Land of the FJ

Hellow there

Today marks another vehicle day in the WheelingPiazza family. The Frog is gone and so ends my Classic Bronco involvement. Its like the saying goes “You can never go home again.” I really enjoyed the 4 rigs I have owned. My favorite was the 67 (my first Bronco) then was the 74 (Buster) then the 72 that never really saw the road. The Frog was the in the best condition, but I just could not get attached to it. I will miss them all, and each one will have a special place in my heart.

Out with the old and in with the new. When I got rid of the Frog, I traded it for a 82 FJ-60. This car is new to me and represents two new factors for me. 1. Is its going to be interesting wheeling a stick. 2. This is my first Japanese vehicle. I have always had a soft spot for Land Cruisers especially the FJ 40. I needed to get a rig that was trail worthy and yet comfortable enough for the family. This rig is nice because I can fit the entire family (can you say 4 door) and have room for the dog. I won’t feel like a sardine in a can when we are all wheeling. I will be able to enjoy the trail and still enjoy my family as well. As an added bonus the wife I can sleep inside of it. I like that idea a lot!!!!!! Don’t get me wrong I like tent camping, I even have a nice cot, but there is nothing like sleeping in the back of your rig and waking up without dirt in your hair.

So lets get down to basics. Here is the skinny on the new rig.




Old Man Emu lift kit
33"x1250 Pro Comps on Eagle Aluminum Wheels
Yakima rack with Lights
Hot Water Shower kit






Its pretty sweet rides nice and cant wait to take her out on some trails. I hope to get some additional pictures this weekend.


Paul

Back County Exploring

This week’s adventure has the Piazza family exploring the back roads of Calaveras County. It started out as a Mommy/Daddy weekend became one of the best weekends Raylene and I have ever had.


We started out Saturday with Breakfast at home and a nice cup of Coffee in Arnold. We decided to head on to San Andreas to go explore Pool Station Road. After hitting an antique store in San Andreas we found Pool Station Road. Pool Station Road is a remote road that follows Highway 49, then 4 out towards Copperopolis. After hitting Highway 4 we decided to turn on Hunt Road and follow it as far as we could. We soon spotted a remote old School house out on the prairie. After traveling for some time we found an old road that was part wagon road part ranch road. This took us to Salt Springs which is at the remote corner of Calaveras County. Below is some information on Salt Springs School House and a picture I took.




Information:
A school was built in the late 1860's in this valley by ranchers Tower and Bisbee. Their ranch, sometimes known as The White House Ranch, also served as a stage and teamster stop on the Milton-Angels road. The schoolhouse was located near the center of Salt Spring Valley, overlooking the reservoir, so as to be convenient to the various ranch families then living in the valley. Mrs. Jacob Tower, (Mary L. Howard), who had come around the Horn in 1863 from Ann Arbor, Michigan, organized parties and dances to raise money for books and furniture for the new school. When the Salt Spring Valley School District was formally organized in 1869, and the new schoolhouse erected four years later, the old Tower and Bisbee school building was moved to the ranch headquarters at Felix to serve as the headquarters at Felix to serve as the post office. There it still stands, the oldest building in the valley other than certain farm structures. The school was closed in 1947 and the district was combined with Copperopolis, Jenny Lind, and Milton two years later. The schoolhouse, however, has been preserved by former students.

Teachers were from 1899-1912: Agnes Foster (Mrs. Willard Tower), Jessie Gourley, Mabel Wilson, Kate Bund, L. Platt, Agnes Gregg, V. Parkhurst, and Rebecca Gardner.


After spending time at the school house we decided to keep on trucking. We followed the road all the way to Salt Springs Road. We then followed another very tight curvy road (Salt Springs Road) past a small reservoir we ended up in Milton. Along the drive we encountered a head of Cows. The cows were everywhere and some were not happy that we were visiting. I have linked a video to this site so you can watch the cows as we drove by them. Both Raylene and I wished Paul and Brad were their they would have loved the Cows especially as they lapped us on the way by.. Follow the link to see the cows.

http://wheelingpiazzas.com/_private/paul/Rover%20Adventures/PICT0040.AVI

After our exploring we were very hungry and we were not to far from Copperopolis so we decided to go get some grub, First we needed to stop by the olive oil company and get freshed pressed olive oil. Then it was time for some chow. What a dinner we were both surprised with a fine 5 course dinner and a very perfect end to a really nice day.

I hope to coninue the Rover adventure with a new trip to a gohst town later in February.

Paul

Snow Wheeling 2006

What a stuck fest!!!!. We went wheeling with the club and made it about a mile and proceeded with the winch recovery bit. The snow was deep and powdery so it made for a long day. The kids had fun sledding and I had fun playing in the snow. All in all it was a good day. Nice not to cold, the snow was dry and cold. All was well and we headed out after about 2 hours of being stuck.

Pictures below: