It's been so long since I've written, I'm sure I don't have an audience anymore! Just know that I've been thinking of you all but have just been tied up with life -- as most of us are, I know. Nonetheless, all it took for me to get writing was to have an eventless Sunday and to find some cool glassware in a cute little antique store in Jackson, CA.My son's school was closed a couple Fridays ago (which required me to take a day off of work - awww shucks), and I thought it would be great to take that opportunity to go hiking together. Living in Northern California provides limitless hiking and exploring possibilities, all within an hour's reach, if not less. I decided it would be neat to visit a state park I'd never heard of, which was only a beautiful one-hour car ride away (with the exception of an eerie and surprising view of Rancho Seco in the middle of nowhere) near Jackson, California called Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park.
Before our 3-mile hike, we wanted to grab a bite so we had lunch on the short strip of Main Street in the city of Jackson; short enough that if you blinked you would miss it. But there in the middle of this small mining town was a great little sandwich shop that served a variety of sandwiches, pasta salads, and tasty treats including many healthy choices. I'm not sure why, but I was surprised by this. My son enjoyed a grilled cheese and myself a homemade meatloaf sandwich and an organic fruit juice drink.
Much to my eight-year old's chagrin, you can't take me to an old historic town with cute little shops and antique stores without me at least taking a peek in a few. I was rewarded with a nicely arranged little antique store that was jam-packed with items that I particularly like to collect and sell, including great vintage glassware, linens, painted wooden bowls, enamelware, and other fun collectibles. I could have bought a lot more than I did, but trying not to go too overboard I ended up with a McKee flour shaker, most likely from the 30's, and a Fire-King jadite pepper shaker with a tulip lid. I would have loved to have found complete sets, but I settled with the odd pair, figuring that I would sell them in my eBay store to a couple of folks who just needed those shakers to complete their set! ;-)
Fire-King jadite shaker (available in our eBay store, "On The Corner")
McKee "Roman Arches" custard flour shaker (also available in our eBay store)After my vintage stuff-finding high, I was all ready for our hike at Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park, a very interesting site complete with Miwok Indian petroglyphs and beautiful, shaded trails through a densely wooded area. My son and I were literally the only people there - it was great! When we were done with our exploration of the area, what water was left in our bottles was warm and the water from the park's fountain was nice and cold. Unfortunately, this nice, cold water literally tasted like it came straight from the toilet. I've never (knowingly) sampled toilet water, but I imagined it might have tasted somewhat like that. So, instead of toilet-tasting water, we rewarded ourselves with a couple of ICEEs at a nearby gas station on the way back home. Mmmm...sugary, artificially colored ice-cold drinks! Reminds me of my childhood! Nothing tasted so good at that moment.
1) Having fun with my son, 2) Finding some great vintage crap, and 3) Hiking through beautiful wilderness with fresh air in my lungs -- I can't think of a better way to spend a day.
My son among some interesting plants.
My son next to the entrance of a reconstructed Miwok roundhouse.
