Tedd Thompson

Put a little under 500 miles on the Olds in what we call the gold country. We mostly were using HWY 49 as our main road then diverted to where our curiously led us. Georgetown was one of our first diversions, this old mining town is probably known better now as the starting off point for the Rubicon Jeep trail but in February it's just a sleepy place waiting for summer.The next stop was Coloma thats where the gold rush all started in California and from there it was south with a settlement every ten or twelve miles finally ending up south of Sonora. Great trip with a ton of history enhanced by absolutely fantastic beautiful weather for the whole trip.I'm going to try and post some pictures(we took a ton) and get them in some kind of reasonable order, Hope you enjoy it was fun....Tedd

#1 picture is of downtown Georgetown most every building there was hundred years old.#2 pic is Coloma State Park with a working Blacksmith shop. Third is the old jail .#4 is Sutters Mill where gold was first found. #5 Is a unique buildings in Almador another old gold town.

Tedd Thompson

Angles Camp is probably known more for Mark Twain and the Calaveras Frog jumping contest but it also started it's life out as a very rich gold rush town, here are a few from that area...Tedd

#1 Mark twain bust in window, everything was frog or Mark Twain related in this town

#2 there must have been a hundred of these placards in the sidewalk, . If you win you get your name and frogs name stuck there for all to see, some were as old as 1860.

#3 Mark Twain's Cabin

#4 Angles Camp Museum

#5 Less than modern phone booth National Hotel Jackson

Tedd Thompson

Final frw.... Tedd

rcorrigan5

I see you used the "safe" tires and wheels! Did you have any snow up there? I'm not sure if that's high enough for snow this time of year.

I took a similar trip last summer from Tahoe via Hwy 88 to Jackson and then south to Angels Camp. I wanted to find the old Chevy dealership there where my '71 Corvette was delivered new. The building is still there and it is now an automotive repair business but the Chevy bow tie is still on the building, covered with a black canvas. On the return to Tahoe from Angels Camp, we went north on 49 to Hwy 50 and back to the lake.

That's interesting country up there - a part of California that perhaps not many people see as they are more interested in making time on I-5 or I-80. We enjoyed that excusion very much and I'm sure you did, too.

Thanks for the pics and the report, Tedd. I always enjoy reading your stories and seeing your pictures. And, you do have a neat car, too!

Randy

oldcutlass

Thanks for sharing Ted, looks like it was a fun trip.

citcapp

Looks like a great trip. I am just a little jealous as its still in the 40's and raining hear is Washington and the 57 is still under wraps..

Damn you have a fine looking Olds

w-30dreamin

Sounds like you all had a great time.

Thanks for the great pics.

Tedd Thompson

It was a exceptionally gorgeous trip near 70 later in the day the hills look like a golf course, came close to putting the top down on several occasions but the days are to short to mess with putting it down for only a couple of hours( mornings were very brisk almost freezing). Like I said earlier we traveled just short of 500 miles and got 12.7 MPG, not the best I have gotten but I was on and off the gas all day long,the roads are good but very twisty.

The only mishaps were the right hand mirror fell off ten miles out of Chico and I had a weird problem with the power brakes not holding a vacuum one morning for about five minutes. I'm in the process of checking that out now, I thing the vacuum valve may have frozen open but I'm not sure as yet. I hate intermittent stuff. Oh and the gas gage when completely full will only read 3/4 tank, thats a first also. All in all a great trip and we are planning another in the fall to Mount Rushmore Wounded Knee and the Custer Battlefield, That could be a two weeker if I have my way....Still lost in the fifties but not looking to find my way back....Tedd

jaunty75

Sounds like a very nice trip.

A couple of quick corrections in case people are trying to find the towns you mention on a map.

It's not "Almador," I believe it's "Amador City."

Also, it's not "Angles Camp," it's "Angels Camp."

I'm actually a bit of a ghost town/mining town buff myself, and I visited Amador City back in the '90s.

67 442

Great pictures and awesome car! Thanks a ton for sharing!!

tru-blue 442

The wife and I are hoping to do
some road tripping one of these days.
That really looks like fun!
That is one fine looking 88 Tedd, very nice.

Lady72nRob71

Great pics and a fine car as well! Looks like a fun trip for sure, despite the minor problems. Thanks for sharing!

Tedd Thompson

Jaunty if you ever plan a ghost town trip in Nevada let me know I have spent many days trekking through most of northern Nevada checking out old Nevada Towns and mining sites, It's one of my many hobbies. And you are correct on the spelling I often confuse Almanor and Amador a place near me....Tedd

Sampson

Great pics Ted! Thanks for sharing. I would love to see those old towns. It would be a long road trip for me though. Grace and I are planning a lot of road trips ihere on the right coast in the Cutlass when it is done. By the way I know I am in the minority on your previous post on which tires and wheels look best but I love the Chromes and Radials. The great thing is you have both so you can change the whole attitude of your car to suit your mood.

navvet

WOW great stuff. As I sit here looking at all the snow I couldn't be more jealous. I want to take my 64 to the Badlands in SD and to Devils Tower. There should be a special forum for "ROAD TRIPS"

Tedd Thompson

I agree, that would be a great category for a forum though one can get lost trying to figure out the proper place to post as it is now.

Thanks to all who complemented my car I try to keep it up, it's getting harder with it's and my age but I try she certainly deserves it....Lost in the fifties and not looking for the way back....Tedd

jaunty75

Thank. I will!

68conv455

X2 on the "Road Trips" section for posts. I bet it would be popular and encourage everyone to get out and enjoy their cars.