1/5/2019: I wrote several reviews for James Marshall Monument and Coloma State Park; however, all…read moremy reviews mysteriously disappeared! Yah~YELP! Where ARE my reviews, eh? July 17, 2026: THEREFORE, I searched ALL the YELP! photos I posted: I found a few photos dated 1/5/2019 as PROOF I did write my reviews for both locations. Disappointingly, ALL my photos AND reviews for James Marshall's Monument and Coloma State Park's 1800's Gold Rush Community Event MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED AFTER 2019! UNHAPPY! Since and AFTER 2019 to present date--July 18, 2026, I have returned exploring James Marshall's Monument--countless times--reminiscing my US Army friend's Military funeral presided at James Marshall's Monument, used the clean restrooms countless times traversing from Placerville to Beal's AFB /Marysville CA via Highway 49, visited James Marshall's humble abode, checked both St. John's Catholic Church and Emmanuel Church construction completion updates, skulked Sutter's Mill, gold panning the American River, hiked along the American River, sent snail mail from the Coloma Post Office, ate at my friend, Noah's Argonaut Cafe, and hiked the trails, too! BTW: Coloma CA is ONLY seven miles from my humble abode, i.e., this is THE CLOSEST State Park from my house. Finally, I just wish, Coloma State Park had a cool, State Park Campground because I would use my 100% Service-Connected Veteran's Distinguished Park Pass more often which equates as FREE CAMPING and NO FEE State Park Entrance! Besides, exploring Coloma State Park, I guess driving to Folsom Lake's Rattlesnake Bar Campground via Cool CA would be the closest State Park Campground from my humble abode which I have camped a few times in the past. Aside, the town of Coloma CA, Coloma State Park, James Marshall's Monument, dipping my toes in the American River, and all the buildings truly emulate the Wild, Wild 1848's Gold Rush Hey Day which is quite the juxtaposition from modern-day City Of Placerville CA located just eight miles down the road from Coloma CA due South via Highway 49.

This was such a great stop on our camping trip. The local history is interesting the local cafe was…read moreamazing and learning a little bit about the area was fun. Def recommend. Parking is $10

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.

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!

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...."

The Donner Pass Railroad Tunnel Hike was one of the reasons for our trip to the area. My boyfriend…read morehad always wanted to check out the Donner Petroglyphs, and I stumbled across the rail tunnels when looking for things to do while in the area. We parked at the Donner Ski Summit - if you are looking to check out this hike, that is the best place to park and access the start of the tunnels. I truly enjoyed this hike, but was ill prepared. I was fully committed once we were in the tunnels & I should have went back to the car and swapped my "barefoot" style shoes for my hiking boots. The large chunk gravel path killed my feet with the thin soles of the shoes I wore. We hiked through about 5-6 tunnels before heading back. We did a total of 6 miles in and back. There were alot of beautiful street art within the tunnels, we found 19 cave ghosts along the trail as well as some other reoccurring variations of different items over the course of the trail. I would like to eventually take the trail past the last tunnel and to the next set of tunnels some day. This is a trail we would do again next time we are in the area. Though the weather was nice, we both wore hooded sweatshirts as the are in the tunnels got quite chilly. If you plan on checking these trails out, take well charged flashlights or head lights with extra batteries. The tunnels can be PITCH Black when you are in the heart of them. Overall this was a really cool thing to see and I would love to do it again with the correct shoes!

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.)

'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

Tahoe National Forest is located in California, northwest of Lake Tahoe. It includes the Sierra…read moreButtes, near Sierra City. At the peak, you can see Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta. It is located in parts of six counties: Sierra, Placer, Nevada, Yuba, Plumas and El Dorado. From the San Francisco Bay Area, it will take about 5 hours to get to the trail head wherever you want to be in the Tahoe Forest. 100% guarantee of pure happiness, fresh air, peace, serenity, wild life, and the most beautiful trees, rocks and lakes of America. Highly recommended! Safe travel and enjoy!