A little about the town of Placerville near where we are parked with the goats and chickens. Because of the gold which was found near here in 1848, Placerville became so prosperous and lawless that lawbreakers were hanged from a tree on main street first singly, then in pairs. As a result the settlement was named Hangtown and the storefront here supposedly has the trunk of the infamous tree. Not sure when the name reverted back to Placerville to reflect the placer form of gold panning ... but the chamber of commerce probably thought it better than Hangtown.
One of the famous sons, is John Studebaker, who made enough money in the 1850s to move east and establish the factory where the first Studebaker automobiles were produced.
Here's another shot of the main street which has many shops, restaurants, and boutiques geared to the tourist trade. The tower in center is a historical fire warning bell tower. The town of 10,000 is popular as a stop as you go up the mountain on the way to Tahoe, where, over the last few days they have gotten at least two feet of snow.
This is Sweetie Pies, our favorite restaurant on the main street. Obviously the specialties are pies, but the breakfast menu, served till 1 PM is equally awesome with a spinach and cheese scramble with country spuds.
