Off The Beaten Path

How many fires were burning in California at one time this past month? Those living in California probably know there were over 800 and a good chunk of that smoke blew east and was hanging over Reno while Fred and I were there in June. Not good for photos, fun or health. So, on our way home we decided to take an alternate route other than the usual Hwy 80. We went south on Hwy 395 through Carson City and then caught Hwy 50 west through South Lake Tahoe, avoiding the smoke, road construction and Sacramento traffic.

We stopped in Placerville at Mel’s Diner for some 60’s style grill cheese sandwiches, fries and music of the Platters. Then we dropped down Hwy 49 through Diamond Springs, Plymouth and Sutter’s Creek, all interesting old gold mining towns, where I began to perk up and bring out my camera.

Switching over to Hwy 124 I caught a glimpse of this old cantina that caught my eye enough to snap these pictures.






Moving on, lulled by the winding road and the country vistas, I wasn’t prepared for the mansion that caught my eye coming into Ione, California. I spotted it through trees and hills and yelled something about, “What the H--- is that? Stop, I’ve got to get a picture of that…what is that, how can a building that size be in this old mining town?”

We meandered through the streets in town to find one that would take us up to this mansion, which reminded me of a cross between a creepy haunted mansion and the idea of Steven King’s Kingdom Hall Hospital or a dreadfully overdone blood red mental institution back when mental institutions were not for the faint of heart. Okay, so I’m a fiction writer and I exaggerate, but only to impress how it really gave me the willies.

We finally found the place and here’s a picture of the sign.

Fred remembered something from his youth about rough kids bragging that they were at Preston, so it fit.

I found out from some research on the internet that it is closed (see below). It didn’t look closed when we were there, as 3 men that looked like guards came out into the parking lot (and there were several parked cars). Razor wire and a gun tower (no picture of that), made me not want to linger for more pictures.

When we traveled on through the downtown, it appeared pretty much as it must have looked back in the day.

From Wikipedia I learned:
“Ione is located in the fertile Ione Valley, which is believed to be named by Thomas Brown around 1849 after one of the heroines in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's drama "The Last Days of Pompeii." During the days of the Gold Rush, the miners knew the town by the names of "Bedbug" and "Freezeout." Unlike other communities in Amador County which were founded on gold mining, Ione was a supply center, stage and rail stop and agricultural hub.”

On the history on the old mansion—“The Preston School of Industry, known as The Castle, was built between 1890-1894 to serve as a school for juveniles referred by the courts. The Castle is currently not in use (then why all those people?), but the Preston Castle Foundation is working to help restore The Castle.” (to what?)

I thought my picture taking was over until we were nearly out of town and I found the cemetery. There were some very touching graves. (Double click on the picture on the left to enlarge it)

Tid bit from Wikipedia:
—“Dave Brubeck, the famous jazz pianist, was raised in Ione and in 1998 scored a video tour of the castle called "A Castle's Song", sold through KVIE to help fund the restoration efforts.”

So, answer the call to adventure and try another route on your next road trip. You never know what you'll find “off the beaten path.”