Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Save our Parks!


Our last big three day weekend is fast approaching. If you want your state parks to remain open VISIT! Spend quality time in any of these beautiful locations. A walk through the North Grove of Calaveras Big Trees State Park will send your soul soaring to the unseen heights. Our Parks provide the space to find yourself, to focus and get yourself grounded. Take a reality check and visit one of our Parks while you still can. Just one organization that is working hard to preserve our opportunity to visit mother nature at her finest is at http://www.bigtrees.org/.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Mario's Gold Nugget

As he prefers to be called, the "World Famous Gold Prospector Mario" is here at Ironstone this weekend teaching all interested how to pan for gold. He even promises you will find some!


Mario is quite proud of his newest Gold nugget. He wears this one around his neck. It is quite a bobble or Gold Panners Bling! We don't think you will find one this big in the gold pans. It was hard rock mined in one of Mario's claims over in Tuolumne County, just on the other side of the river from us here in Murphys.


Come on out and meet Mario. He is after all the real thing! Made a living panming and mining for Gold here in the Sierra. Mario hails from Italy and if you ask, he has quite a story to tell about how he left Verona, Italy as a young boy during the war and made his way to America. It is quite a story. He will also teach you the right way and the wrong way to pan for gold. He does have the touch.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Barb knows what she wants for Christmas!

Not every day you find the perfect gift... for yourself! But Barbara Zimmerman did!
Barbara is a member of an RV Club that in turn is part of the Redding Elks Lodge #1073. Up to Murphys on one of their monthly outings last Thursday, May 14th, Barbara, Richard Richards and the rest of the RV Club made their way to Ironstone Vineyards. After lunch, they headed over to us here in the Ironstone Museum to check out our Gold! And there you go! Love at first sight! Leaving the Gold Vault, Barabara explained to her fellow travelers that she knows what she wants for Christmas! 44 pounds of it! Or any chips or flakes that happen to find their way off the big piece!
The groups next outing is a "Chili Cook Off" at McCloud, with 85 rigs heading out for what Richard calls "the big on for the year". We wish the group a great time and hope they come back and check up on Barb's Christmas gift!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Huge Catch! Ready for Adoption!


The Catch is in!

From Fossil Lake, the fossil fish are ready for new homes. Adoption Fees range from $7.00 to $ 85.00. While the catch is fresh, make a fossil fish an everlasting family member by offering a loving home.
Make great backsplaces too!