Smalltown America
Happy belated 4th of July! We spent the day in Foresthill, which is 48 miles north of Sacramento as the crow flies which feels even further north if you are one of us city folk! The parents have lived there for several years now and they seem to really enjoy the peace and quiet that Foresthill has to offer. With a population of only 6,000, Foresthill truly is a secluded and beautiful place to live (retire). Everytime we go there we are amazed to see deer running around in their front yard and the beauty of it all. Up until recently there was no sign of corporate America in Foresthill but much to our surprise Subway is moving in. In some ways this may be the beginning of the end for local businesses and they may also be in danger of losing the old America feel of the town which is really quite unfortunate. Let's hope for the best though...
This year was no different in that the annual 4th of July parade took place in the town center just off of Foresthill Road. What seemed like the entire town of Foresthill, all 6,002 of us gathered to watch the patriotic parade which included the boyscouts, Daughters of America, local vendors, Harley Davidson biker dudes, cowboys, war veterans, and lots and lots of people who came from out of the woodworks for a day in the city. Getting a taste of life in smalltown America was a great way to celebrate the 4th and as always it was good to spend time with family.
Here are some pics of the parade:
5 Comments:
Wow. Are you sure this was in California? It looks like Pleasantville! Awesome pictures as usual!
I know what you mean, Elaine. This is definitely not the California that Snoop and Dre are talking about, huh?! ;)
Insane! It reminded me of small parts of Ohio or Tennesses (I've only been there once but this felt like it)...
Places where it seems like time hasnt touched it
Being here in California, you forget that there actually is an American culture. It's nice to see it still exists, though it seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate.
The boy scout photo is great- you can't get much more American than that.
Insane in the brain for sure. Like time hasn't touched it. Well put, Mike. I bet that you experienced a lot of this when you lived in Ohio. I know that it was culture shock for me when I visited Ohio. There are very few times that I have felt stylish in my life and that was definitely one of them! No comments on that one, okay! ;) Can you imagine living there again?!
You're right, Eric. What was once America is becoming something that you can only find out in the middle of nowhere. It's sad to see how much culture we have given up for convenience and how cluttered city life has become. While in Japan, I always struggled to answer the question, "What is American?" The best part of this was to see how the community came together to enjoy the day and celebrate the 4th; these people really love their country. Patriots, too, are few and far between.
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