Day 37

Date & Weather 7/08/02 (Mon) Check Out 10:00 AM (PST)
Milage & Route 203Miles (Sacramento, CA - Coloma, CA - San Francisco, CA) Check In 6:30 PM (PST)
Motel Best Western
Discovery of Gold - It made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold.

Today I visited not only two museums, Discovery Museum and California State Railroad California State Railroad Museum, Old SacramentoMuseum, but also Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park where I had not planned to go because I felt the strong temptation to see the site where gold was discovered. I don't know exactly why I wanted to see it. But that happens. So,Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park I left not west, San Francisco, but east, Coloma where James Marshall accidentally discovered Gold on January 24, 1848.

I expected to get to Coloma within one hour because it is about 50 miles east of Sacramento. However, it was really in countryside, which worried me Gold Discovery Site in Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Parkthat there was nothing there. After all it took nearly two hours.

Marshall Historic Park recreates some sites as they were in 1848. For example, there are Marshall's Cabin, Sutter's Sawmill, etc. So, the sawmill was owned by Sutter. The site where Gold was discovered was just streamside of American River. Although there was nothing but an information sign, standing there satisfied me because I could directly confront history.
"Golden Gate Bridge" in San Francisco
As soon as I got to San Francisco at about 6:30 PM, I headed for Japanese Center because I missed "Japanese Curry. When I left the center, it was not dark yet. So, I decided to see "Golden Gate Bridge." Although it was dusk, I could see it clearly. Tomorrow I hope I can see it more beautifully.
What I Learned Today - Not only Sutter but also Marshall never profit from "Gold."
Discovery Museum in Old SacramentoAccording to a document in "Discovery Museum" in Old Sacramento, "Marshall never profited from his discovery." "In late 1847, Marshall became overseer of a sawmill owned by John Sutter. On a cold January morning in 1848, as Marshall inspected the tailrace of the mill, his eye caught something shining in the bottom of the ditch." (From a document in "Discovery Museum")

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