Follow the Path

Last weekend we went on a drive through Amador County, on Hwy. 49, and stopped in a little town called, Drytown, for breakfast. The town was established in 1848 and is believed to be the first gold camp in the county. George Hearst, the father of William Randolph Hearst operated a printing press here and it is where he had his mining office.

We continued down Hwy. 49 to Amador City and were walking down main street when we saw this alley. Curious, we decided to see where it would lead us. We were pleasantly surprised when it led to a 'secret' train room.







The trees and vegetation in the train room are all to 'scale' and I'm sure the flowering plants and shrubs will be in bloom in a few months. The cat certainly was there to tell us that this was his place. There is a small gazebo with some chairs off to the left where you can sit and enjoy the trains.

Unfortunately, the train wasn't running that day. When we inquired at a few of the shops we were told that the man who built the train room was spending some time traveling. Several of the shop owners said that the train room is a wonderful and relaxing place to go to during the summer when the creator is running the trains. It must have taken the man years to build this special place and it is evident that it was, and is, a labor of love. I can almost hear the train whistle! We are planning to return in a month or so to see if we can locate the owner and we also want to see it when the garden is in bloom.

Before we left, we ran into a couple of men who looked like gold miners. They had long grey-white beards, pants with suspenders, and rose-colored long john shirts. For a moment there we thought we were in a time warp! I wish that I had the nerve to ask them if I could take their picture - may be next time.

The moral of this story...always follow the path - you never know what lies beyond!