Cecile and I had breakfast at Folsom’s legendary Gold Miner Cafe. Owner, Kay Gardner and her daughter, Tiffeny Ayala run the eatery. Gardner bought the restaurant in 1984. It was named Laurie’s Kitchen back then and she turned it into the Gold Miner. In 2006 she sold it and bought another restaurant in Rocklin. When it came back on the market for sale, Gardner embraced the opportunity to own it again in what the late Yogi Berra would call de déjà vu all over again. It was a gutsy move on her part, especially during the pandemic in November 2020. But, she brought it back to life with word of mouth and social media. Though the place was packed, we received our generous portions of food very promptly as Johnny Cash’s likeness was looking over our shoulders.
Speaking of Johnny Cash, in January 13, 1968, he made history by recording a live album inside of California’s Folsom State Prison. Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison is the first live album by an American singer-songwriter. It was released on Columbia Records on May 6, 1968, became a hit in the United States, reaching number one of the country charts and the top 15 of the national album chart. The song that started the prison obsession for Cash was his own “Folsom Prison Blues.” It was written in 1953 while serving in Germany with the US Air Force, and was inspired by the 1951 film, Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison. After the release of his hit record in 1955, he began getting letters from inmates around the country asking him to play.
Postscript: Folsom Lake reveals Gold Rush era relics artifacts that are typically sumbmerged are now visible due to California’s ongoing drought and water crisis. Panning for Gold is legal.
