Imperial Hotel Amador City

... to do volunteer work along my trip, as of now I am looking to Volunteer at the Monteverde Butterfly Garden for 2 months starting Jan. 15th and then from there is where every my feet take me. i will update this a lot and keep everyone in the loop.

I've been back a month today and I've been going over my pictures. I've tried to group them by interest. There's some great street art and signage in Europe as well as architecture and just plain European charm. I hope you enjoy.

This afternoon I started to pack, and - as usual - I have wayyyyy too much stuff that I want to fit in one suitcase. Where am I going to put all my souvenirs and presents on the trip home?! ;] I'm currently envious of how my dad can bring a few pairs of shorts and some t shirts and call it "packed". I guess wanting to be prepared for anything is both a blessing and a curse.

I'm a little anxious about the flight overseas. I ...

... by definition I am doubtful this qualifies as one) as I just scored a fat deal at the Sheraton at Fishermans Wharf in SF the following night for $119. This better be good. Not expecting Four Seasons quality, but at least Marriott standards, all things considered.

I must pack now. I am finding it weird that I am leaving my po-dunk town for an even more remote location. After watching Psych last ...

I just went to my first concert at Ironstone Winery in the historic gold rush town of Murphys, CA this past weekend to see Jason Mraz. What a beautiful venue! It was a warm summer night, everyone had smiles on their faces, the beer and wine was flowing, and the atmosphere couldn't have been more inviting. It's a medium-sized amphitheater with the usual section of assigned seating in front, but I always prefer the lawn area for outdoor concerts ...

... morning.

In any case, I'm so ready to GET GOING after doing so many paperwork chores for so long. So here it is, 3am the day that I'm ready to fly away and start a new life somewhere that I've never been, doing a job that I've never done, in a place where I don't speak the language.

Sounds exciting right?

I'll be in touch and let you know how it goes.

This will be a short entry since I didn't get one done yesterday which is when this was due. We travelled from Ramona, CA (near San Diego) to Granite Bay, CA (near Sacramento) and had a wonderful ride. The weather was great and the roads were not too busy. We intentionally planned this part of the ride to get us through L.A. on a weekend ...

... agritourism stops (Farm Trails) and wineries along the way with a handy list of open times and schedules.
We chose to stay overnight in Placerville at the recently remodeled Cary House Hotel with a new owner. We very much enjoyed our stay here. The room was a one bedroom apartment with a living room and kitchen. The rate was under $100. Perhaps this was a midweek special, it seemed low for the amount of space and ...

... einem Grossaufgebot von Sheriff's, zu Fuss, zu Pferd und im Auto. Heute besuchten wir Sutter's Mine und fuhren tatsaechlich mit einem Dieseltransporter tief in den Stollen hinunter. Ein graubaertiger, ehemaliger Kumpel informierte uns ausfuehrlich ueber die Geschichte des hiesigen Bergbaus. Gluecklich, nach einer Stunde wieder das Tageslicht zu sehen.

... I mean on the road itself, with people smoking, drinking, dancing(?) and skateboarding. When traffic again moved, we got to the wreck, and a helicopter landed on the roadway, loaded some people on and left; passing by we saw the weirdo's car, smashed up like an accordion, and a nice sports car, its trunk even with the seats...and a couple of other cars. The crash seriously delayed travel, and we arrived really late; so late that the friggin hotel had given away our ...