was a setback with everything closing so I had to go. But there is a beautiful lady that works at the fruit stand at Pine O Mine do not think for one minute I was not checking her pretty smile out. Like I said the women in Apple Hill are some of the prettiest in the world! I might just have to go pick some apples in the future just to pay the lady and flirt a little lol purposely! I think my son was a bit freaked out jumping in some family portrait but that is a teenager for you all of you know I will take photos and selfies with any of you I am Lord Rick afterall!
We finally found a patch that had some pumpkins left not many though known as the 24Carrot Farm its all wholesome veggies and fruits they grow here. Problem is they are very expensive by the time we got to the patch here nothing was left most pumpkins were to small or just busted up. But if you go to the back of the patch they have massive 12' corn stalks and pumpkins that grow throughout the corn its pretty cool. We found a medium sized pumpkin around 13lbs it was not cheap cost a dollar a pound and it was not even the greatest looking kind of scuffed up a little. Most of what was left they had was damaged or scuffed up you get folks who damage pumpkins rolling them around that sort of thing. But while I was there we bought some garlic they grow on the farm to I use garlic in all my meals that I cook so it does not get any fresher then this.
After all the fun I wanted to go to Jack Russell Brewery and trust me the beer here is so good you will want to get drunk. I love drinking ales here but they have there famous pumpkin ale sadly by the time I got here there was over 500 people sitting at tables or walking around drinking. There was nowhere to park seen allot of hot girls here but man I am not going to stand in line a half hour just to drink an ale. Truthfully I like my ale right then and there I am Italian were not born with patience lol. But I just did not want to mess with the crowds my entire point of the day is to have some quiet time exploring and enjoying myself. But you could not even hear yourself speak here!
So instead I took my family to this petting zoo at a place called Deflino Farms which has a nice petting zoo. They had alpacas, geese, goats and other farm animals. My family fed the animals the goat stole most of their food through the fence lol. But like most farms in Apple Hill you can go into there sub buildings and purchase there products. In this case Delfino had ciders, jams, fruit etc but you could also order some treats here. So we ordered homemade pumpkin roles and warm apple pie. Then we ate it outside at a picnic bench near the petting zoo it was pleasant. They had a cute girl working here to seems like all the hotties work on these farms not sure what it is lol. But the bakeries and some of the pie in Apple Hill is the best in the world my friends. When I go up here I always get pumpkin or an apple pie you can even buy them frozen to take home.
After driving around Apple Hill dusk was about to set in we went to the Forester Pub & Grill in Camino which is just a few miles from Apple Hill. I ordered a Longboard Lager not bad at all its pale and full of flavor. I also ordered a Buffalo half pound burger with a side order of chicken wings with franks hot sauce. The food is good here they have allot of dishes that you wont see at other grills or pubs. My son had a Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich. My burger tasted like steak as some of you know Buffalo is a much better meat to use for burgers yeah it cost more but man that was the best burger I ate in a year and to go with some ales what more could I ask for? I will say though some of the locals were giving me dirty looks one of them was pretty nice to me but most of them I guess were not digging my black cape and top hat oh well. I am a man of exquisite taste and class often misunderstood I suppose.
After an evening of exploring, good eats and drinks it was time to make my way home. Driving over the sierras is not easy if you do not know what your doing. Your on icy roads up on cliffs and curvy roads for almost a hundred miles. Cars tend to drift because people cannot drive these mountains so its deadly if you are not a decent driver. I drive these mountains all the time night or day pipe in my mouth this is my home. But man I have to wonder about some drivers people coming back from Apple Hill speeding around curves, drifting into my lane etc. Its a rough two hour journey and your better off sleeping through it otherwise your going to have anxiety.
This is why I tell my friends hand me your keys when we go hiking in these mountains they just are not equipped or experienced enough to drive through the sierras especially at night and honestly I am not going to die in a vehicle because my friends are more worried about who drives. Its better I drive so your safer rather then worry about petty shift safety first just remember that and if my friends wont let me drive or hand me there keys I wont ride with them again just saying this is my policy. The sierras are my home I drive every week day or night through this range through passes along cliffs, black iced over roads, snow etc I got it down! That does not mean its easy other drives make things difficult because they freak out driving through here and most of them live in the Sacramento Valley so once they go through here they do not know what to do putting everyone at risk! Stay off the roads if you cant drive through snowy passes in the sierras no reason to get yourself or someone else killed.
I did get home and played my new Southpark Game for my ps4 oh man that game is hilarious love it. A nice way to finish off my night then wake up catch the Bills and Tampa game. Which was one of the best football games of the year right to the end. I cant wait to get Coloma on our website this will have everything EVP, history, ghost town ruins, historic sites, nature, good views and all Fall themed of course. I came away with one pumpkin at least bummer had to go to Walmart to buy the rest to carve for Halloween lol.
Last year about this time I went out to California to check out one of the most creepy asylums on the west coast and we had giant pumpkins from a farm we found out near Grass Valley. This year not so lucky on the pumpkins or haunts but Coloma was a nice October Fall project and the best time to visit it is this time of year believe me weather is perfect here except first thing in the morning it is brisk but by the end of our adventure it was mid 70's up here and gorgeous out. So I highly recommend it to my friends and also if you want to beat the crowds at Apple Hill its probably best to go early in the morning or into the month because I went October 21st which by then most of the good pumpkins were gone and the crowds were as bad as being in a major city just some advice for those who are thinking about going up that way. Every year I do something special after all we are a paranormal site so we want to mix it up with pumpkins, haunts, history, fun and good memories for our viewers.
Peace,
Lord Rick
PGS Founder