The Tales of the Traveling Tote is a series of adventures that share where our Mackenzie Childs tote bags have taken us. Every three months, a group of bloggers each write a connected post about the places we have been. We have built incredible friendships through our blogs and we hope you enjoy our tales as much as we do!
Paul and I and Miss Lola, my tote visited Empire Mine State historic Park over the weekend. It is in our own backyard, Grass Valley, CA.
Empire Mine State Historic park preserves what was once California's richest gold-producing mine. It is located in the Western Sierra Nevada, about 50 miles from Sacramento. The park is 856 acres and has elevation of 2,500 - 2,900 feet. The deep mine shaft forms a maze of 367 miles.The miners long accepted the constant danger and difficult labor. They would work 6 days a week up to 10 hours a day in the dark dreary underground mine.
Empire Cottage’s famous gardens feature many varieties of roses and other plants. Most of the roses are from original plantings around 1897 – well over a century ago.
Miss Lola and myself by the large urns filled with lovely flowers.
The gardens at Empire Mine are lovely.
I love this shot, looking up toward the brick steps. They added a large trellis for the vines to cover.
The Bourn cottage is lovely with so much charm. Bourn reacquired control of the Empire Mine in 1896, forming the Empire Mines and Investment Co. In 1897, he commissioned Willis Polk to design the "Cottage", using waste rock from the mine. The Cottage included a greenhouse, fountains, gardens, and a reflecting pool. Between 1898 and 1905, a clubhouse with tennis courts, bowling alley and squash courts were built nearby.
Look at the unique way they laid the bricks.
Paul with an old fashioned gas pump.
Miss Lola hanging on a mine cart.
The entrance to the mine shaft.
A look into the mines. Imagine the miners working long hours.
Mules were used to pull the carts. How awful they kept them down there in barns.
Minerals
Here's a video exploring the mine.
Please take the time to visit the other bloggers in The Traveling Tote and see where their travels have taken them.
Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths
Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch
Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron
Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda
Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply
Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul
Jackie and Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home
Our next adventure is December 1st, so be sure to stop by and visit and a chance to win the giveaway.
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Those totes travel! You both look great.You know..with a home and gardens and spot like yours..not much need to look elsewhere:)
ReplyDeleteThank you Monique. We love our house and gardens. We were just sitting down by the pool last night and enjoying our own paradise. Happy weekend.
DeleteHow lovely! The beautiful brick and the greenery -- so attractive!
ReplyDeleteThanks Debra. It is a very interesting place to visit. The cottage is quite unique. Have a lovely weekend.
DeleteHi Linda, oh what an exciting place to visit with Lola and your husband. Thanks for taking me a long with you. Those poor miners worked so hard. I love how pretty it looks there will the gardens. Sounds like a fun day.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the long weekend.
Julie xo
Thanks Julie, it was a fun adventure and so close to home. Living in the gold country gives us a lot of opportunity to visit these historical places. Enjoy your weekend as well. Xo
DeleteWhat an interesting place to visit. I can't even imagine working underground for 10 hrs a day, 6 days a week. The grounds are so pretty and Miss Lola obviously enjoys have her photo taken!! Thanks for sharinf this fun adventure and taking us along with you!!
ReplyDeleteYes can you believe those poor miners working so long in a dark, dank place. I am looking forward to reading about everyone’s adventures.
DeleteLove the history and love the flowers on the grounds. The building is pretty fabulous too. Looks like another fun adventure. Have a great holiday weekend.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Kris
Thank you Kris. The grounds are so pretty, via the state park. A lovely trellis is a wonderful addition. Enjoy your new cottage and happy weekend.
DeleteHow uncanny that you & Miss Lola went to the gold mines while Miss Charley C and I were down in the coal mine! Lol, I think your end product was much cleaner and more valuable! That cottage! Oh my, the poor folk in WV lived in shanties, only the superintendent had the luxury of anything close to what Bourn had (and it was timbered frame, not rock). I love reading the history from where we all come. Our ancestors knew hard work, that's for sure. Have a great Labor Day weekend, Linda.
ReplyDeleteWow Rita, that is uncanny. We were both in the mine...lol. Yes, dirt would be cleaner than coal. I feel so bad for those who worked in these mines. History is very interesting and I love hearing the stories. Happy Labor Day weekend.
DeleteWhat a fabulous and historical place! It is hard to imagine how those miners descended into the earth day after day, doing dangerous and tedious work...It is so much fun to do something different and enjoy an outing right "in your own backyard" as we often take the local attractions and sites for granted! The brickwork is truly amazing! I hope you are enjoying a relaxing Labor Day weekend,
ReplyDeleteJenna
Hi Jenna, yes it is fun to explore our own backyard. We do take things for granted. Learning how these folks lived and worked is eye opening. I am sure you are enjoying your Beachy home. Happy weekend.
DeleteSuch a wonderful place to have close by to visit. Beautiful gardens. I can't imagine working in the mines for a second. A tough life it was for many.
ReplyDeleteLola had fun popping around.
Cindy
Hi Cindy, I love the gardens. I never tire at looking at lovely gardens. It is always fun to see where the other tote gals visit. Have a lovely Labor Day weekend.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun adventure for you, Paul, and Miss Lola! I would love visiting Empire Mine, and the gardens looked so beautiful. The cottage was amazing and the brickwork was so unusual. Pizza at the end of the day was a nice reward!
ReplyDeleteHi Kitty, you would really enjoy visiting the gardens. Very creative and the brick on the cottage is amazing. Happy weekend.
DeleteLinda, thanks for sharing these beautiful gardens. I always like to see how others create their garden spaces, and yes, the brick is very interesting. I vividly remember touring a gold mine when I was a child. We vacationed in CO every summer, and this experience was on one of our trips. I don't think I could work deep underground. Thanks for takin. g us along to this interesting place. Happy September to you and Paul.
ReplyDeleteSarah, it is always a pleasure to see other gardens. I do get inspired. How interesting you visited a mine as a child. It’s a whole different world. I know I could never work underground. Happy September to you as well.
DeleteWow, these gardens and the water features are fabulous. I love that they have created such a gorgeous place to come and learn about these historic events. We visited a gold mine in CO when I was in high school on a trip out west with my parents. They said the miners had to remove their clothes and take a shower after work, and they collected the gold dust from their clothes and shower water and it was worth a lot of money every year. That was back when gold was $39 and ounce. Can you believe I remember that?
ReplyDeleteLinda, how interesting touring this historical gold mine. I can’t imagine the conditions that these miners endured. The gardens are truly gorgeous and I so enjoyed traveling with you, Paul, and Miss Lola!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting trip. I think it was Rita (Panolpy) that also visited a mine! Love that bag and wish I had one to join in the fun! xo Diana
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun adventure for you, Paul, and Miss Lola. Very interesting history about Empire Mine, and the gardens are so beautiful. I love that Empire Cottage’s gardens feature roses from 1897. The cottage brickwork is so unusual. Just gorgeous! Happy September. xo
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda for sharing your trip to the Empire Mine. It is a huge area and they have made everything beautiful. What miners endured is gut wrenching. It is ironic you and Rita both visited mines and shared about them.
ReplyDeleteLinda, what a lovely place to see and learn about your local history. The grounds are beautiful and it's hard to imagine it once was a working mine. Love the pics of you and of Paul and of course Miss Lola where she's always at home! Linda, I can't thank you enough for publishing my post for me!!!!! Thank you so much. Have a wonderful week.....
ReplyDelete