Showcasing the beauty of the Sacramento area. Using my Phantom quadcopter (drone) to photograph and video the beautiful Sacramento Area.
I welcome your comments and encourage you to follow my blog as I explore some of the hidden and not so hidden areas of where we live.
If you have ever driven up Highway 80 passing through Auburn I'm sure you have seen the shining dome off to your right. That dome sits atop the Auburn Courthouse. Built in 1898 there is a lot of history surrounding this building.
The site of the courthouse is on a hill that once was the site of bull and bear fights as well at public hangings.
The 300 pound bell in the tower traveled around Cape Horn in 1859 replacing the original bell that cracked.
The courthouse was built for a staggering price tag of $173,000. It is still an active courthouse but also houses a museum dedicated to the history of Placer County. Instant Online Home Value - Click Here
I spent the afternoon exploring the area around the Foresthill Bridge the other day. Probably not the best choice right after running into the rattlesnake in Fair Oaks. But I made it without any run-ins.
The Foresthill Bridge spans the North Fork of the American River just outside of Auburn. at 730 feet above the riverbed it is the 2nd highest bridge in California and the 5th highest in the United States.
Built in 1973 it was originally built to span the lake that would have developed if the Auburn Dam had ever been completed. It is a very pedestrian friendly bridge with walkways on both side giving some spectacular views of the canyon below. On a more macabre note this bridge has distinction of being the number 2 target for suicide jumpers next to the Golden Gate Bridge. Around 70 people have jumped since 1973. It was enough of a problem that this bridge was mention in the law passed to help prevent people from jumping. The rails were raised from 4.5 feet to 6.5 feet and suicide-prevention phones were placed on the bridge. Instant Online Home Value Estimates - Click Here
After a 20 year career with the New York Yankees Derek Jeter will be retiring after this season. This is the final time Jeter will visit the A's unless they meet in the Post Season. Was lucky enough to have great seats near third base. And even luckier to bring home a piece of history from the game. See below.
Jeter on third base just before he scores in the 4th inning.
This is the actual third base from the above picture. A small piece of history for my collection.
Even as a Red Sox fan I can appreciate what Derek Jeter accomplished in his career. GO RED SOX!!!
The Pony Express left Old Sacramento on a beautiful Wednesday morning on its 2,000 mile journey to St. Joseph Missouri.
The Pony Express consisted of relays of men riding horses carrying saddlebags of mail across a 2000-mile trail. The service opened officially on April 3, 1860, when riders left simultaneously from St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. The first westbound trip was made in 9 days and 23 hours and the eastbound journey in 11 days and 12 hours. The pony riders covered 250 miles in a 24-hour day.
Eventually, the Pony Express had more than 100 stations, 80 riders, and between 400 and 500 horses. The express route was extremely hazardous, but only one mail delivery was ever lost. The service lasted only 19 months until October 24, 1861, when the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence. Although California relied upon news from the Pony Express during the early days of the Civil War, the horse line was never a financial success, leading its founders to bankruptcy. However, the romantic drama surrounding the Pony Express has made it a part of the legend of the American West. (from Pony Express.org)
The food trucks converged on Citrus Heights tonight. These aren't the food trucks you used to see at construction sites serving soggy tasteless sandwiches. The food is amazing and there is enough variety for the entire family.
Tonight's gathering was in the parking lot next to Lowe's on Greenback Lane.
Gyros, burgers, BBQ, sandwiches, garlic fries, ice cream. Whatever your appetite desires you will probably find on a food truck.
Visit
Smokers Wild BBQ
at
www.smokerswildBBQ.com
Hefty Gyros
at
www.facebook.com/heftygyros
Visit
Krush
at
www.krushburger.com
Cichy
at
www.cichyco.com
Visit
The Pink Fashion Bus
at
www.pinkfashionbus.com
Visit
Happy Cow
at
www.facebook.com/happycowmobile
and
Chandos Tacos
at
www.chandostacos.com
Do you want to keep up on where the food trucks are? Follow SactoMoFo on Twitter. That's how I knew they would be in Citrus Heights tonight.
Have 45 minutes and want an adventure in Old Sacramento? Try taking the train ride along the Sacramento River. You will enjoy the view from a 1920's Southern Pacific observation car as you make your way 3 miles down the river. Old Sac Train Rides
Days of operation: Saturdays and Sundays; April 5 through September 28, 2014 Hours of operation: Every hour on the hour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weather permitting) Departure location: Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot in Old Sacramento (located on Front Street between J and K Streets). Tickets: Regular Coach: $10 adults, $5 youths (ages 6-17), ages 5 and under ride free. First Class El Dorado Car: $20 adults, $15 youths (ages 6-17), ages 5 and under ride free.
The temp is up above 105 in Sacramento today. It's time to hit the river to cool off. Sad to say that I've live in Sacramento my entire life and have never been on a boat in the Sacramento River. Guess I just don't have boat friends. :-)
For those of you that aren't familiar with Discovery Park it is at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers. The park is very large with lots of picnic areas on one side of the river and a large beach on the other side. This is a popular boat launch spot with a huge parking area for the boat trailers. Have a suggestion for my next film? I'd love to here your ideas. Instant Online Home Value - Click Here
Driving down Highway 80 I could see the glow from the ferris wheel lighting up the sky. It was a warm day that turned into a perfect night for a carnival. The neighborhood turned out to enjoy the rides.
When I fly the drone I usually get people asking me questions when they see it buzzing around. Take it up at night and everyone notices. At one point I had at least 15 people gathered around me wanting to take a peak at what I was doing. I'm always looking for ideas of what to film. It you have a suggestion please feel free to leave a comment.
It was a beautiful day in Downtown Sacramento. I was driving near the Memorial Auditorium and saw a vacant lot and wondered what the skyline would look like from here. So, I took out the Phantom and lifted straight up to about 250 feet. At 49 seconds into the video a small bird flies by. So this is the view the birds see everyday? I'm jealous.
The original M Street bridge was built in 1911. It was obvious that the bridge was going to be inadequate for the area so the "Tower Bridge" was constructed in 1935 at a cost of $666,000. An icon of the Sacramento skyline it wasn't always painted gold. The original silver color was too glaring for motorist so in 1976 it was painted an yellowish color to represent gold. In 2002 is was repainted its current gold color.
In 1982 the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
