Claudia and Bruce reserved a few days at the Jackson Rancheria RV Park, located at the casino near Jackson, California. I gladly accepted their invitation to join them. The RV park is very clean, with grass areas between the parking spaces. The park is located near the top of a ridge, and as a result, we had some very strong winds on the first night.
We explored the surrounding area, including a short trip to Sutter Creek, a nearby gold country town. It was a pleasant walk along the main street, although many of the businesses are closed on a Tuesday.
We also checked out some of the gold country artifacts in Jackson. The Kennedy Tailing Wheels Park featured a couple of large tailing wheels from the mining operation in Jackson in the early 1900’s. One of the tailing wheels is still standing while the other one had collapsed. A few years ago, the standing tailing wheel was encased in a large building to protect it.
On Wednesday, we ventured to Pardee Lake Recreation area and Camanche Reservoir, both about 10-15 miles from Jackson. The dam at Pardee Lake is unusual. The road on the top of the dam is one lane width, so traffic is controlled by stoplights at each end of the dam.
On Thursday, I drove in to Jackson to run a couple or errands. While in town, I took some photos at a local cemetery and an Orthodox Church. I also went back to the tailing wheels for another shot of a different wheel. It is closer to the Jackson Mine.
We headed for home on Friday. Even though the RV Park is part of the casino property, we didn’t venture into the casino. The weather on this trip was pleasant, especially for January. The Jackson Rancheria RV Park is another great destination that isn’t very far from home. The gold country area is a great place to explore rustic settings and small towns with plenty of history.
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Roadtripping with Ron 