Project 30: Chugga Chugga Choo Choo...

Task 22/30: Ride the Roaring Camp Railroad
Complete: October 25, 2008



The Santa Cruz Mountains are home to the glorious Roaring Camp Railroad and for all the time I have lived in Santa Cruz and heard the horn blowing down by the boardwalk, I have never ridden the train. Unfortunately, at this point in the season, there is no longer a route the includes the beach, but there are still three treks into the forest daily. Saturday seemed like a beautiful autumn day to kick back and breathe some fresh air and take in the giants that line the north of me.





After I finished The Mystery Spot, I darted up to Felton and found myself transported to years ago. The property that houses the depot is just precious and I couldn't be more thankful to come upon it at this time of year. The colors of the trees danced in the wind and everything just seemed so beautiful and golden. I grabbed my ticket and a hamburger and sat myself down on the bench seat of the open car one back from the steam engine that would be pulling our way. It was a full train of families and tourists, but already the tone was much more pleasant and relaxed than The Mystery Spot.





Off through the trees we went for an hour of up and down hill chugging. There were broken bridges and burnt out trees. I felt like they provided enough information about the train for the junkies, but enough balance of the area and the nature to keep the rest of us entertained. It seemed like we did more stopping than riding though, as there were times that you'd go up one hill just to get enough momentum to go back down and switch back to the track going the other direction. A crafty way to turn a train at a sharp angle, but a pretty boring pause for the rest of us. There was a brief stop on the top of the mountain for a bathroom break and some pictures of the engine or trees, whatever your preference. I was happy for a moment to remove the seemingly large branch that found itself embedded into my eye socket and blinding me for a good while. It was not pleasant, and the bright sun shining through the tree branches just seemed to complicate things, so I was happy for a chance to chill in the shade and calm my crying eyes. Once the obstacle was finally removed from my blinking, I was able to climb back aboard the train in time for the departure back down the mountain. The beauty was breathtaking.

It was a wonderful hour of fresh air and nature, and I would certainly do it again with visitors from out of town, or maybe just a picnic lunch on the grounds before a big hike into the State Park. Either way, this was a pleasant project that is now MISSION COMPLETE.

See all my pictures from Roaring Camp here.

Project 30: "If we knew what was happening here, we'd be the solved spot."

Task 21/30: Visit the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
Complete: October 25, 2008



Deep in the forest, less than 10 miles from here, is a tourist trap. I have lived in this town for 12 years and I have never visited the "World Famous" Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. Once, I tried to go, but they were sold out and we didn't want to wait. On Saturday, I decided that would change, and I took myself up to the mountain for a sunny day to witness this "miracle" in the forest that had been good enough for Ripley's Believe it or Not and Life Magazine.



The Mystery Spot is a gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California. It is a circular area of effect around 150 feet or 46 meters in diameter. Within the Mystery Spot you will be stunned as your perceptions of the laws of physics and gravity are questioned. But don't take our word for it, come and decide for yourself!

The Mystery Spot was discovered in 1939 by a group of surveyors and opened to the public in 1940. The Mystery Spot has amazed and perplexed hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world, and many return time and time again to experience these puzzling variations of gravity, perspective, and height.

Some speculate that cones of metal were secretly brought here and buried in our earth as guidance systems for their spacecraft. Some think that it is in fact the spacecraft itself burried deep within the ground. Other theories include carbon dioxide permeating from the earth, a hole in the ozone layer, a magma vortex, the highest dielectric biocosmic radiation known anywhere in the world, and radiesthesia. Whatever the cause is, it remains a mystery.



When I told some friends on Friday night that I was getting up on Saturday to brave new worlds, they laughed and said enjoy. But I was still determined to see what the great mystery was. At the very minimum, it was an afternoon in the sun and trees and I needed fresh air.



Tickets are $5 and parking is $5 for overall it was a $10 venture that had me feeling that I sort of swindled in the same way that you were at an old school carnival. I mean, maybe I just smart or skeptical, but nothing they did was really all that "unexplainable" or more than a serious optical illusion.



I mean really, I'm not sure this place is constantly packed, but damn, people are fools. I was on a tour with people who thought this was really quite possibly the coolest thing they had ever seen. Ever. The little kids made sense, but there were adults who were just totally convinced by the slight of the slats. I giggled, I was happy it was short. We were graced with a pretty energetic tour guide and I do think she probably made that painful hour of my life much more entertaining. I did appreciate her extra effort, and I thanked her kindly as she handed me my signature yellow Mystery Spot sticker that would not be making a home on my car. I sort of chuckled as I climbed back into my car and was happy that I went and was happy to call this MISSION COMPLETE.

Project 30: Mmmm Berries

Task 18/30: Pick Berries at a Local Farm
Complete: July 18, 2008



For my next trick, I mean task, me and a fabulous group of ladies went Berry picking in lovely Santa Cruz county. I've wanted to do it for years, I'm such a sucker for berries of all kinds and can quickly consume plentiful quantities in a single sitting. I am so blessed to live in such an agricultural rich area full of all the fresh produce that I could want, and farmer's markets almost every day of the week to get the freshest of pickings. But there is also something appealing about the stained fingers and scratched arms that come with doing it yourself.



The spring was waning and our chances of finding a farm with anything exciting to pick were starting to get slim, but we pushed ahead. Ahead to the coastal farm of Swanton to pick Olallieberries on their last weekend open. The pickings were slim, literally. The berries were fairly shriveled and it took some hunting to find the ones that months of children and pie making old women had missed. There was still a scattering of people throughout the patch while we picked, anxious to get the last morsels for jams and jellies. Mine were of course mainly for eating, and I ate quite a few straight from the vine.





We picked for quite a while, and all of us seemed satisfied with our score, so we headed out. We wrapped up a fabulous local morning with lunch at the yummiest deli in Davenport and dessert at Kelly's on the west side. It was great to be out with the girls, in the sun with the ocean in sight. It is always a good day when I can be outside in my beautiful state, and I am so glad that I finally got to do this. I am even considering apple picking, because I certainly do love a good apple pie. This is definitely MISSION COMPLETE and something I will most certainly be doing again in years to come.