So there's not a lot to this location but it's a great piece of history for those wanting to learn…read moreabout the gold rush. When we stopped in here there was a living history actor portrayal of the gold rush times. It went on for about three days. There are several buildings and mining machinery viewing areas. There is also a brick wall in front of the river where the gold was found. It's not huge but there is a decent parking lot. Public bathrooms are available here as well.

1/5/2019: Driving on Cold Springs Road from Placerville is a shorter drive verses driving on…read moreHighway 49 . . . Advice voluntarily given from a local resident. Driving along Cold Springs Road heading towards Coloma CA, I noticed Wakamatsu Farm on the right side but, the Farm was closed-waaaaah~I wanted visiting seeing the silkworms! Well . . . Just a couple miles down the road from Wakamatsu Farm, there's a sign for Marshall Monument and humorously, Highway 153 IS the shortest highway in California and I really found out how short Highway 153 truly is . . . It's about 1/2 mile to 3/4ths of a mile! Now, Highway 153 . . . THAT'S the shortest highway I have ever traversed~LOL! Driving on Highway 153, bearing right, you'll grace the backside of MARSHALL~lol-just check out my photos . . . Just a quick glance of Marshall's side profile will make you smirk. After gazing upon Marshall's Monument on all POVs, you'll continue driving around Marshall, veering left, and you'll notice the cabins on your right side; however, it was raining so, I didn't leave my truck because I didn't want getting wet (Actually, I was lazy-Okay~I admit it-alright? LAZY!)! Highway 153 I guess ends at St. John's Catholic Church where I read couples may hold their wedding here inexpensively: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26369 FYI: St John's Church: $500.00 for a three-hour time slot reservation; a rehearsal costs an additional $100.00-the church seats 65 guests. Also, there is an additional damage deposit of $250.00 applied to a reservation. This deposit is refundable as long as nothing is damaged; liability insurance is required for events. Notably, Saint John's church is a historic building, built in the 1850's: The church has no ADA (Americans Disability Act) accessibility, there are no restrooms, heaters or air conditioners located in the church either. Incidentally, if you would like to make an appointment to view St. John's or receive a Wedding Packet, please contact the park Special Event Coordinator at (530) 295-2174 or marshallgold.events@parks.ca.gov. Or, you may visit the Gold Discovery Park Association's website (non-profit organization) to download our wedding packet via www.marshallgold.com. I guess it's safe assuming down the street, Emmanuel Church might be retrofitted holding a sizable wedding with possibly ADA compliant landscaping and hopefully, an ADA toilet, a dressing room, and seating for 100 guests or more . . . HOPEFULLY~because St. John's Church lacks serious, dire amenities. Anyway, meandering down Highway 153, you veer left onto High Street. On your right side, there's a family producing organic honey and their next door neighbor is the historical Miller House: This residence is of the oldest surviving structures located in Coloma; this house was built in 1852 for Hugh Miller, proprietor of the Fashion Billiard Saloon on Main Street. Miller House has been renovated several times and from 1964 to 1983, it was the home of noted artist George Mathis and known as the "Friday House"." The building has been a bed and breakfast inn since 1983. BTW: Not too many native Californians truly know the historical background for Coloma CA . . . Here's the breakdown/lowdown backstory behind Coloma CA involving Sutter and renegade Navy man, John C. Frémont, The Pathfinder: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Fr%C3%A9mont John C. Frémont is THE DUDE who named the City of Fremont CA (gee-whiz fact) and he owned a ranch in Mariposa CA, i.e., GOLD was found in Mariposa CA, too but, John got into heated lawsuits for mining rights on his land in Mariposa. John's buddies, Sutter, Lewis, Clarke, Pike's Peak expedition leader, Zebulon Pike, and Kit Carson all hung out together heading WEST from the East Coast in search of a better life and GOLD! John knew so many well-renown people like THE BIG FOUR who founded CA's Railroad System: Composed of Leland Stanford, (1824-1893), Collis Potter Huntington, (1821-1900), Mark Hopkins, (1813-1878), and Charles Crocker, (1822-1888). In addition, Frémont was the first human being setting eyes on Lake Tahoe-cool, eh? Anyway, John helped Sutter establish Sutter's Fort and also, John helped Sutter build Sutter's Mill located in Coloma CA sole purpose was solely procuring gold from the American River just down the street from the Coloma Post Office and Argonaut Cafe. Moreover and actually, President Polk wanted placating John's father-in-law, Senator Thomas Benton (his daughter was Jessie Benton who was John's wife) due to Senator Benton was John's exploration benefactor equalling $$$$$$$$$$-what an egregious lap dog Polk was with his greedy political ploys. From all the gold John and Sutter discovered, both men became very wealthy which President Polk wanted a piece of John's and Sutter's Coloma CA gold discovery-DENIED~LOL! -30-30-30-

Me being of Japanese decent, I felt the need to visit Wakamatsu Tea and Silkworm Colony Farm in…read morePlacerville, and to pay my respect to all the courageous men and women whom traveled thousands of miles to a foreign land (America) for a dream of a better life. There are no words that can express my heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifices and hardship the " Isei " (First Generation ) must have gone through ! They paved the way for people like both of my grandfathers whom came to the United States in 1906. On May 20th, 1869 a group of 22 samurais and one women arrived in San Francisco on board the SS China with 50,000 (Mulberry Trees) (Silk worm cocoons) (tea plants and seeds) ( cooking utensils) and (swords). Thus the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Farm was established on 160 acres in Gold Hill Placerville on June 8th, 1869. The life of the colony was short lived (1869 -1871) due to inadequate funding and a severe drought in 1871. Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony was considered to be the first Japanese Settlement in North America. In 1969 Ronald Reagan (governor at the time) proclaimed the colony to be a California Historic Landmark No. 815. The land is currently owned and operated by the American River Conservancy. The farm is on private property, so visitations can only be made by arranging a private tours, attending certain festivals on the property or schdueled events. Next year (2019) marks its 150th anniversary celebration !!! See web site for more details. Thanks for reading !

Have been to a couple of American River Conservancy events at Wakamatsu Farm. Such an historic &…read moreinteresting place. The volunteers & teachers are impressive. It is always an interesting & enjoyable experience in a beautiful setting.

Don was our tour guide and it was an incredible experience. He was very knowledgeable and answered…read moreevery question we had! It was a pleasure meeting him and I recommend everyone checking this gem of a place out!!

A very Pretty drive out to this cavern Lots of trails to…read morewalkabout around and before the small parking lot with an old yellow fire truck that you can check out too A kids sluice that is pretty cool by the shop and check in for the tour of the cavern. Bathrooms were decent And Faith our tour guide was A+++++++ with her flashlight extra luminescent sight too! Check it out and pack and pick-nick-lunch BooBoo! Get outside

So I went here last Friday & I was in & out. It must be my lucky day! The staff were nice & polite…read moreso as the security! The only reason why I am not giving it a five star is because it was so hard to find the place. Here's a tip for those who need to go here, once you enter the strip mall from Missouri Rd., make a right where "All about Tan" is. It is tucked in a separate bldg. from Little Caesars. There is a Social Security Administration sign right when you enter the strip mall but maybe they can put an arrow to avoid confusion. You will understand what I mean when you're actually there. But kudos to another Yelper, his tips helped me with the landmarks

I walked in today without an appointment. Waited about 25 minutes - not bad, since I didn't have…read morean appointment. The representative wasn't able to help me today because of the nature of my visit (applying for full SS retirement benefits), but she made an appointment for me with their expert in that area for the earliest possible date. I was very pleased with the level of customer service and genuine helpfulness I received today, and I would highly recommend dealing with this particular office.

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...."

We had out of town family in town last week and we made it back to the Donner (Railroad) Tunnels. I…read morelove the tunnels! It's SO beautiful. And as it was a railroad, it's level and easy, and as it's in the tunnels, you're mostly protected from the weather. Bring good trail walking shoes and a flashlight. (And park across from the Donner Ski Ranch.)

I've lived in Reno since 1979, and I've never been to the tunnels?! It was so fun! Incredible…read moreviews. No snow yet, making the tremendous rock formations visible. A lot of people, and dogs. A few bikers, of which, I was one. Everyone was friendly and courteous with their pups, and kids. Parking was easy in the lot by Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. If biking, I recommend a fat tire bike as the gravel is deep in random spots in the tunnels. Water trickles through in several spots. I recommend a head lamp in addition to your fully charged bike light, some tunnels are really dark, and long!

'Tis The Season For Pumpkin Patchin!…read more SITREP Get out there, people! All the good pumpkins are starting to disappear! And if that is not enough reason to cruise on through El Dorado County, then drive around and check out all the gorgeous Autumn Colors. THE SETUP In either scenario, there are many beautiful opportunities to stop - and "smell the roses" - or in this instance, take a bevy of pictures in Pumpkin Patches and/or amidst the woodland pastures, full of bright flowers and other iconic landmarks. * At O'Hallorans, get a half peck bag - $7 value - and fill up with some fresh fruit! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/county-of-el-dorado-placerville-3?select=B2oE_MPbsnq371PkSDx7UQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * Grab a pumpkin (the orange one she's holding *cough*) https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/county-of-el-dorado-placerville-3?select=CmiloKglnrXgnfFgeHMUlA&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * Chocolate Fudge Apples for $4 at Abels! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/county-of-el-dorado-placerville-3?select=A8S2apsr1so1eLE0l3b-jQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * Boa Vista has got some White Pumpkins! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/county-of-el-dorado-placerville-3?select=YL2owIkLZ6vRTRoOIJO25w&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * And all around El Dorado County, are luminescent fields with bright flowers and hearty grasses worthy of some candid picture moments! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/county-of-el-dorado-placerville-3?select=qp4FOqt5Ig2mTInzWB4EOA&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w THE LOWDOWN Grab a pumpkin, snap a picture, drink some cider, eat a caramel apple, because the time is now!

I don't deal with the county services very often. But when I have, it has been a miserable…read moreexperience. I stopped donating books to the libraries because of their ungrateful attitudes. Instead of showing appreciation they acted like I was causing them more work. The permit department is another bad story. In my experience with them, the employee I dealt with whined and complained about the work I was causing her. When I went to the building department with completed paperwork in hand to pay my fees on a very simple installation, I was told that they don't take walk-ins after 1230 pm. Yet, the lobby was empty and 2 receptionist were sitting on their tails doing nothing. Based on my experiences with the county offices, I conclude that the hiring and department managers have low standards and expectations. Somebody needs to train these people in customer service. IMO, the Board of Supervisors needs to fire all of them and start over.

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.

Fantastic old building from 1859. One of the reasons a quick walk-through placerville is well worth…read moreyour time. I guess the company hangtown leathers now occupies the building.

Great place to go on an adventure! It is well maintained by nature and well kept by visitors.read more

This was a drive through in May of 2019. We missed the snow fall, but there was plenty of snow on…read morethe sides of the road and in the trees. The streams were running swiftly and they sky was cloudy. Picturesque in every way and from every angle. The roads are well maintained so driving was a breeze and allowed me to take in the scenic wonders. We did stop at the Donner Memorial Park and spent some time looking and exploring. We managed to find a spot where we could play in the snow for a little bit. Any time of year would be a good time to come and visit such a grand forest. From the Bay Area it's a wonderful day trip.