Advertising/Marketing: Ian Balentine ibalentine@mtdemocrat.net
Enjoy the bounty of El Dorado County
PHOTOGRAPHY: KRYSTEN KELLUM, PAT DOLLINS, SHELLEY THORENE
As the Apple Hill Growers Association opens for another season the wonderful farms and ranches that are the apple of El Dorado County’s eye are looking at welcoming visitors to the exceptional bounty of the foothills.
STORY: PAT LAKEY
At the core of the remarkable region’s success is a group of farmers and ranchers who work hard to not only produce the food and wines that grace their home tables, but to share that bounty with the public, welcoming customers from far and wide to a little taste of country.
Whether it’s a quick trip to buy fruit and vegetables freshly picked from the tree or garden for that evening’s dinner, or a luxurious daylong or weekend family adventure, the members of the Apple Hill association offer a haven from the hectic pace of everyday life, a chance to get back to nature at its best.
Those lucky enough to spend quality family time at the special farms or ranches are in for a rare treat, to tempt you with a taste of Apple Hill’s magic.
HARRIS TREE FARM
Although the farm is widely known for its Christmas trees, featuring silver tip and white fir among several other varieties, there is much more to this enjoyable ranch on the eastern edge of Apple Hill members.
“A typical family outing to Harris Tree Farm would start off with hot chocolate or cider along with an apple cider doughnut or slice of pie at the pie shop,” said Jane Harris. “Our pies are apple, Dutch apple crunch, peach, triple berry, strawberry-rhubarb. I grow my own rhubarb and actually most of our fruits and vegetables are grown here on the farm.”
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Jane and other members of the Harris family run the ranch, which has been handed down from generation to generation since 1858, with the 150 acres being dubbed Harris Tree Farm in 1960.
Some 15 acres of the ranch are dedicated to the beautiful evergreens that create a comfortable forest around the farmhouse and outbuildings, giving Harris Tree Farm a snug hideaway in the forest that gives Pollock Pines its name.
Harris Tree Farm is located at 2640 Blair Road in Pollock Pines, one of 50 or more farms and ranches that comprise the amazing Apple Hill designation. Harris is one of the largest of the eight ranches that specializes in Christmas trees, but there is so much more to be enjoyed at the farm.
Passport To Your Financial Future
Placerville Sauna is an inviting outdoor sauna and cold plunge destination, celebrated for its unique guided contrast therapy classes. These sessions blend essential oils, music, and towel wafting to create a one-of-a-kind sensory sauna journey, paired with invigorating cold plunges. Regular contrast therapy— alternating between hot and cold—can help boost circulation, ease muscle tension, and rejuvenate your body and mind. Join a guided session or enjoy the space at your own pace—choose from a large locally crafted 18-person sauna, a barrel sauna, an infrared sauna, and a spacious cold plunge. Start or end your trip with a refreshing experience that captures the color and tranquility of El Dorado County.
EVERYONE’S FAMILY
A graphic artist and teacher for 13 years, Jane Harris said one of the aspects of Apple Hill that particularly attracts her to farm life is the importance of family. Visitors to the ranches and farms find they are treated as family, she added.
“Visit Apple Hill so you can meet the farmers who grow your food,” she said. “The many generations of family farms are what make Apple Hill so special and we all work well together.”
Jane said families often end up making a trip to Apple Hill a tradition, and she recalls one couple who started coming to Harris Tree Farm in the mid-1960s when they got engaged and still are coming each year with their granddaughter.
In addition to the seasonal Christmas trees at Harris Tree Farm, visitors may enjoy picking their own blueberries and blackberries, along with indulging in warm bakery items fresh out of the oven and jams and jellies made on the premises. A hike along the nearby El Dorado Irrigation ditch as it burbles through tall pines along sun-dappled paths will help work off those calories, but make sure the cats don’t follow you too far.
Call Harris Tree Farm at (530) 644-2194.
RAINBOW ORCHARDS
If you still have a hankering for those apple cider doughnuts enjoyed at Harris Tree Farm, it is highly advised that a trip to Rainbow Orchards a mile or two west will more than satisfy the craving.
Rainbow has long been known for its warm, sinfully delicious doughnuts that are leavened with the natural fermentation of the cider, then plopped into sizzling hot oil and rolled in sugar before making their way to your taste buds. The crunch of the sugary light crust gives way to a soft, spicy middle that leaves you wanting for only one thing: More.
“Generations have been coming back for the doughnuts at Rainbow Orchards,” said Christa Campbell, who fired up the doughnut maker to demonstrate the ultimate in comfort food. “There were five original bakeshops in Apple Hill, each with its own specialty and this was ours — apple cider doughnuts.”
The bakeshop at Campbell’s Rainbow Orchards gets quite a workout in the tourist season, which runs from Labor Day through November, with the deep fryers producing six dozen of the crispy brown goodies at a time.
That’s barely enough to keep up with the demand, with one kitchen worker dedicated to nothing but mixing batter, one doing nothing but frying, one tasked with dipping the doughnuts in sugar and yet another dropping the finished pastries into a bag, non-stop.
“The beginners are the ‘sugar girls’ and they take a little teasing at times,” laughed Campbell, adding that the best way to eat an apple cider doughnut is when it is toasty warm.
Campbell added that the recipe came with the ranch, which she and her late husband Tom Heflin took over in 1977.
MILLING AROUND
Rainbow Orchards, known for its signature paint job on the barn that makes it an Apple Hill landmark, started out as a cider mill in the 1940s.
1964
Apple Hill incorporated in 1964, after a handful of Camino farmers and ranchers recognized that the region had become a marketing wonder capable of bringing to the public a glimpse of the lifestyle they and their families had enjoyed since the area was settled by their forebears.
Tom Heflin grew up in Camino and while he and Christa lived in Bakersfield he “always wanted to get back,” according to his wife.
Christa said they wanted to raise their three sons, West, Sage and Harrison, in the country and so they made their way to Larsen Valley.
The bright rainbow on the barn at 2569 Larsen Road that marks the ranch was inspired by the array of colorful fruits and vegetables that are proudly produced by the ranch, Christa explained.
Rainbow Orchards can be reached at (530) 644-1594.
”Generations have been coming back for the doughnuts at Rainbow Orchards,” said Christa Campbell, “There were five original bakeshops in Apple Hill, each with its own specialty and this was ours — apple cider doughnuts.”
A little bit of heaven
Heavenly sits in two states nestled within the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, providing a one-of-a-kind skiing experience where its iconic, breathtaking views are met with unbeatable fun. Tahoe is Heavenly, and you’ll certainly feel it while skiing or riding the Sierra and absorbing views of Lake Tahoe’s deep blue, high alpine water. Whether you are taking in the panoramic views of Lake Tahoe on the California side, or seeing the Carson Valley extend for miles on the Nevada side, Heavenly is sure to take your breath away.
With nearly 5,000 acres of skiable terrain and 97 trails ranging from groomers to glades, and an array of events and DJ music, there is a ton of highenergy fun to explore on the mountain. From the summit to the shores of South Lake Tahoe, the energy continues in the vibrant community, where après-ski and entertainment options keep the party going well after lifts have closed. Heavenly isn’t just a place to ski and ride — it’s a destination where both the otherworldly beauty and adventure collide with nonstop fun.
70 TH ANNIVERSARY
Age is just a number! And while Heavenly Mountain Resort turns 70 this winter, we are just getting the party started. Heavenly opened with one chairlift and one heck of a view of Lake Tahoe in December 1955. Seventy years (and quite a few capital investments) later, the resort is excited to celebrate the occasion this winter with a 70th Anniversary Party, a Celebrity Banked Slalom, and plenty of DJ activations to highlight the social and scenic atmosphere that makes Heavenly, well, Heavenly! For 70 years, Heavenly has been more than a destination — it’s a place where guests forge personal connections to the terrain, the Tahoe region, and the traditions that make it special.
STORY BY: COLE ZIMMERMAN
HEAVENLY EVENTS AND ACTIVATIONS
Toyota Air and Après: Back for its fourth season, Air and Après is a thrilling big-air event at the base of the World Cup. Skilled athletes demonstrate gravity-defying stunts on a 45-foot jump with Heavenly Mountain as the canvas for a lightshow. Air and Après is a threeday event featuring DJ sets and a Village offering an array of vendors, food, and beverages.
DJ Cat: Party with your friends as rotating guest DJs play some of your favorite songs out of a snowcat on the mountain. Your dance moves always look better in ski boots! Last year featured appearances by John Summit, Hayden James, Vandelux, What So Not, and more. Who will grace the snowcat this year?
Brews and Views: Brews and Views is an après experience overlooking unbeatable views of Lake Tahoe at Lakeview Lodge with food, beverage and music. This season, we’re bringing it back and adding more beer sampling, more live music, and more opportunity to experience après the way it should be. Soak in the Brews and Views and keep an eye out for some breweries that may join in on the fun with tastings and offerings! *All event dates are TBD and conditions-dependent.
SPRING AT HEAVENLY
There is nothing quite like spring skiing in Tahoe, and we make the most of it. Spring skiing at Heavenly is in a league of its own — bluebird skies, corn snow cycles, and those famous lake views that make every lap feel like a postcard. Add in patio après, sun-soaked decks, and an exciting event series and you’ve got the perfect mix of skiing and springtime vibes you won’t find anywhere else. The springloaded event series includes Gunbarrel 25, where skiers lap Heavenly’s iconic mogul run 25 times in this long-standing tradition, plus a Pond Skim. These competitions are designed to highlight the fun-loving, adventure-seeking vibe that epitomizes spring skiing in Tahoe.
Fun times at Tahoe
As summer transitions to fall, Visit Lake Tahoe boasts a wide range of live entertainment, must-try food and drink festivals, sporting competitions, and fall packages paired with leaf peeping and outdoor recreation.
This fall, Visit Lake Tahoe has curated autumn trip-inspired deals with significant savings on hotels and activities, including free cruises for kids, paddleboarding adventures, dining credits, pre-fixe menus. New “Awe and Then Some Autumn Deals” will keep popping up. See visitlaketahoe.com.
Outdoor recreation continues well into the fall; it’s prime season for biking, hiking, fishing, scenic boat cruises, kayaking and more. Heavenly Gondola will operate weekends, Friday to Sunday until Oct. 7.
Inaugural events
The Tahoe Games Mountain Sports Festival is a two-day festival headquartered at the Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic with a professional mountain bike big air competition, morning yoga, kids bike jam, snow tubing, a vendor village, rounded
out with live music from The Expendables, Jacobs Castle, 880 South, The Happys, Crowd Surf League and Lake Tahoe DJ from Sept. 27-28.
The Tahoe Blue Event Center is having its inaugural curling event featuring Olympians, world champions, and fan favorites with the Grand Slam of Curling, Nov. 4-9. It is a competitive series with the top 16 men’s and 16 women’s curling teams battling it out on this ice in the last major curling event before the 2026 Olympics. This event will also feature live music, fan activations and interactive experiences over six days.
Fall festivals
Oktoberfest celebrations commence at South Lake Brewing Co, Sept. 27 from noon to 8 p.m. with live music by the Bread and Butter Band and Aaron Gorton, seasonal brews, food trucks, costume contests, competitions, limited edition booths and steins, games and prizes, craft vendors, face painting, kids activities and more.
An ode to the Munich festival and a favorite for visitors and locals, Camp
Richardson Resort’s Oktoberfest runs Oct. 4-5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Lederhosen are optional but encouraged. Well known for its family-friendly activities, face painting, pumpkin patch, balloon art, beer and wine garden and Oktoberfest menu, the festival features a vendor’s row and contests that range from beer stein holding to yodeling and costume contests for people and dogs. Camp Richardson is a historical spot that offers a variety of outdoor activities like biking, nearby hiking and full-service marina for water recreation as well.
Meyers Mountain Fall Festival at Tahoe Paradise Park returns for its second edition, Oct. 11-12 with a pumpkin patch, beer garden, food and craft booths and live music performances by Jelly Bread on Saturday and Broken Compass Bluegrass on Sunday. Attendees can don their Halloween costumes early, decorate pumpkins and enter in pie-eating contests.
Dance the night away
The South Shore Room at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe has an abundance of live music
throughout this fall with The Struts with Dirty Honey, Sept. 24; blues-rock Robin Tower, Sept. 26; Rocky Horror Picture Show, Oct. 3; Penny and Sparrow, Oct. 12; Alfred Robels, Oct. 17; R and B singer Allen Stone, Oct. 19 and Yung Gravy, Oct. 24.
Bally’s Lake Tahoe offers a variety of entertainment from chart-topping rapper Prof, Oct. 23; and the iconic 46th annual Freaker’s Ball, Oct. 25.
Zach Williams, an American Christian rock artist from Bono, Arkansas, will perform with friends We The Kingdom, Ben Fuller and Leanna Crawford for the Revival Nights Tour at the Tahoe Blue Event Center, Oct. 8.
Special cruise
Tahoe Star offers an exclusive cruise and tour of historical Thunderbird Lodge. The 54-
foot Tahoe Star, originally the yacht Bill Harrah commissioned to entertain the stars who played his casino showroom, sails from South Shore to the private dock at Thunderbird Lodge, offering a rare glimpse of the historical estate via the most scenic route possible: water.
The four-hour luxury cruise includes refreshments, a light lunch, and rich storytelling about Lake Tahoe’s past and the life of George Whittell Jr., who built his 6.51-acre retreat on the lake’s east shore in 1939. The famous mansion features a 600-foot secret tunnel that winds under the main home to the boathouse of the worldfamous 55-foot mahogany Thunderbird yacht. The lakefront property tour includes Card House, Caretaker’s Cottage, Cook/Butler’s House, Admiral’s House, and Gatehouse, the “Elephant House.” The eccentric Whittell had an elephant, Mingo, on-site and a pet lion, Bill, that rode shotgun in his Duesenberg tooling around Tahoe. Availability is limited and advance booking is required.
Visit Lake Tahoe combines the distinctive appeal of two worlds: unparalleled natural beauty and an array of worldclass outdoor recreation,
entertainment, nightlife and gaming. As a responsible tourism destination, it offers a balanced approach regarding social and environmental impacts to preserve its appeal for generations. For information about lodging, recreation, events and mindful travel at Visit Lake Tahoe call 1-800-288-2463 or log onto VisitLakeTahoe.com.
Some individuals never
story: PAT LAKEY | photos: SHELLY THORENE
leave El Dorado County
Looking at the dangling outlaw effigy at the Hangman's Tree building (now the Placerville Public House) on Placerville's Main Street, it is clear that many interesting, adventurous and rugged folks once populated the hills of El Dorado County. Not only was the Gold Rush filled with gunslingers, wicked women and criminals of every stripe — along with the good folk, of course — but some of them might never have left.
Who could possibly be causing the old elevator at the Cary House Hotel in Placerville to go up and down, seemingly of its own accord? Why do so many guests report hearing a happy little girl playing in a second-story hallway there? Is that really Stan the bellhop wandering past the foot of the staircase — the same Stan who was stabbed to death at the Cary House in the 1800s by his lover’s fiance … or, if you cotton to another version, stabbed by a man who didn’t appreciate Stan’s amorous advances toward him?
With its streets lying over tunnels and holes dug by gold miners, Placerville’s motley buildings that sprang up in the height of the Gold Rush burned down, were rebuilt and burned down again before rising yet once more from the ashes.
Some of those old tunnels, it is said, were used to transport lovely ladies of the evening to locations where prominent townsmen were to meet them in secret and it is reputed that the ghosts of various gals still traverse the hidden pathways — along with, perhaps, the fellows who didn’t want to end the evening’s merriment either.
Still hanging around
Every one of the buildings that today line the historical Main Street appears a likely haunt for those who didn’t want to leave. Often, if you ask, you’ll find that many have the reputation of playing host to more than paying guests.
At the Cary House Hotel, located at 300 Main St., desk clerks have told of the disturbing, at times hair-raising, events that have made them if not believers then at least scratching their heads and wondering what the heck just happened.
“I was out on the balcony, on the second floor, one day and kind of over my shoulder I saw someone pull the drapes in the room behind me, then open up the blinds,” said one hotel employee, who had worked at the Cary House off and on for a decade. “I really thought nothing of it, but wanting to give them some privacy, I left.
More than an apparition
One employee who often had stayed at the Cary House in employees’ quarters downstairs said he would hear the occasional bump in the night, sounds he sometimes identified as footsteps where no one should be walking, but it would happen when he was trying to sleep — and so he most often would ignore the phenomena.
Another employee said she once heard someone washing dishes in a downstairs kitchen area not far from the employee quarters and it seemed so normal that she went back to talk to whoever was cleaning up. When she got there, there was no one — no dishes, no water. She was sure she had heard someone just moments before.
Guests' recounting
The desk clerk said other people, past guests, have called in following their visits to report “little things, like a woman in a flowing, light blue gown in Room 209 or 211”
One lady once recalled she was awakened in the night while staying in Room 212. She said she saw a silhouette on a staircase outside a window, the figure wearing boots and spurs. She realized in the morning that there was no staircase there, but when she went to the lobby to ask about it, she was told there had been a stairwell there, back in the 1800s.
That same guest said she experienced four people surrounding her bed in the middle of the night, all of them talking in low voices about
“ ” LITTLE THINGS, LIKE A WOMAN IN A FLOWING, LIGHT BLUE GOWN IN ROOM 209 or 211.
a baby being sick. She said she recognized a priest, a doctor and somehow knew one of the men was the child’s father. She tried to awaken her sleeping husband, to no avail.
It was learned later that an entire family died of influenza in that room. The story is that the father tried to go out and find medicine but was too late.
Another guest in Room 210 based on her description, said she was sleeping soundly when she was awoken by the “sound of a woman laughing.” Nothing to be afraid of there, except “she said the woman laughed for eight hours straight.”
Another story about the fourth floor noted on several occasions of the sound of doorknobs being rattled, one by one in progression and just as the sound neared the room upon opening the door there would be no one there.
Those with a skeptic’s view of the world say that a knocking sound between the elevator and Room 407 is simply a loose pipe.
Things happen
A young man who was a desk clerk at the Cary House for just over a year said he, too, had been made to wonder just what is going on there.
“I’ve seen the swinging door (at the entry to his work area) open and close with no explanation,” said the clerk. “And maybe two or three times I’ve noticed the elevator going up or down and no one gets off. There’s also the TV in Room 403 that turns on by itself.”
One of the more mysterious occurrences, for
him personally, was one evening when he was “just playing my guitar, no one around, when the phone started ringing for no reason.”
A phone ringing, that’s what shook up the young man? “The thing is, it’s a phone for us to call guests — it doesn’t receive calls,” he said. He decided not to answer it (perhaps not wanting to know who might be on the other end?).
Investigative team
In 2016 The Cary House allowed California Haunts Paranormal Investigation Team members to conduct a brief test at the historical hotel, inside a meeting room there.
The team’s Charlotte Kosa showed a Mason jar that had filament wire inside with a fake firefly attached, a child’s toy that works like this: If someone places their hand on the closed lid, the firefly springs into action, jumping about and flashing its light.
Kosa asked whatever spirit might be present at the Cary House meeting room to “touch the lid, touch the lid if you are here.” A couple of breathholding seconds later, the firefly went crazy inside the jar and would continue to dance nearly every time Kosa would repeat her request.
It was only 20 minutes that the room could be made available, however, and at one point Kosa, using dowsing rods to communicate with who she had established was a male, said she was getting information that he was more interested in yet another spirit in the room.
“Are you a lady of the evening, over in the corner?” Kosa asked, and the metal rods crossed one another in a “yes” answer.
“That’s what he’s interested in,” determined Kosa, explaining why the spirit had slowed down in his at-first seemingly eager responses.
Spirited town
But California Haunts personnel also are quite familiar with the grand and storied buildings of Old Hangtown, and a five-minute stroll through the then Cozmic Café at 594 Main St., (now The Prospector) group psychic Sandy Helms said she picked up “a miner and a black dog” for just a moment but added that, “like in life, they come and go.”
The upstairs of the business, which began its life as Pearson Soda Works back in 1859, has an old mineshaft as its main feature. Helms said several spirits are seen and felt here, including “a woman who in life cared for people; she is near the restroom.”
Helms, said she has had the ability to detect spirits since she was a child — as did her mother and grandmother.
“Sometimes you see them, sometimes they are a shadow.”
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A scary encounter
The Wedgwood Weddings —Sequoia Mansion, 643 Bee St., has a reputation for providing accommodations pleasing to all — here or in the hereafter. Nello and Danica Olivo opened a restaurant in the Bee-Bennett House and named it Sequoia. The Nello Olivo Wine Tasting Room is still located in the cellar.
Danica said one of the members of the Elks Lodge, which for years used the Bee-Bennett House as its headquarters, talked about the stories and told her a hair-raising tale.
The old gentleman, not inclined toward flights of fancy, dismissed most of the ghostly tales rampant about the building — but said one evening caused him never to wish to be alone there again.
He had forgotten some papers in an upstairs office inside, so unlocked the keypad-coded door and started up the stairs.
“As I climbed the steep Victorian staircase, our resident cat came to greet me and followed me up,” the Elk member told Danica. “About halfway up the stairs I felt an unusually cold breeze, as if there were a window open nearby, but I had already closed everything up before I left.
“As soon as I stopped to wonder about it, I felt a hand on my right shoulder and swung around in terror to see who it was — no one was there! And to make matters worse, the cat screeched and darted up the rest of the stairs ahead of me with her fur standing upright on her back!”
The man grabbed his papers and made a hasty exit.
More visitors
The Olivos also spoke with a painter they had hired for renovations to what would become the Sequoia and he asked whether they had run into any of the ghosts there. He said his grandmother used to be employed as a cook at the Bee-Bennett House and that she actually left because there were too many cooks in the kitchen — including the lady with no legs.
Danica recounted the painter’s tale: “One day when Grandma was preparing dinner in the kitchen with a volunteer from among the Elks wives, she noticed another woman, unknown to her, busy with some preparations at the far end of the kitchen. Thinking it was a new volunteer, she thought little of it until she moved toward her ... at closer range she saw that the woman’s clothing was somewhat old fashioned — a white dress with thin blue stripes and a sort of pioneer bonnet on her head.
“Then she was shocked to realize that the woman was only visible from the knees up — the lower part of her body was just simply missing!”
As suddenly as she saw that startling sight, the woman faded entirely away. The painter’s grandmother asked the Elks lady whether she had seen someone else in the kitchen, and the woman said yes, the lady in the blueand-white striped dress. Assured she wasn’t nuts, the grandma and the Elks wife nonetheless were quite unnerved, Danica noted.
The grandmother also reported seeing a middle-aged man sitting in a wing-backed chair in the Elks dining room, and based on her description
was told it likely is the apparition of Judge Marcus Bennett. The judge apparently never got over the premature death of his young son who died at age 4 of a childhood illness; Bennett would sit staring into space for hours from that very spot where Grandma reported seeing the stranger.
The painter’s grandmother finally gave notice, however, after she approached the front door one afternoon and smiled and greeted a man and woman sitting on a porch swing. She didn’t recognize the couple, who returned her friendly greeting.
Once inside, however, Grandma remembered — there is no porch swing — and rushing back outside, she saw indeed no swing ... and no couple. That was it for Grandma.
Danica said one of the first bartenders hired for the Sequoia reported a “mischievous little boy” who kept breaking glasses at the bar. The guy decided one day to bring his baseball mitt and a ball and told the ghost, “If you want to play, let’s play with these.” Danica said the glass-breaking immediately ceased, although the bartender did say his ball and glove would move around, with him tripping on it occasionally when it would end up on the floor.
Danica said the bartender assumed it was the long-passed Marcus Bennett Jr., who is buried with his mom Molly in the Placerville Union Cemetery right across the street from the old building.
As for the Olivos themselves, who bought the property in June 2001, Danica said she experienced something strange on, of all things, the very first Halloween after they opened in 2002. She and Nello, along with some kitchen staff, all were in a room over the bar waiting for another, problematic, employee they were going to confront regarding work performance.
Spotting a cloud of smoke at the top of the stairs, and watching as it wafted around a corner, Danica assumed the aforementioned employee
was smoking and so she got ready to dress him down for that as well.
“But it turned out not to be the case,” said Danica. “The (employee) arrived empty handed and denied any knowledge of smoking nearby.”
Danica said she forgot about the incident as the meeting got under way, but she later said what she saw was “a mist ... traveling at a rate of speed similar to human perambulation. It was a band of about 18 inches in depth and it floated about that distance off the floor.”
Ghostly jaunts
Ghosts don’t stick to Placerville exclusively, of course, and in fact go wherever the spirit moves them.
Take the ghostly graveyard on Highway 49 called the Coloma Pioneer Cemetery, where the “woman in burgundy” is known to beckon to visitors, even going so far as to stand near the roadway and try to stop motorists. It is said that the woman, who wears a flowing burgundy skirt that catches the wind as she leaves, is unhappy because she is not buried with her loved ones in another part of the cemetery. She has been seen near the plot where she longs to lie, along with standing at the tombstone where she is forced to spend eternity.
The very lovely, very nostalgic Coloma Pioneer Cemetery, with its markers dating back to 1850 and still accommodating those who pass today, may be visited by the public at any time. A plaque there asks only that respect be shown to those who lie at rest — and to those who remain restless.
Ghost fans, however, should know that just a short ways north on Highway 49 from the park, a tall, bearded man dressed in ragged clothing and sometimes wearing a raincoat has been seen walking along Prospectors Road just off the highway. The fleeting image is thought to be a long-dead gold miner, still protecting his claim — but beware — legend has it that he enjoys playing tricks on travelers.
Spectors on the Divide
Get ready for more goosebumps on the Divide as several historical buildings there are said to play host to hauntings. The stunning architecture and cozy ambiance of the American River Inn on Georgetown’s Orleans Street still appeals to “Oscar,” although he reportedly was shot to death on the front steps more than a century ago.
The inn apparently was built near a mineshaft where several people died and some speculate that restless souls from that mishap remain today, along with Oscar.
Oscar was an ambitious gold miner who fell for a lady of the evening, with their trysts often at the American Hotel, which later became the American River Inn. Oscar met his demise when he took umbrage with words from another of
his lover’s clients regarding his gal, or so the story goes. His ghost has been reported to visit Room 5, with those who have encountered his spirit reporting that Oscar is friendly and not frightening.
The nearby Georgetown Hotel on Main Street may be haunted. The Georgetown Fire Department’s Station 61? Yep, haunted. The Georgetown Pioneer Cemetery, established in 1848? Well, one glance at the angels perched atop the graves, tombstones with lettering faded and crumbled — what do you think?
Not convinced? Then head on up the road to the little community of Greenwood, whose pioneer cemetery is reputed to be one of the most haunted in the county.
Ghostly spirits at Lake Tahoe
It’s not only El Dorado County’s westernmost slope that attracts those whose spirits long to stay — the Lake Tahoe area has plenty of stories to keep folks transfixed around the campfire on summer outings there.
The Donner Party, of course, has fostered all sorts of legend with Donner Memorial State Park located some 10 miles from Lake Tahoe. Tamsen Donner, a hero of the Donner tragedy, is said to make her ghostly appearance in the area late at night and a man clothed in late 1800s attire has been seen wandering about, as well.
The famous Cal Neva Lodge (now closed) on Lake Tahoe’s north shore built in 1926, then purchased and remodeled in the early 1960s by Frank Sinatra, has refused to say goodbye
to Old Blue Eyes, it seems. Sinatra’s presence has manifested there, mostly in the showroom where employees have reported feeling his hand touching them — especially, as one reported, while the employee was singing a Sinatra tune as she worked. Apparently the rendition was not to Frank’s liking.
Sinatra’s famous friends naturally gravitated to the luxurious lodge in the pines along Tahoe’s pristine shores and the gang included Marilyn Monroe.
There was a Marilyn Monroe Room at the lodge and guests have reported weird happenings there. But many of the Marilyn
sightings have been near the swimming pool, with guests reporting they see the long-passed blonde bombshell swimming from one side of the pool to the other, climbing out and up a railing and disappearing into air.
One man years ago who was swimming at night in the Cal Neva pool claimed he saw Marilyn swimming toward him from out of nowhere. He was quoted: “I knew who it was right away. I was stunned (so) that I couldn’t do anything but stare at her. As she swam closer she smiled and then just like that, she was gone.
“It was one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen.”
The Cave Rock, that big, interesting boulder that has a tunnel through it on Highway 50 where the kids always get excited as the family drives through. The tunnel is located between Glenbrook and Zephyr Cove.
The site is sacred to the Washoe tribe and the tribe objected to the fact that rock climbers were allowed to “desecrate” the spot where, they believe, their ancestors’ spirits dwell. In 2008, rock climbing finally was banned — but not before at least one reported incident where a climber fell to his death, “pushed off,” his companion reported, “by unseen hands.”
Ah, but don’t forget the Lake itself. Yes, Lake Tahoe has ghost stories galore, from its storied paddle-wheelers to its islands and shores where structures such as Vikingsholm reign — and
indeed its very waters. Washoe legend holds that “water babies” that live in the deep blue off Cave Rock and other parts of the lake are responsible for those who drown and whose bodies are never recovered. You could ask about the “water babies” — but be warned that once you speak the words aloud you, too, could face a watery death. The water babies, according to legend, can be great friends — or powerful enemies. To be safe, the Washoe elders warn, if you hear the sound of small children crying and wailing just out of sight as you stand above on the shore, don’t go down there. This is their attempt to get you to walk within their reach ... and into the depths of Lake Tahoe, never to be seen again by human eyes.
Treat yourself to some of the absolutely strangest things you have ever seen by visiting the hauntingly beautiful (and beautifully haunted) locales of El Dorado County where, it seems, some never want to say good-bye. If you choose to journey to the Coloma Pioneer Cemetery, be sure to tell the Lady in Burgundy you hope that one dark night soon, she finds her way to her final resting place.
TOP 6 Spots for ghost hunting in El Dorado County
The Gold Rush brought attention to El Dorado County but some of the characters that were around during that time still bring attention to various spots in the county today.
CARY HOUSE HOTEL
300 Main St.
An elevator that carries ghostly passengers and numerous reports from guests of the hotel convinces ghost hunters this spot is well worth a visit. Stan the long-dead clerk may even offer to carry your bags.
THE PROSPECTOR
(Originally Pearson’s Soda Works)
594 Main St.
Where a bearded man has been seen in the upstairs of the building. Employees call him Ch arley. Reports, too, have been made regarding a phantom cat.
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3 Placerville
WEDGWOOD WEDDINGS —
THE SEQUOIA MANSION
(Originally the Bee-Bennett House)
643 Bee St.
Built in 1853 by Judge Marcus Bennett, the building is said to remain home to a little girl who died after falling down a steep staircase there. A Bennett son also is said to have died at age 4 and is buried in the cemetery across the street. The building was a restaurant for several years, with guests reporting unexplained noises, apparitions, objects moving, lights turning on and off by themselves and water running suddenly, unexplainably from faucets. It is now a wedding venue and home to the Nello Olivo Wine Tasting room in the cellar. The spirits of mischievous children are a common occurrence.
photo: PAUL COCKRELL
photo: PAUL COCKRELL
545 Pleasant Valley Road
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Placerville
EL DORADO COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUILDING
542 Main St.
Actually another site where a hangman’s tree saw duty back in the mid-1800s. At one time a hotel stood here, but closed for unknown reasons. It also was a veterans’ gathering place and a community center. Reports of pictures falling off walls, a toilet flushing upstairs when no one’s there, hearing footsteps and a door opening of its own accord. Passersby report the specter of a bearded man with a top hat on the second story mezzanine where the hanging-branch once was located. A disembodied woman’s voice has been heard emanating from a balcony.
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Built on the site of what was a Miwok tribe crematorium. Some people report hearing noises in the restrooms, feelings of being watched. Food and other items seem to disappear once they are set down. There have been reports of the specter of a “filmy” man who tends to sit in the back booth of the building. Upstairs, children can be heard giggling and running about as if playing. People driving by have reported seeing the apparition of a woman in an upstairs window, peering out.
6 Georgetown
THE GEORGETOWN HOTEL
6260 Main St.
Strange noises, said to be haunted by a former owner. Also, the sound of a child bouncing a ball in a hallway, thought to be the ghost of a 3-year-old who died in his sleep. A baby’s laughter is heard, along with footsteps walking down the stairs. There even is a report of a transparent nightgown floating up the stairs to the rooms above.
1994 GHOSTLY APPARITION SAVES SON'S LIFE NEAR POLLOCK PINES
story: PAT LAKEY
A mother’s love for her child has to be one of the most powerful forces on the planet — so strong that even after death, she can lie as a naked ghost alongside a highway to get help for her desperately endangered son.
That’s what many who hear the story of Nicky Skubish and his late mom, Christene, believe — and even the “Unsolved Mysteries” TV show aired a segment on the case that occurred just east of Pollock Pines, some 15 miles from Placerville.
Christene, 24, and her 3-year-old son Nicky had left her family’s home near Sacramento on their way to Carson City, Nev. on June 5, 1994. They never arrived at their destination and soon the pair’s relatives notified law enforcement that they were missing.
Some five days later, a South Lake Tahoe couple was driving home late at night and the woman, Debra Hoyt, was shocked and horrified to see a naked, apparently dead, woman lying on the side of Highway 50 at what locals call Bullion Bend, just outside Pollock Pines.
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★ Enjoy our miles of dog friendly hiking trails
★ Have a fun family picnic under our covered pavilion
★ ere’s plenty of free parking
The Hoyts found their way to the nearest phone in these pre-cell phone times and a prompt, nighttime search of the area failed to turn up a naked woman or anything else untoward.
That is, until daylight when El Dorado County sheriff’s officer Rich Strasser returned to the area and located a child’s shoe alongside the road. Another, matching, shoe was found just down the embankment and soon the wreckage was located.
Nicky, clinging to life by a thread, was rushed to safety. Christene was dead and had been so for days it was determined.
Some published accounts state that Nicky was within 30 minutes of dying himself and some who have interviewed the now grown young man have quoted him as saying he believed “three angels” had kept watch over him during the five-day ordeal.
It is thought that Christene fell asleep at the wheel and that her vehicle plunged down a 40-foot bank, crashing through trees before coming to a stop.
Officials have said the young mother likely died upon impact or shortly thereafter, but her son somehow survived the dramatic crash.
In fact, Nicky Skubish has said, in interviews as an adult, that he remembers actually climbing from the wreckage and making his way up to the highway in the nightmarish days — and nights — that followed. Being 3 years old, however, he returned to the car where his mom lay dead, seeking the only source of safety he could know.
The Unsolved Mysteries segment leaves it to the viewer to reach conclusions about the ghostly apparition that led to officers ultimately helping save young Nicky. The Hoyts reportedly were not the only folks to call about seeing a naked woman lying on the side of the road, although exact information on how many reports were received is not readily at hand.
Skeptics have said that the sightings likely were the 3-year-old child himself, lying and resting after having climbed the steep bank up to Highway 50. But the description given by Debra Hoyt of a “busty, naked lady lying on her side, bent legs together with an arm over her head” along with “numerous other, similar sightings” does give one pause.
To add to the strange and compelling story, one of Christene’s aunts reported having dreams of her niece being in desperate trouble, then being deceased — dreams that began around 3 a.m. June 6 of 1994, complete with visions of the accident as though the aunt were herself riding in the rear seat of the ill-fated car.
The aunt, who refused to participate in the Unsolved Mysteries re-creation for TV and turned down other such offers, reportedly arrived at the scene of the fatal crash just after officer Strasser had found one of Nicky’s shoes.
Christene’s aunt had had her husband drive her to the area, based on premonitions she said she had regarding her niece’s death and Nicky’s being in imminent, life-threatening danger.
