Travels in the 2nd half

  Spofford Lake The central valley of California is dry and hot. It sits between two ranges of mountains that do a very good job of blocking rain from reaching the area. So, finding an oasis of green is always a good thing. The University of California - Davis Arboretum offers a wonderful respite from the heat. UC-Davis was founded in 1905 as the agricultural school for the state’s university system. In 1959 the school was designated as a general campus of the University system Today, it is still the center of education in fields relating to farming crops and raising live stock, but also in environmental and ecological studies. UC-Davis offers 102 undergraduate degrees and 101 graduate degrees. The southern edge of the campus is where you will find Arboretum and Public Garden. This hundred acre woods was created along the what had been the north fork of the Putah Creek. The creek flows east from the coastal range of mountains to the Sacramento River. It was diverted in 1879 towar...

  The Empire Gold Mine was the largest, most profitable gold mine in California’s history. It was located in the area that became the town of Grass Valley , about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento. Today that mine, out of service since the 1950’s, sits at the heart of a California State Historic Park. Going down to work in the mine In 1850, gold bearing quartz was discovered in the mountains of California. Gold in this form is much harder to mine. Since it is not pure, you can’t pan it out of the water. Instead “hard rock” methods must be employed. The rocks have to be drilled or blasted from the ground, and then crushed to a powder. The powder was then mixed with copper covered with mercury. The gold and mercury mixed together formed an amalgam that was separated from the copper. Then the gold was purified. In 1905, the mine adopted a method that used cyanide instead of mercury. These methods both created issues of water and ground pollution. The cleanup of the area went well into...

  Boston Public Gardens Foot Bridge Boston is a beautiful and historic city, and there are plenty on walks that explore both of these aspects of the city. On a recent visit, I decided to spend some time exploring a few of Boston’s historic urban parks. Boston Commons and Public Gardens   Parkman Grandstand In the center of Boston’s downtown are two parks that harken back to the European cities that the its founders came from. The Boston Commons is the oldest city park in the United States. It was created in 1634 as a local grazing area for cows. In 1830, the cows were banned (along with Blacks and Native Americans) and the commons was turned into park. In addition to being a green island in Boston’s urban center, over the centuries it has been a gathering place for political rallies and demonstrations, and the site of many concerts. Sailor on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument Education, on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument Across the street is the Boston Public Gardens . Orig...