Gold in Them There Hills

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EL DORADO HILLS, CA.





My nephew Joe Lyons and I spent 5 months together on a treasure hunting expedition in the Bahamas back in the 90's. We never found any gold back then, but he has found his personal "El Dorado" here in the hills east of Sacramento. The community where he lives is very close to where it all began for the Great California Gold Rush. Sutter's Mill, where gold was discovered in the 1800's, is just a short drive to the South. Sacramento, the state capital, can be seen down in the valley to the west.







El Dorado Hills is a tawny sundrenched community that exudes the California lifestyle. Set among rolling hills and tree-lined avenues it is an upscale and well planned township. Loaded with sidewalks, greenways and bike trails it invites you to enjoy the great outdoors. This active lifestyle is well suited for this man of endless energy and a robust enthusiasm for life. White water rafting, camping, hiking and mountain biking areas are all numerous and easy to access.









He greeted us with open arms and we enjoyed a lovely evening on his back deck with grilled chicken, vegtables and good wine. A tour of his lovely home included a view of "The Beast", the 1970 Dodge Truck he is restoring in his garage. He has done alot of the work himself and scavenged parts from the numerous junkyards in the area. It used to belong to Jane's mother if you can imagine. She recieved it as payment for a debt from "Uncle George" and then gave it to Joe. Now, it has traveled across the country and taken on new life. If it was any bigger I don't think it would fit in the garage.









Joe has always been a hard worker and seems completely ageless. It is hard to believe that it has been almost twenty years since we crossed the Caribbean in my old Chris Craft, but he has not slowed down a bit. He could always stand the longest watches in the roughest seas and still be ready to party when we finally arrived in port. Tomorrow we will head out to explore the Sacramento River Valley, but tonight we rest easy in his roomy, comfortable home.

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