Unofficial Memorial Plaza on the American River Parkway

From this site on a bluff along the American River, a wheelchair ramp and a stairway lead down to the water's edge.  There a pier supports people who come to fish or to watch fish swim by, and, yes, you can actually see fish in the water at your feet. 

Original Americans once lived and roamed here. Gold seekers came, and they brought with them a dredge that nosed into shore and began scraping away in search of the precious metal.  When not enough gold materialized, dredging switched to taking gravel from the land.

Over time, visionaries took over and created an outdoor recreational gem, the American River Parkway.  A true escape from city life, the parkway enables users to fish, swim, kayak, run, bike, paint, or just sit a spell.  

At Mile 13 of the parkway. a sign by the parkway's bike trail identifies the Disabled Fishing Access.  A placard near the sign says that salmon, steelhead, perch, trout, and catfish occupy these waters.  Parking lots and restrooms are nearby. 

In recent years the Disabled Fishing Access has also become an unofficial memorial plaza as people have inscribed the names of loved ones on table pedestals.  Most of the names are those of men; I recognized one as a history professor I took a couple of classes from at Sac State.  A few couples are memorialized here, as in this heartfelt tribute:

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