Griffith's the name, granite's the game

It's hard to hike when you're laughing and wondering "what am I doing here?" Here, is the Griffith Quarry, near Roseville, CA. It's a state historical landmark because of its contribution to state historical landmarks -- namely the granite, which was used in the construction of places like the U.S. Mint in San Francisco and the State Capitol in Sacramento.

In its day, the quarry was THE industry in town, complete with its own railroad siding, post office, saloon and Starbucks. Lots of men with hard hats toiled here, mining granite boulders until Mr. Slate signaled it was time to quit. The workers would then slide down the tail of their dinosaurs then head home to Wilma.

The Griffith Quarry is no longer in use, but visitors can take a trail around the pit -- part of which is filled with a pea soup-colored muck. The drier parts of the pit, like that shown here, are open for exploration. Trust me, the mucky parts are best viewed from a distance.

It's an interesting place to explore, from both a natural and cultural standpoint. It also answers the question I've often wondered when visiting other landmarks; namely, where did all of this granite come from? Now you know.

While the rock pit and its contributions are interesting, the owner of the quarry can't go unnoticed. His name? Griffith Griffith.