We had learned of Pig Turd Alley while listening to Gary Noy's presentation and had to see it in person.

This was the first cemetery, we have visited, that gave an explanation of the life and death of the decedent.

We came for the 'Trash to Treasures' event. A once-a-year happening where the streets are lined with items for sale... truly something for everyone.

This was an old Shell Gas Station that seemed suspended in time, and junk.

And there was dancing in the streets.

Columbia was our ultimate destination for today. Located in the heart of the California Mother Lode, Columbia State Historic Park is a living gold rush town featuring the largest single collection of existing gold rush-era structures in the state. Visiting Columbia was like traveling back in time to the sights, smells, and sounds of a nineteenth century mining town—merchants dressed in 1850′s attire, a whiff of coal smoke from the blacksmith shop, and the rumble of a stagecoach pulling into town!

We sidled up to the bar for some sarsaparilla.