Bridgeport Covered Bridge – Malakoff Diggins – Rough and Ready

Posted by Karen on 16-Oct-2009

(Click photo for all 113 photos)

Lori, Candance and I headed up to Nevada County for a fall photography day.  We started our day at the Bridgeport Covered Bridge in Penn Valley.  Part of the South Yuba River State Park, the bridge was built in 1862 and is the longest single-span covered bridge in the United States at 229 feet. We wandered around the area, checking out the covered bridge, the river, the historic ranch site, the cemetery, and the many squirrels and deer hanging out. We left and took the windy road opposite the one we came in on. It took us past French Corral, a semi-ghost town which was the site of one of the first long-distance telephone lines in the United States. An old 1850s Wells Fargo Bank building is all the remains of the town’s history. Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park was our next stop and the autumn colors were popping like crazy along the main street of this historic town. After enjoying the beautiful colors of the trees, we marveled at the cliffs of the area that had been created by the strip mining operations during the Gold Rush.  We crossed the Yuba River at Edwards Crossing and came back to modern civilization. Somehow while trying to find a dinner spot in Grass Valley, we got turned around and ended up in the Great Republic of Rough and Ready, which is where we had dinner from the market’s deli. The market owner was a lively lady and was telling us the story of how Rough and Ready seceded from the nation in 1850, but when they went to Grass Valley to purchase booze for the upcoming 4th of July celebration, they were told that since they were foreigner’s they couldn’t buy any liquor!  They all came home and promptly voted to re-join the union after only 3 days of secession. The gold miners may have liked their independence, but they sure liked their booze more!

Comments

2 Responses to “Bridgeport Covered Bridge – Malakoff Diggins – Rough and Ready”

1. Carol says:

   31-Oct-2009 at 5:04 am

   Loved the pics of the bridge and the beautiful maples changing color. The pics were all great, as usual.

   Loved the story about Rough and Ready, too, but the teacher in me is going to pop out now, though, and suggest that when you said succeeded and succession, you actually meant seceded and secession.

   Reply
2. Karen says:

   31-Oct-2009 at 10:14 am

   I knew I should have looked those words up! Thanks for the catch and corrected.

   Reply