Fam Tour Tuolumne

Tuolumne County Fam Tour 2009
story by Jill Naumann

Stop me if you have heard this one. A Location Manager walks into a bar where a Director, a Writer, and a Producer are having an argument about where to film their next blockbuster hit. “It needs to be in Washington state, for the snow capped Cascade mountains, and dense forest structure” says the director. “No, I simply must have the look of plains with areas of Oak Savanna, the feel of Africa!” laments the writer. “But what about the Southwest states for scenes with authentic railroads and western towns? We can’t afford to fake that!” yells the Producer.  “Excuse me”, says the Location Manager, “If I settle this for you, will you pay for my drink? Better yet, how about my last cell phone bill?” And once terms are agreed, he leads them outside. “So, you need mountains and forests, desert hills, oak savannas, and plains, with turn of the century towns and railroads all within an hour of each other? Well, congratulations and look around, you’re already there!”  So now the riddle becomes- what bar were they drinking at? Well it could only have been the “Iron Door Saloon” which claims the title ‘Oldest bar in California’, and a perfect place to kick off a fam tour in Tuolumne County!

   
 Iron Door Saloon, Groveland  photo: McKinney L to R: Aric Bednarik, Chris Morgan, Jill Naumann, Jerry Day, Matt Cassel, Dustin Foster (local editor), David McKinney

Tuolumne (pronounced too-all-ah-me) translates from the local Native American language to mean “rushing river.” Travelling from 100 to about 10,000 feet in elevation within a little under a one hour drive, our scouts discovered that Tuolumne County really does have it all, including an amazing film history that begins in 1914. With over 200 films and enough Western credits to make any cowboy blush, some locals refer to this region as Hollywood's North backlot, and rightly so. "The Virginian’", released in 1929, was one of the first ‘talkies’ which means that for many moviegoers, the very first sound they heard in a motion picture would have been the steam whistle of ‘Sierra Locomotive number 3’, located in Jamestown since 1897.

 

Rainbow Pool   Photo: McKinney

Our adventurous location pioneers were David McKinney, Matt Cassel, Aric Bednarik, Chris Morgan and Jill Naumann, led by the fearless Tuolumne County Film Commissioner Jerry Day. Our group quickly discovered a rich cultural history, as diverse as the towns themselves. From Sonora, to Jamestown, Groveland, Twainhart and Tuolumne City; each historic stop had a unique flair all its own, from the architecture to the residing ghosts. We wondered if the ghost Lyle from the Groveland Hotel ever communicated with Flo at the National Inn in Jamestown and if they ever traded places?

 

Groveland    photo: McKinney
 photo: Bednarik

 
Oh if these walls could talk! They would tell tales from Columbia, of miner’s gold and theatrics bold, sounding from the Fallon House Theater which is still in operation today. Walking the streets you can almost hear the sounds of a bygone era in this fully restored Gold Rush town:  children’s laughter up at the 100 year old two story school house, the clanging in the blacksmiths shop, or the commotion down in the Chinese miner's camp over a large find. I quickly checked over my shoulder for the click clack of spurs, remembering Gary Cooper’s famous walk on this very street in ‘High Noon'.
Sonora Pass Overlook    photo: Naumann
 Dead Man's Creek - Sonora Pass   photo: McKinney

Moving up towards the Sonora pass at almost 10,000 feet, the atmosphere becomes simultaneously serene and majestic. The only traffic jam at Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station is at the restaurant when the dinner bell calls. The river flows freely beneath a mountain range, inviting you to absorb this pristine Sierra Sunset, - all within a short walk to base camp, phones, and internet access. We saddled up our ‘pack-van’ and cruised the quiet windy mountain roads  recently featured in a Super Bowl Commercial. The 180 degree bends and 360 views command your attention; the price for county cooperation… surprisingly, does not!  The county permit itself is free of charge, for road closures an additional ‘Special Use Permit’ is $323.00, not including CHP.

Knight's Landing Bridge    photo: Cassel
 Jamestown Railtown 1897 photo: McKinney


We navigated our way back through countless meadows, cabins, quiet resorts, a lake, a covered bridge, another isolated church on a hill with steeple and accompanying graveyard, and a private dirt landing strip. We then found ourselves at one of those ‘edge of the world’ vistas over a deep canyon that might make you want to ‘gun it’ Thelma and Louise style!


 
 
 
Because we location explorers work up such an appetite, our gracious host was proud to present us with a fine dining experience at our hotel that rivalled any available at nearby vineyards or lodges. During the day you might get a glimpse in the lobby of the local ladies in the 'red hat society', … but now it is evening, and we curl up with aglass of award-winning local wine, and prepare ourselves for another "spooky tale of phantom lore," knowing that later tonight,  if we hear footsteps in the hotel hallways wont be the little old ladies of the ‘red hat society’ unless they are visiting us from the 1800’s. 


 
Columbia State Historic Park 
photo: Naumann