CALIFORNIA EMPIRE GOLD MINE EXPEDITION!

On one of my visits to see relatives Out West, my cousin, Ron, and his wife Claudia, took me to see their town's most popular visitor attraction, which is the Empire Mine State Historic Site (www.parks.ca.gov).  I took this photo of the couple at one of many scenic photo opportunities, available  within the location.  

 

The Empire Mine State Historic Site is located in Grass Valley, California, and the massive rocks lining the steps at the visitor center (the former carriage and automobile house of the estate), are very appropriate, since Empire Mine was a source of gold that is from a process called Hard Rock Mining.  This is a different process of mining from "panning" for gold in a flowing stream (called "placer mining").  Both processes were taking place simultaneously in northern California, after the gold rush of 1849.  

  After a visitor pays the small admission fee to take the guided tour, they can explore the entire park, including the manicured estate grounds of the Bourn family, that includes this picturesque fountain.   It is a coincidence that this cousin ended up in a town known for mining, because our mutual grandparents also hailed from a town known for mining---Lead Hill, Arkansas.  At one time, the northern Arkansas location was mined for its lead deposits, although all that remains of any old lead mines there, have been covered up, when Bull Shoals Lake was formed, from a dam on the White River.  

These "A Frame" structures in the garden area, provide a growing platform for the formation of an outdoor arbor.  

Because of its neatly manicured shrubs, intertwined with brick paths, some visitors are reminded of being in a formal English-style rose garden.  

The entire tour group was able to sit on a covered porch, as the tour guide pointed out details of the construction of the property, including the type of stone used throughout.  

The guided tours are led by volunteers and if one goes to the website, there is a disclaimer with the statement showing the hours that tours are offered, that says if there is no volunteer available, there is no tour.  I have done some volunteer work at a state park near me, and I know the important role volunteers play in our nation's park systems, both state and national.  

My cousin Ron is looking over an antique stove that is in the kitchen area of the home.  Ron and I share the same paternal grandparents, and can recall some of the old-fashioned cooking methods they used on their farm.  In fact, one of my memories is when family members gathered to work all day on the slaughter, skinning, chopping, and grinding of a hog, the family raised for food.  I remember there was a giant kettle of boiling liquid, that I was told to stay away from, because they were in the process of making lye soap, from the fat rendered out of the hog.  I remember my parents brought home a congealed "substance" they called souse, which was used as a protein source, as long as it lasted.  Souse is made up of bits and pieces of leftover hog parts, including the organs of the animal, the collagen released during the boiling process, serves as a binder to congeal the substance after it is cooked.  Since we ate it straight out of the refrigerator, it was our form of "cold cuts"!  (Nutrition research now shows that collagen is very beneficial to our health, but since many more people now used processed meats, rather than fresh meat, collagen is deficient in the American diet.  Hence, it is being marketed as a separate powder, to add to one's food or beverage).  Any memory of my maternal grandparents cook stove, includes standing beside my grandma as a little girl, and asking her how she knew when the lard she was heating to fry up the chicken she had just butchered, was hot enough to put the raw chicken in.  She said she spit into the hot grease, to see if her spit sizzled.  Not knowing she was kidding me, I immediately spit into the frying pan of hot grease!  The only thing that sizzled was my rear end, after I was spanked for such unladylike behavior! 

Since my husband was a hunter, the idea of an animal mount adorning the walls of a home seems perfectly natural to me.  However, all of our trophy mounts are white-tail deer, bear, fish, and pheasants, whereas this California family room, shows moose and elk head mounts. 

The Visitor Center of the Empire Mine has what is called "The Secret Room", because it was known only to the mine company's owner and board of directors.  The room contains a 1938 scale model, of the 367 miles of underground shafts that lay beneath our feet.  It is hard to imagine what it must have been like to go to work in the very deepest of these shafts, and spend hour after hour, hammering  away at the solid rock.   The placard told us that about one inch represents the current mine tunnels that one can still enter.  Furthermore, anything below two inches, is now flooded, because of the high water table in this part of Nevada County, California.  The tunnels went deeper than 1,200 feet, which was considered the maximum, during the time the mine was operational.  During that period, it required constant pumping, to keep water out of the lower tunnels.  

One can also tour the abandoned mining equipment and out buildings, that surround the visitor center.  In addition, there are 14 miles of hiking, horseback riding, and biking trails on the 856 acres of forested land that comprises the park.  

It is not surprising that this site has a well-stocked gift shop, with numerous precious metal and precious stones, some in the shape of a heart, that one can purchase as a souvenir of your visit.  It takes a tremendous amount of refining to get the tiny amounts of gold found in ore, extracted, then melted into a form that can be of use as jewelry.  Likewise, it takes a tremendous amount of refining to get ME, to abandon my bad habits and create a pure heart within me!  I am using all the sparkling silver and gold items, and HEART pendants, I saw in the gift shop, as a visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart."  Proverbs 16:3   

This visit to Empire Mine, with my cousins, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

CRATERS OF THE MOON EXPEDTION!

Want to know where you can experience terrain resembling the moon's terrain, but never leave Planet Earth?  Visit Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho!

The invitation to "EXPLORE THE MOON" will be a definite eye-catcher to youngsters interested in becoming astronauts!
On one of my many solo driving trips Out West, my PLANS did not have a particular deadline for returning to Arkansas, so I took the time to make a short detour off the Interstate, to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (www.nps.gov).  I knew nothing about the park (except for a scene I remembered from a movie), so I was thankful to be able to read about it, on one of the bulletin boards available to visitors (photo above).  A picture of the current visitor center is shown below:

 

The first cinder cone I climbed, provided the opportunity to get a wider view of the surrounding landscape, as shown in photo below: 

The park is huge, comprising 750,000 acres, of rugged volcanic landscape, amounting to 11 square miles.  

One can get a sense of the height of the cinder cone I climbed, by noticing how small the cars look, in the parking lot at the bottom.  One can PLAN in advance, to know the elevation change, from bottom to top, by studying the park information at the visitor center.  

With an advance PLAN, you can calculate your total mileage walked from the parking lot to the top, and back down again.  

The only trail marking on the ascent, is the pressed down cinders, from hundreds of visitors making the trek to the summit.  

To help frame a photo of the surrounding landscape, I eventually found a tree limb, to place in the top of the composition.  The black areas of the foreground and in the valley, show the extent of the lava flow, that helped create the park.  It was a result of The Great Rift, which is a 52 mile long fissure in the earth's crust, that developed over 15,000 years ago.  

This is a photo of me by the aforementioned tree, where I had used one of its limbs, as a "frame".  The tree has to be a hardy specimen, to survive the harsh growing conditions on the top of a cinder cone!  Likewise, I was feeling like a "hardy specimen", because I had successfully made the climb to the summit!  So, of course, I wanted a photo to prove it!

I set my camera on "automatic" so I could get a view of the other side of the summit, from the previous photo.  I also took a photo that showed the 7-mile loop road that visitors can drive through, but it does not show up in the photo.  

I was not the only one who wanted a photo at the summit, to commemorate the accomplishment!  This couple also wanted proof of their summit location!

I took the photo below, of a couple shielding themselves from the hot sun, by using an umbrella!  They obviously established their PLAN to prevent sunburn, before they started their walk!

The reason I capitalized the word "PLAN" in these paragraphs, is because I am using these photos as a visual aid, to help me learn one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your PLANS."  (Proverbs 16:3)  Although my original PLAN only called for visiting relatives in Oregon, when I realized I was retracing the wagon wheels of pioneers on the Goodale's Cut-Off section, of The Oregon Trail, (www.OregonTrail.org), I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the hardships they experienced.  I had visited one of my elderly cousins who lived in Dairy, Oregon, and he was a wheelwright, who repaired wagon wheels.  I had read that the volcanic stone of this part of the trail was extremely wearing on wagon wheels, and resulted in many abandoned PLANS, so I can imagine someone who knew how to make and repair wagon wheels would have been very important! 

I am thankful that the LORD established a PLAN for me to be able to visit Craters of the Moon, because the experience gave me a visual aid for a wisdom Bible verse, and "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia 

AIRLIE GARDENS WALKING EXPEDITION!

 Airlie Gardens (www.airliegardens.org) in Wilmington, North Carolina, is a "walkers' paradise"!  This blog has some photos from when I visited there in September, 2025.  One of the most famous plants at the gardens, is  "The Airlie Oak".  It is a gigantic Southern Live Oak, estimated to be nearly 500 years old.  The Spanish moss, hanging like sheer curtains, make it a focal point of the gardens, and a frequent filming location .  The magnificent tree is shown in the photo below:

I read that its acorns are used to grow heritage trees, but I was too busy taking photos to stop and look for souvenir acorns.  I took the photo below, that includes a fellow traveler, to help the viewer get a perspective on the massive size of the living sculpture.

For those who have the time, there are picnic tables beside the oak tree, where one can sit and enjoy the ambience:

My time at the gardens was limited, so instead of stopping, I continued on to the Bradley Creek Pier, that extends out into that body of water, and eventually flows into Wrightsville Beach in Wilmington.  (That name is familiar to me because it is the location of the first photograph I ever saw, of my future grandson-in-law, when he was showing my granddaughter around his then, home state.  Photos showing the wedding that resulted, are on my blog post entitled "Bentonville Expedition", dated August 6, 2021)  With its coastal location, this area is subject to hurricanes.  One thing that makes the Arlie Oak so unique, is the fact that it has survived so many hurricanes.  The same cannot be said for the massive tree trunk, that lies adjacent to the Bradley Creek Pier.  

I don't want to imply that Bradley Creek flows DIRECTLY into Wrightsville Beach.  Rather,, there is a massive "filtration system" that it goes through on its way to the ocean.  One of these filters is Cordgrass, as pictured in the photo below:

Sometimes downed trees such as this are left where they fall, as a way to provide habitat for more wildlife.  In fact, a salamander was kind enough to pose for a photo for me, after I spotted it climbing on the decaying tree trunk: 

 

The metal sculpture is not only artistic, but educational, as the placard it is holding has information about the surrounding gardens.  In spite of my prodding, I could not get the frog to make is familiar "ribbit" sound!  

Speaking of wildlife, there was a wide variety of birds that could be spotted, which may explain why this is an important birding area.  In addition to the birds that actually fly, there was an art installation taking place during my visit, called "Birds of a Feather".  Individuals or businesses could place bids on the various bird sculptures, and become one of the owners of this aviary artwork, when the exhibit ended in a few months.  One of the birds had the prominent blue color of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW):

Team colors more familiar to my area can be seen on this cardinal statue.

Since I am from the Ozarks, where a sports team named Cardinals is popular, this bird would be a welcome addition to a fan of the Cardinals!

This "mosaic" bird design, probably covers the mascot colors of every team in the nation!

When I walked out onto the pier, I couldn't help noticing a visitor with a very long lens on his camera.  When I asked what he was focused in on, he said he was watching a bird across the water.  The photographer is a reminder for me to mention, that there are strict guidelines for professional portrait, wedding, or engagement photo setups, so be sure to check the guidelines on their website to learn more.

It is easy to see why professional photographers would want to work here, because the picturesque settings abound throughout the gardens.  

 

The three columns above the oval benches, surrounded by luscious ferns would make an ideal location for a group photo!  Since I often participate in groups, I am always on the lookout for settings that would be suitable for group photos!

As I was entering the sunken gardens, our group leader was there, so I took the opportunity to give my signature pose, of arms uplifted in praise and gratitude, to the Creator of all this beauty!

The three-tiered fountain beside the lake is another scenic location, and has been the setting for various movie and television programs.  A complete listing of well-known scenes filmed at Airlie Gardens is available on their website.  One source referred to Wilmington, North Carolina, as "The Hollywood" of the central East Coast!

A group of five young ladies was enjoying taking candid shots with their phones, of one another at the fountain, and offered to take my photo.  Of course, I said, "Yes, and thank you very much!"

There were several species of wading and water birds on the distant shoreline of this lake, that some birders were observing, with high-powered binoculars.  So if you are a serious fan of bird watching, be sure to take your binoculars with you when visiting the gardens!

The South if famous for their azalea bushes, and the vibrant blooms on some of their plants were still very photogenic, even though it was not their prime season.  

The photo below shows that the entire bush was covered with healthy blooms!

This metal sculpture of a flower bloom, will keep people interested, when all the azaleas have gone dormant. 

When I saw these two lawn chairs sitting side by side, it reminded me of a favorite photo I have of a man and his wife (who were my cousins), sitting in similar chairs, holding hands, and both turned around to smile at the camera.  Although I looked around for "models", there were no couples at the time, that I could get to pose for such a photograph!

Seeing the bottle house (which is not accessible to go inside), reminded me of the first time I ever saw "bottle glass".  It was at a very old hotel along the canal, where my father and I stayed, when we visited Venice in the 1960's.  I later learned that Venice is famous for its glass creations, and probably the reason my father agreed to purchase some very delicate glass deer, that we watched a Venetian artist blow and sculpt, right before our eyes! (Photos of that trip are on blog entitled "Italy Expedition", dated January 2, 2025)

I was delighted to see that Airlie Gardens has a Labyrinth, because it reminded me of Grandma/Grandchild day where we visited several labyrinths in Northwest Arkansas. (See Labyrinths and Lanes Expedition, dated July 7, 2010).

There is an indoor place of worship on the grounds of Airlie Gardens, called Mount Lebanon Chapel, that is still in regular use today.  The chapel was completed in 1835, and was named for the surrounding cedar trees that recalled the Biblical Cedars of Lebanon.  It is a part of St. James Episcopal Parrish, and you can read more about its history at their website, www.stjamesp.org .

 

The landscape architects of Airlie Gardens have done an outstanding job of designing a variety of different types of walking paths.  The walking path below reminds me of the letter "H".   

This tan-colored walking path is lined with colorful blooms, and is very straight.

The gently curved-at-the-end, walking path below is lined with low hedges, like one might see in Scotland.  In fact, Airlie Gardens gets its name from Airlie, Scotland, because the developer (Sarah Green Jones) named her land acquisition around Mt. Lebanon, Airlie Gardens, after her husband's ancestral home in Scotland.  

Seeing all the different walking paths at Airlie Gardens, is the visual aid for my current First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) class, that is studying the lessons in "Walk in Wisdom".  It is based on the book of Proverbs, which mentions the word "path" about 29 times!  Proverbs uses "path" as a key metaphor representing life's direction---contrasting the wise, righteous way with the foolish, wicked one.  The class will meet weekly for about eight weeks, and each week, we will work on memorizing one verse from the book of Proverbs.  The memory verse for the first week is "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."  Proverbs 1:7

 

 

Visiting Airlie Gardens and exploring its many paths, gave me "MILES OF SMILES!"    Tricia