Monday, October 10, 2011

YOLO COUNTY: ON THE ROAD TO WOODLAND























We're leaving Davis for Woodland with the Heidrick Ag History Center as the first stop. The Center is dedicated to enhancing people’s education, understanding and appreciation of the rich heritage of agriculture and transportation.

The Heidrick Ag History Center introduces visitors to the marvels of agriculture, and commercial trucking through 130,000 square feet of interactive, one-of-a-kind exhibits. The cornerstones of these exhibits are the Fred C. Heidrick Antique Ag Collection, the world’s largest and most unique collection of one-of-a-kind antique agricultural equipment, and the abutting Hays Antique Truck Museum, also recognized as the largest of its kind in the world.

History Center exhibits tractors and harvesting machinery from the late 1800s through the middle of the last century. Mr. Heidrick collected rare, unusual, and historic farm machinery over the course of his lifetime. The $8 admission price gets you both museums.

We took a quick ride through downtown Woodland with a detour to Reiff's Gas Station. It appears that this guy Mark Reiff started his collection with the purchase of a 1930s Wayne Gas Pump at a neighborhood garage sale. Since then he has added a diner, gas station, general store and old time movie theater. The entire house has become an automotive museum of retro 1950s nostalgia, antiques and car culture.

Reiff's Gas Station collection includes 40 antique gas pumps that were used in various time periods from 1909 to the 1960s. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some have been restored, some not.

Reiff's Automotive Museum also has a large collection of over 200 antique gas station signs and logos. They are displayed throughout the museum, both indoors and outside. The garage and back yard are full of old time automotive signs in all shape's and sizes. The Bob's Big Boy statue is on the roof, standing up there looking over everything.

Too bad it was closed, otherwise we would have gotten a tour of the house and diner as well. Oh well. Esther and Eunice got a kick checking it out.

Time for dinner, we went to Tazzina Bistro.

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