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Gold Country Drive – Doors & Windows Edition

/ Bulldog Travels / 30 Comments

The California Gold Country boasts lots of beautiful shop-filled main streets in various states of revitalization or disrepair.  But, one thing is for sure…no one wants to throw out a great old door or window with some personality.  Join me and get a feel for what its like to walk by the Gold Country main streets of the 1850s.  Do you have anything like this where you live?

Macro shot of an old door
Please don’t ever paint over this.
One of the oldest structures in Columbia State park.
It’s a door!

Visit Norm 2.0 for other examples of greats Doors on Thursday!

For other posts in and around the gold country please click here.

 

 

Gold Country Drive – Mokelumne Hill,Ca

/ Bulldog Travels / 22 Comments

Mokelumne Hill, California is an example of a small remote gold town that is still transitioning and finding its 21st century self.  While it does so I enjoyed the heck out of exploring its main street and the details of all its strange and wonderful architecture.  I have driven through this town hundreds of times.  My parents used to love doing the exact same thing taking us kids for a drive through the gold country.  This is the first time I got out with my camera and focused on the details.  I probably got a few strange looks from people drinking in the local bar but they shrugged their shoulders and went about their business.

For other posts in and around the Gold Country please click here.

 

 

 

 

Gold Country Drives – Barns

/ Bulldog Travels / 31 Comments

During our little drive through the Gold Country it is easy to come across barn after barn after barn.  I stopped by and took a few photos of them hoping to give you a sense of the area.  I have always been fond of barns since we have had many of them through the years on properties homesteaded by my ancestors.  Here are a few we stumbled upon that make me wonder what might be inside of them.

Submitted as part of Jennifer’s One Word Photo Challenge.

For other posts in and around the Gold Country please click here.

Patrolling the Chicago River

/ Bulldog Travels / 44 Comments

Business took me to Chicago to evaluate a software system.  When our group wasn’t nose deep in computers we had a little fun in a way I could never have imagined.  First we caught a Blackhawks Hockey game and then we were hosted on two different Chicago Police Department Marine units who took us for a float down the Chicago River.

We met near Columbia Yacht Club just south of Navy Pier north of Millennium Park where we drove down an icy dock paralleling frozen slips.  We slid down an icy gang plank to the boats as if there was nothing at all unusual about navigating frozen waters in sub-zero temperatures.

Chicago is a beautiful city with amazing architecture.  There is no better way to see it than from either Lake Michigan or from the Chicago River.  Chicago has improved the river walk since the last few times I have been there which is also a nice way to see the water.  We were fortunate enough to sail up river at sunset and down river in the evening so we could see all of the steel bridges and lit buildings.

The officers who took us on a tour were knowledgeable and hilarious and just an all around bunch of fun.  Naturally, my ship Captain saw some sort of nautical intelligence in my eyes and turned over the helm to me.  So, yes I drove a police boat down the Chicago River!   Don’t ask me how that happened.  It just did and it is right up there as one of the coolest things I have done in a very long time.

Despite the frigid temperatures I did manage to step out of the cabin to snap a few photos I hope you will enjoy.


  

  

To read more about my last trip to Chicago in July 2015 please click here!

Ross Errilly Friary, County Galway

/ Bulldog Travels / 30 Comments

I hope you aren’t tired of Ireland posts yet!  I still have a few more up my sleeve.  I am sure as soon as I finish writing about it I will be itching to go back so I keep saving a few…

Ross Errilly Friary is a fine example of one of my favorite things to do when traveling.  I love to find the random unplanned locations that come up between Point A and Point B.  After spending the day driving in and around Kylemore Abbey we were headed back to Clare and decided to follow one of the brown historic markers that dot the roadways throughout Ireland.  I looked at them and asked if they had one more stop in them.  My parents are good sports about going anywhere and doing pretty much anything so they were game.  The sun was setting, no one was around, and we had a blast checking out the interesting angles of the remaining architecture.

Ross Errily Medieval Franciscan Friary can be located in County Galway near the village of Headford.  You can see it from the main road and can follow the well signed roads.  It is worth a few minute visit for sure.

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For more on my Irish musings please click here!

Adare, Tidy Irish Town

/ Bulldog Travels / 37 Comments

Ireland has this great competition called the “Tidy Towns” competition. Visitors know that if a town is listed as a current or past “Tidy Town” winner there is a good possibility that they will enjoy a visit or a pass through that town.  Adare is on Ireland’s list of tidy towns.  I could look up the parameters of making it on this list.  But, I can tell you right now that it is because of historical buildings, lots of flowers, little traffic, and brightly painted exteriors among other things.

This is a little tip when planning your Ireland trip.  Focus on tidy towns to eat in, visit, or stay in.  Click here for a list of the current and past winners. For now enjoy some photos of past Tidy Town winner, Adare in County Limerick.

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Victorian Christmas in Nevada City

/ Bulldog Travels / 8 Comments

Merry Christmas everyone wherever you are in the world. Enjoy a reblog from a Christmas past visiting a local Gold Town called Nevada City for Victorian Christmas.

Bulldog Travels's avatarBulldog Travels / Photos By Jenny

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. After what felt like a year without a single rain drop in California it seems all of the missing rain was dropped in only a few week’s time. Along with all this water the leaves have all dropped and the temperatures have cooled. The malls are full and the UPS drivers seem to go past the house five times per day delivering their joyful packages. Lights are up on the house and fire places are smoking. Bakes goods are plentiful, pot lucks are seemingly daily events, and consequently my pants are fitting tightly. All of these things mean one thing! Christmas time is here again!

While UPS drivers and pot lucks are certainly a sign of the season where, you ask, does one go in Northern California to feel truly in the holiday spirit? The gold country is often where I flock…

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