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< Sunday, April 21, 2019 >


All Day Spring Photography Contest at New Melones Lake!
Tuttletown, CA...The Bureau of Reclamation announces the third annual spring photography contest at New Melones Lake. The contest is only open to amateur photographers and the deadline for submissions is June 3, 2019. The photo contest has three categories: landscape, flora/fauna, and recreation. Participants may submit one photograph per category. All photographs must be from the New Melones Lake Recreation Area, taken in 2019, and must be in their original, un-edited form.


Two photographs from each category will be selected and the winning photographers will be awarded a two-night camping certificate for New Melones Lake. One photograph will be selected as “Best of Show,” and the winner will receive a New Melones Lake Annual Pass. The winning photographs will be announced by July 4, 2019.

Please submit photographs to Joshua Pelham at jpelham@usbr.gov, and include: the photographer’s name, contact information, location of the photograph and photographic category of each picture. For more information, contact Joshua at 209-536-9094 ext. 236.

The photographer retains their rights to the photograph; however, they grant Reclamation (and those authorized by Reclamation) a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce, and create works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed, for any Reclamation purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising and promotion, website, exhibition, and commercial products, including, but not limited to Reclamation publications. Any photograph reproduced will be given photograph credit as Bureau of Reclamation.

The New Melones Lake Administration office and Visitor Center and Museum is located at 6850 Studhorse Flat Road, Sonora, CA 95370. For additional information call the Visitor Center at 209-536-9543 (TTY 800-877-8339) or visit https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/index.html

Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP.
All Day Make Plans for Easter Brunch at CAMPS
Angels Camp, CA...Join us at CAMPS Restaurant for a Champagne Brunch you won't want to miss. Enjoy mimosas, a beautiful brunch buffet, and for the kids an Easter Egg Hunt! Seating's are available from 9:30am-3:00pm and require reservations. To make a reservation, please call: (209)729-8181


Sunday, April 21, 2019 at 9:30 AM – 3 PM

Greenhorn Creek Resort
711 McCauley Ranch Rd, Angels Camp, California 95222

Join us at CAMPS Restaurant for a Champagne Brunch you won't want to miss. Enjoy mimosas, a beautiful brunch buffet, and for the kids an Easter Egg Hunt! Seating's are available from 9:30am-3:00pm and require reservations.

$45 Adult
$18 Under 10
5 & Under Free

Easter Egg Hunt for the Kids -- 10:30am & 1:00pm
Please bring your own basket!

MENU

Fresh Seasonal Fruit & Berries
Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar Cheese & Fresh Herbs
Camps Eggs Benedict
Pancakes with Maple Syrup
Hickory Smoked Bacon & Sausage
Breakfast Potatoes
Caprese Salad
Tortellini Salad
Smoked Salmon Salad
Prime Rib
Shrimp Salad
Mixed Green Salad
BBQ Pork Sliders
Bagels & Cream Cheese
Pastries & Desserts
Includes Orange Juice, Coffee, & Mimosas
All Day Railtown 1897 Celebrates Easter with Egg Hunt, Train Rides, Visit by the Easter Bunny & More!
Jamestown, CA...The traditional continues. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation proudly invite families, friends and rail fans from near and far to visit the historic park on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019. Railtown 1897 SHP offers a memorable place to celebrate the holiday with an egg hunt for children, train rides behind a historic diesel locomotive, hands-on crafts and an opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny, too.



To accommodate the various ages of children, there will be an egg hunt for ages 4 and under, one for ages 5 to 7 and another for ages 8 to 11. With special activities happening all day long, the egg hunt begins at noon and excursion train rides behind 1952 Baldwin Whitcomb No.1265 historic diesel locomotive depart at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Train ride guests enjoy a memorable six-mile, 45-minute round trip ride along the rails of the famous “Movie Railroad.” Excursion train ride tickets for Easter Sunday are available online or at the Depot Store, on a first-come, first-served basis if still available. All train ride tickets include Park admission and cost $15 for adults, $10 for youth ages 6-17 and are free for children five and under.

For more information about special Easter Sunday activities or excursion train rides at Railtown 1897 SHP, please call 209-984-3953 or visit www.railtown1897.org for updated information.
All Day Railtown 1897 Offers Wildly Popular Wildflower Trains -- 4/13, 14, 20 & 21!
Jamestown, CA...With an extraordinary spring wildflower season expected this year, California State Parks, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation are proud to provide guests with a unique opportunity to experience spring wildflowers from aboard a historic train. While the Park is open daily, special Wildflower Train Rides are available on two weekends – April 13-14 & 20-21 – and depart from the Depot promptly at 3 p.m. Prior to boarding the train, passengers will have the opportunity to learn about the wildflowers of California’s Sierra Nevada foothills with an informative naturalist presentation at 2:30 p.m.


Railtown 1897 SHP’s popular Wildflower Trains feature naturalists and Interpretive Park Rangers from the nearby Bureau of Reclamation’s New Melones Lake along with interpretive staff from Railtown 1897 SHP, answering questions and pointing out flower groupings along the way. Wildflower Trains take guests on a six-mile, one-hour roundtrip ride through the scenic landscapes of California’s Gold Country. While the abundance of wildflower viewing is dependent on annual rainfall and weather conditions, trains encounter meadows and rolling hills, with such local flora as “meadowfoam,” “goldfields” and other colorful flowers typically in bloom. Train ride guests receive a checklist, wildflower booklet and poppyseed packet, and more.

Popular Wildflower or excursion train ride tickets cost $20 for adults, $14 for youth ages 6-17 and children five and under ride free. With limited open air seating available, train ride tickets are available online in advance at https://railtown1897.org/event/wildflower-trains/ or at the ticket window beginning at 10 a.m. on the day of the ride (based on availability). Tickets include Park admission, capacity is limited, and advance reservations are suggested.

In addition to the special Wildflower Trains in the afternoon, Railtown 1897’s regular excursion trains are operating on these four dates with departures at 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m. Regular weekend excursion ride tickets are available online or at the Depot Store, on a first-come, first-served basis. All regular weekend excursion train ride tickets include Park admission and cost $15 for adults, $10 for youth ages 6-17 and are free for children five and under.

The excursion train ride schedule is subject to change with expanded service offered on most holiday weekends. For more information about Railtown 1897 SHP, visitors are encouraged to call 209-984-3953 or visit www.railtown1897.org.

# # #
07:30 AM - 11:30 AM All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast by Native Sons of the Golden West
Murphys, CA...Native Sons of the Golden West Monthly Breakfast – Chispa Parlor #139 of the Native Sons of the Golden West will serve an All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast at the Native Sons Hall from 7:30 to 11:30 am. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, orange juice, coffee and hot chocolate will be served. The breakfast is served on the third Sunday of each month. For more information, call 209-728-8902.


What is a Native Son of the Golden West?

What is a Native Son of the Golden West? Gold and “Newcomers” both have played a big part in the history
of the state of California, and both of them played a big role in the formation of the Native Sons of the Golden West.

To answer “What is a Native Son of the Golden West“
We must go back in history to the California Gold Rush, which was one of the unmatched marvels of American history. In 1848, California was a tranquil wilderness where the population density was so low that, on average, only one human being dwelt per each 528 square miles. But after President James K. Polk made the official announcement on Dec. 5, 1848 that gold had been discovered, things ramped up very quickly.

Gold seekers (mostly young men) came in droves from all corners of the earth. Within a short time, 100,000 people were living in California. They were industrious, civic-minded people. They held a Constitutional Convention, and activated a state government on Dec. 20, 1849. They acted so rapidly that it took Congress almost a year to catch up. Partially because California was not officially declared a state until Sept. 9, 1850.

It was an unparalleled phenomenon. No other American state has been organized in such “can-do” circumstances. But by the mid-1870s, many more new residents were flooding into California. They were Civil War veterans seeking grants of public lands. There were people who could enjoy the convenient transportation of the newly completed transcontinental railroad.

Old-timers shook their heads and worried that, with the nature of the population changing so rapidly. That it was only a matter of time before the colorful history of the Gold Rush and early-day statehood soon would be forgotten and neglected. So they hit upon an idea. Why not form an organization of men who had been BORN in California. Whose mission it would be to preserve the state’s history.

And that’s exactly what happened, causing the Native Sons of the Golden West to be formed on July 11, 1875.

What do Native Sons of the Golden West do?
UCSFCraniofacialCenterCheckCeremoneyLong before there were such things as state historical parks and the like, in the 1880s Native Sons kicked off fund-raising campaigns to save the disintegrating buildings that were icons of early California history;

We Native Sons also began placing historical markers and partnered with the state to encourage it to do the same (most notably starting with the monument at the gold discovery site at Coloma). Today, Native Sons are still very active:

Monthly Group (we call a parlor) Meetings. Our Charitable Foudation -provides funds to hospitals caring for children born with cleft palate Participating in local parades. Historical preservation. Dedications – including buildings or sites of historical importance. Sponsor history essay contents for school children, Scholarship awards to high school students, co-sponsor conferences and lectures and work with other historical organizations.

We also get involved in many other non-history related civic activities and charities. And we have our social side tooDonnerCelebration22. In this day and age, when it gets tiresome staring into the screen of a TV or computer monitor, we offer an alternative: The chance to look into real human faces at a multitude of dinners, family picnics, barbecues and other just-plain-fun events.
10:30 AM - 03:00 PM Make Plans For Easter Brunch at Murphys Historic Hotel
Murphys, CA...In continuous operation since 1856, the Murphys Historic Hotel is a quaint and charming piece of yesterday in the heart of the picturesque California Gold Rush town of Murphys in Calaveras County. This registered National Historic Landmark has hosted such notable historic figures as Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, Horatio Alger, Susan B. Anthony, JP Morgan, John Wayne, Sunny Ficus, and Charles Bolton, a.k.a. Black Bart the “Gentleman Bandit.” Step into our parlor, and step back in time! Murphys Historic Hotel is the only hotel on historic Main Street and the only hotel in town providing a full service dining room and saloon seven days a week! If desired, guests may park their car for their entire stay, and walk the Main Street to shop and sample local wines from 24 tasting rooms. Over eight vineyards surround the town of Murphys. The Murphys Historic Hotel offers



29 guest rooms, including 9 in the original historic stone building and 20 in two “modern” wings added in the 1950’s and 60’s

Fine dining in our historic dining room, open to serve you 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with seasonal outdoor patio dining

Old fashioned saloon with full service bar and periodic live entertainment on weekends
Meeting facilities and banquet rooms for seminars, receptions, meetings, weddings, conferences and special events, with full service catering

Lawn garden for our lodging guests and groups to use for their special outdoor events

Easy access to wineries, art galleries, natural wonders such as the Calaveras Big Trees, Moaning and Mercer Caverns and activities such as golf, skiing, river rafting, cycling, biking and more!



History of the Murphys Historic Hotel

The Murphys Hotel was first opened in the summer of 1856 by James Sperry and John Perry, and was known for many years as the Sperry & Perry Hotel. The hotel thrived as the natural stopover for Matteson’s Stage en route from the railhead at Milton to the Calaveras Big Trees, which had just been discovered by A.T. Gus Dowd in 1852. The grove of giant sequoias was one of the greatest natural wonders of the nineteenth century, attracting people from all over the world. Mercer Caverns, discovered in 1885 by Walter J. Mercer one mile away from the hotel, also enticed many visitors to the area, as did the rich gold diggings.

Notable guests who stayed at the Murphys Hotel during its early years include Mark Twain, Horatio Algiers Jr., John Jacob Astor, Thomas J. Lipton, J.P. Morgan, and former President Ulysses S. Grant. Copies of the original registration signatures of these notables may be viewed today in the hotel’s lobby. The original register now resides at the Calaveras County Museum in San Andreas.

Fire destroyed most of downtown Murphys and damaged the hotel in 1859. The hotel was protected because of it’s stone construction and iron shutters, and was restored and reopened in 1860. The hotel was operated by a succession of owners over the next 100 years, undergoing two name changes, first to the Mitchler Hotel and then, in 1945, to the Murphys Hotel. In 1963, a group of 35 investors purchased the hotel. Former University of the Pacific students, they had been coming to the hotel since 1942 as members of the informal Murphys Ale and Quail Club, and called their investment group the “Murphys Ale and Quail Corporation.” Numerous improvements were made to the facility over the years, including the addition of the two motel wings just west of the original structure.
In 1978, several original members as well as two new investors formed a new corporation called MAQ, Inc. The group achieved a listing for the hotel on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2003, long-time Calaveras county resident Dorian Faught became the sixth owner of the Murphys Hotel. Under Faught’s guidance, additional enhancements and improvements to the hotel were made, with close attention to preserving the character and feel of this very historic facility. in 2012 a trio of managers took over operations to help guide the nineteenth century hotel into catering to 21st century guests.

Over 150 years after it first opened, the Murphys Hotel still hosts travelers touring the central Mother Lode region while also functioning as the true center piece for the downtown Murphys business community. Local fraternal, service, and professional organizations use the hotel for their monthly meetings, and the hotel regularly hosts seminars, retreats and board meetings for a number of state associations, cities and other organizations from outside the area. The Murphys Hotel is not simply a preserved relic of the nineteenth century. Rather, it proudly continues its long-standing tradition of serving the needs of its community and travelers from around the world.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Town Tours of Columbia State Historic Park Every Weekend!
Columbia, CA...Enjoy an hour-long walking tour of town led by a park staff member or docent. See the actual gold discovery site, learn about the buildings and early merchants of Columbia. Sponsored by The Friends Of Columbia SHP. Visit their website here for more information. Town Tours are every Saturday & Sunday starting at 11 am. Meet at the office on Main Street & State St Columbia, CA 95310

12:00 PM - 03:00 PM Easter Party on Hovey Lawn
Murphys, CA...The Annual Easter Party on Hovey Lawn is Easter Sunday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Enjoy a glass of wine on the lawn with live saxophone and flute by Ras Beekan Dan. The egg hunt will start at 2 for the kids and there will also be a dessert bar We look forward to celebrating with you, weather permitting.


Hovey Winery is a small family winery in Murphys CA handcrafted by Chuck Hovey, a tenured and highly respected Sierra Foothill winemaker. With more than 30 years experience, Chuck realized his dream in 2007 and started his own family label. Select vineyards of the highest quality go into making Hovey Wines.

Mark Twain Medical Center
Meadowmont Pharmacy
Angels & San Andreas Memorial Chapels
Bear Valley Real Estate
Gerard Insurance
Bank of Stockton
Fox Security
Bistro Espresso
Chatom Winery
Middleton's Furniture
Bear Valley Mountain Resort
Cave, Mine & Zip Lines
High Country Spa & Stove
Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway
Sierra Logging Museum Calaveras Mentoriing
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