By now, those of you that have followed my travels via RV Life magazine and blog know of my love for exploring underground. It doesn’t matter if it is man-made (mines, tunnels, etc) or God made (caves, lava tubes, etc), I will crawl into it. It is a whole different world below the surface of the earth. Imagine my joy when I read about the Empire Mine developing an underground tour through a new adit being dug. The tour is scheduled to open sometime next year. “The Empire Mine is one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California. Between 1850 until its closure in 1956, the Empire Mine produced 5.8 million ounces of gold, extracted from 367 miles of underground passages”. You read that right, (three hundred sixty seven) miles of underground workings! Exploring one of the largest gold mines in California, that is my kind of adventure in RVing. You know where to find me next year. With 367 miles of tunnels, I better pack extra batteries for my flashlight and a really big lunch!
To learn more about the new tunnel and coming tour click on this link. http://www.empiremine.org/adit.html
Convenient camping for visiting the Empire Mine can be found nearby at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. http://www.nevadacountyfair.com/camping/
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
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