Jelly Belly - Sacramento Old Town - River Cruise - Auburn

18 May 2004

     The Slooper Monument Bautastein was dedicated with much ceremony at the Napa Tulocay Cemetery on the 15th.  The evening banquet and concert went well.  The the next day, the 16th, was a fun but long day driving to the Roney Ranches in the Sacramento Valley.  The 17th was spent in the San Francisco area with the highlight being a traditional Norwegian Constitution Day (17th of May) celebration at the Norwegian Seaman's Church of San Francisco (see our Syttende Mai Album).  Now, on the 18th, it was time for those guests staying at the Seal Rock Inn to check out.  Our final destination on this day would be the town of Auburn in the Sierra Mountains east of Sacramento.  After checking in the motel, our Norwegian guests would have an evening out with some more Slooper descendants who live in this area. The Turner family would meet us at the local Sizzler restaurant.
1

Last breakfast at the comfortable Seal Rock Inn restaurant with its pleasant views. Left to right here: Ivar, Håkon, Reidun, Signy, Einar, Kate, Rotraud, John, & Steiner.
2

Packed up & checked out, it is time for one more group photo before leaving Seal Rock Inn. We would now drive across the Golden Gate & San Rafael Bridges, connect with I-80 north of Richmond.
3

Pulling off I-80 at Fairfield, our first stop of the day was the Jelly Belly Visitor Center.  Here we would have a tour of the candy factory, packing facility and gift shop.  No photos inside, but here Ivar waves from the rear of the JellyBelly VW.
4

Helga posing with this uniquely painted Volkswagen - a colorful car that invites photo ops.
5

... and Sonja outside in front of the colorful factory sign - note the attractive San Francisco souvenir purse.
6

Hans, Rotraud & Einar also get their picture taken in front of the sign.
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Continuing eastward on I-80 we would have time to shop & have lunch at Sacramento's Old Town near the river.
8

We had booked an hour's cruise up the Sacramento River on the Victorian paddlewheeler "Spirit of Sacramento." All aboard!
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Steiner, Reidun, Ivar & Sjur find comfortable seats in the sun in preparation for a cruise up the river.
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Norwegians do like the sun and late May in California did not disappoint.  
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Peg consults her trusty notebook for some detail of the tour as we wait for "Spirit of Sacramento" to pull away from its dock.  Rotraud, Berit, and Wilma smile for the camera.
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With sister riverboat "Matthew McKinley" in the background, Einar & John relax & chat. Possibly comparing boating practices in the two countries - Norway and the US.
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Some of the "guys": Gunnleif, Hans, Einar, John, and Keith relax in the minutes before the cruise begins.
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Håkon, Steiner, Raidun, Ivar, Norfrid, Sjur, and Helga stay in the sun as the cruise gets underway.  A banner "Them Kings" refers to the local basketball team.
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Peg and Gunnleif exchange a few words at the stern as Sacramento Old Town falls away.
16

Rotraud shares a bag of snacks with Einar.  Not quite the luxury of the Hurtigruten, but the company of good friends compensates a little.
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For Signy, Rotraud & Berit, it is time to really kick back, put one's feet up & relax.
18

Mechanical engineer Gunleif finds this swinging bridge interesting
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Two boat captains compare notes (with the aid of a translator). John Hettervick has logged many hours commanding his large boats that service the Norwegian fish farming industry.
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Pretty calm waters for these folks from coastal Norway, but they seem to enjoy the pleasant cruise up the river.
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Sites along the river largely consisted of various public and private installations interspersed with historic locations and wildlife parks.
22

The California "Bear" flag provides an apt closure to this photo series of a very mellow hour on the Sacramento which played so key a role in early California history.   We move on to REAL gold country for the next leg of our trip.
23

We arrive at Super 8 Motel in Auburn. In the lobby, while his wife looks on, Håkon shows a photo to Rotraud & Steiner.
24

Peg tries to deal with getting everyone checked in & assigned to the proper rooms, while Einar & Jorunn peer over her shoulder. We were impressed with the friendly & helpful staff here.

        Three generations of the Slooper descendant Turner family (Les, Larry & Todd) would meet us all at the local Sizzler restaurant for an evening of food and fun conversation.  The evening would also provide an opportunity for Hans Gustav Andersen to give his presentation about his search for new information on the historic sloop Restauration. Few photos were taken this evening, but some have been promised and will be added later.

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