The Black Chasm Cavern is located in the tiny town of Volcano which really feels like a step back…read morein time. I loved that this tour includes some amazing and beautiful natural wonders as well as a little bit of history. The place was very easy to find and a quick 30 min or so drive from Jackson. There is a lovely little store to check out before or after your tour as well. The chasm is a cool 58 degrees which was nice on this 90 degree-ish day. It is a little on the steep side with lots of stairs and a few areas where you definitely need to duck from the rocks but was worth it! The limestone cavern is just amazing with breathtaking stalagmite, stalactite and very rare helictite formations. These helictites look like they defy gravity and grow in amazing curling directions. Incredibly, there is a blue lake at the very bottom of the cavern that can be seen from way above - unfortunately we are unable to access that far down but man I wish I could! We learned the lake has tiny little shrimp that live in the pure crystal waters and the only place they are known to exist, mind blowing. Our tour guide was great and shared so much knowledge and history. History: The chasm was discovered in 1854 long after the Miwok people had already lived in the area. Of course, the discoverers wanted to try and cash in on their discovery so they began charging folks and would literally lower them by rope into a hole in the ground with some candles precariously balanced on a plank of wood. Luckily we have stairs and nicely built platforms with cave lighting to see this amazing magical national landmark. Definitely worth the visit!

This was such a fantastic day trip for our family! We were staying in Angels Camp, so it was a…read morequick, scenic drive of just over an hour to get there. It's super convenient that it's the only cave tour in the area open every day of the week (minus holidays). Our guide was wonderfully friendly, knowledgeable, and patient with all our questions. The stairs throughout the cavern were easily manageable for all the kids--even our 5-year-old handled them with no problem! The tour wasn't crowded at all, which made the entire experience much more relaxed and enjoyable. **A quick tip for future visitors:** Tours start on the hour, so time your arrival for just before to avoid a long wait. It's first-come, first-served, and while there are benches to relax on, there isn't much to do on-site if you end up having to wait for the next slot. Overall, it was a perfect outing and a memorable experience for the whole family. Highly recommended!

From my separate City of Auburn review:…read more Auburn is an attractive city, especially Old Town Auburn, which attracts passersby on the highway between Reno and Sacramento with the quaint architecture on a hill flanked by a giant sculpture. Its small-town charm is likely why movies like Rocky and Bullwinkle, Breakdown, Wisdom, and xXx had scenes shot here, but the town relates most to the 1996 John Travolta movie Phinome Phenomin Phenomm Look Who's Talking. The guy who discovered gold here in 1849 was memorialized by Ken Fox with a 45-ton concrete (rebar and wire mesh) statue at the entrance of Old Town. Ken Fox was a dentist able to do this in between teeth cleanings and forcing customers to look at super close-up pictures of their teeth in order to sell "special deep teeth cleaning" by the quadrant. This dentist has more "Great Statues" in the area which you'd likely find ful-"filling". Get it? Anyway, it's right off the highway, so stop there and check out Old Town. (Check my reviews on Edelweis 2 and the California Club)

Quality/Quantity - What a cool active town, see pictures…read more(and/or their website) of some current events. This might be our new pit stop...? Or a designated location? We usually go to downtown Auburn, so I am glad we came to Old Town this time. Atmosphere - Cool historic town. Lots of locally owned shops. Plenty of places to eat. Walk friendly but not sure if ADA friendly. Dog friendly, at least at the brewery. :) Service - Good, everyone we met was friendly. Price - Depends on where you shop, eat, and drink. Owner Comment - What a great fun town, looking forward to coming back soon when I have more time.

If you are ever in the area, be sure to check out one of the tallest bridges in the US. Sweeping…read moreviews and amazing architecture. You can drive walk or bike across. Super close to the Clementine Dam lookout if you want another "instagram " photo op.

Tallest bridge in California. Walk across was hot w/ cars driving past hecka fast. View is amazing…read more Better from the trail view. It a spot u should check out when in the area. "It's cool...."

This museum has exhibits in different first floor sections of the courthouse. We happened to go on…read morea holiday weekday when court wasn't in session, so it wasn't busy & it was an easy walk in. The outside architecture of the building is stately. When we entered the main area of the museum, we were nicely greeted by a staffer who explained different areas to see. She also told us about Heritage Trail stamp cards, which we started (6/6/26 to 9/12/26 event). There's quite a bit we saw including... 13+ lbs of gold in the Placer County Gold Collection Courthouse building history Fossils Stagecoach Sheriff's office set up Native American artifacts Railroad info Andrew Carnegie libraries legacy in the area Artwork Historical clothing styles Hands-on telegraph to learn Morse Code Photo cutouts & "Wanted" sign props that we had fun with This was a nicely laid out, richly educational, & interesting place to visit that didn't take a lot of time to see.

Located inside The Placer County Courthouse building, this museum houses some of the historic…read moreartifacts from the early Nisenan inhabitants. It also includes the Pate Collection of American Indian artifacts and the original Thomas Kinkade painting "Auburn Centennial". The Placer County Gold Collection is also on exhibit here. Free admission and located on the first floor. Second floor is an active superior courthouse. We had a great time exploring this museum.

Celebrating Rainbow bridge 80th birthday. With a drone show! Very cool it's dark out so hard to…read moreget good photos.

Love the views here but safety wise you really have to pay attention. Getting down to the water is…read morepretty rough and once you're in there are massive rocks underwater that are super slippery and hard to see. It drops off and gets deep pretty fast in some spots too. Just bring some good water shoes and be careful!

The "Bank of Italy Building" is located in the "City of Roseville Historic Downtown District"…read more The architectural design on the building is called "Italian Renaissance Style", with sculptured cornice/ ornate brass entry doors and lanterns. This location was the original sight of the "Clark House" (1886-1907). Home to Roseville first Bank "Roseville Banking & Trust Co." (1907-1920). "Bank of Italy" (1920) "Bank of America" (1927-1966) and "Roseville Press Tribune ( 1966-1976). This is one of my favorite buildings in Historic Downtown. It's charm and character captured my heart ! The building lay's patiently for someone to open it's next chapter in life, and is currently unoccupied. Thanks for reading! Love/ Love/ Travel

My partner and I went to the Sugarmill in Clarksburg a couple months ago. We met Mark at Bonitata…read moreWines and fell in love with the sparkling wines. We made a special trip again last weekend and brought our folding cart so we could stock up! We meant business this time!

Mark was gracious and opened up the shop even though it was on a Monday and we had a wonderful chat…read moreand he showed us some wonderful wines. We ended up buying six bottles highly recommend.

Unlike some of the other reviewers here (who've written some truly hilarious narratives), I didn't…read morehave the chance to stay at Folsom Prison. But I really wanted to see Folsom and while on the way to Folsom Lake State Recreation Area with friends, we noticed a sign for the Folsom Prison Museum. Naturally, curiosity won out and we took a much desired detour. Despite having checked online and learning the museum is closed for the foreseeable future (likely budget related), we still decided to drive onto the prison campus anyway to at least see the outside. Mission accomplished! Not only did we find the museum and snap a bunch of fun photos but we also ended up meeting two of the friendliest prison guards imaginable (please note: they're also the only prison guards I've ever met, but still!). They generously took the time to share stories about the prison's history, current conditions, and even fun trivia like the fact that all California license plates are made here at Folsom. Incredible! Oh! I also got a Junior Correctional Officer sticker, how fun!!! Their kindness and willingness to chat really made the stop worthwhile, even without stepping inside the museum. Which, by the way, the museum is the old warden's residence! While I'd love to return if the museum ever reopens, I'll definitely pass on the chance to spend a night here as an official guest. Still, for a quick, quirky, and historic stop, Folsom Prison delivered.

The Johnny Cash trail was interesting to say the least. Definitely wear sunscreen as the sun beams…read moredown, you'll get your steps in for sure. This is not for the weak or slightly interested. Pay attention to the signage so you'll see where to go. The informational plaques here and there are nice. It's still cool to see wildlife I. The distance or the areas around.

We visited in early July 2026. I called a couple of times to verify hours because I found…read moreconflicting information through different sources. The staffers I spoke with were both so helpful & friendly. They had recently updated their hours--Tuesday through Sunday 9a-4p. On Saturdays, they offer a free docent led tour at 10a. You can also set up a docent tour ahead of time for an extra fee. General admission was $7 & our kiddo was $6. The museum is 2 stories with exhibits on the first floor & the current art exhibition in a gallery on the second floor. It's a bright, clean space with a nice layout & lots of room. There is a cute & organized gift shop with lots to browse. The restroom was clean & well-maintained. The museum has lots of info & artifacts. There are a few hands-on activities like a puzzle, making rubbings, & feeling pelts, but some buttons weren't working on the audio displays. History is presented from past to present, including tragedies native tribes faced. Outside, there is a 1/2 mile loop to walk & a garden of native plants. The trail was a very easy & peaceful nature walk. Along the way, you find informative signs about indigenous culture, nature, & see petroglyphs. We were told that if we stayed on the trail, we'd be fine, but there were possible hazards like ground wasps, ticks, & coyotes. The only wildlife we encountered were lots of dragon flies, turkeys, & squirrels. Staff at the counter were helpful, knowledgeable, & personable. This is a very worthwhile place for families to visit to learn about the history & culture of some of California's native people.

Did you know you can go look at petroglyphs in Roseville, California? I certainly did not until…read morevisiting the Maidu museum. You cannot get up close and personal with them like you can in Sweden, but we know why this is and why we cannot have nice things. The museum has kindly set up visual maps that help visitors make out the glyphs along the nicely maintained nature trail. If you are visiting in summer please stay hydrated as the trail is only partially shaded. It's about a 1.5 mile loop, but there's a longer bike trail that it is connected to. All is well-marked. $7 admission will get you access to the walking trail (there's probably a way for local cyclists to access the trail without paying but idk man, I'm from out of town.) and the museum, which does have restrooms and a water fountain inside. My friend and I enjoyed the museum and art exhibits indoors, then our nice nature walk outside to view the petroglyphs, mortars, and grinding rocks. We saw raptors, turkeys, lizards, turtles, deer, rabbits, and probably other creatures I am forgetting by now. Definitely stay on the trail as there are these lovely things called ground hornets (stingers up) we were warned about by the friendly staff. The weather was blessedly fair for July (Pocki brought Swedish summer over here and then left with it when she went back home) so we only had to suffer high 80s on the trail. I highly recommend visiting with walking shoes and water bottles. We spent a good two hours here. One could bring a picnic as there are benches outside, but we didn't bring more than a few snacks. Parking is available wherever you can find it along the suburban street. There is not a dedicated lot, but there are a few disabled parking spaces in the front. Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday - Sunday: 9AM-4PM