Calistoga, California: Old Faithful Geyser of California

New ownership Jan. 2013 - prices going up. Baby goats made it worth it! We got in just before closing and were able to stay as long as we wanted, even after the gift shop closed. Had a nice little picnic while watching the geyser!

IMHO, the best sight at this attraction was Jacob, the 4-horned goat!

We went to Old Faithful of California in late February and were quite disappointed, even though we did not expect much. The geyser didn't go more than 15-20 feet up, and when we asked the employee if it was due to the season, or excess rain or what, he had no idea and basically said don't bother me. The best part was the other visitors who made sarcastic remarks about the place despite their obviously equally low expectations. At least the management gave us the nicest free postcards I have seen in quite awhile.

Frequent rainfall can disrupt the regularity of this "faithful" geyser, causing it to erupt more frequently (as often as every two minutes), but much less dramatically. During an hour and a half visit, I saw perhaps thirty eruptions, ranging from three to thirty feet in height.

Picnic tables and lawn chairs offer visitors the chance to relax and take in the sights of the geyser. The gift shop doubles as a very limited snack bar, but the place does allow visitors to bring in their own picnic lunches.

As for the fainting goats, there were two lethargic goats in a tiny pen near the gift shop when I visited. Neither seemed capable of movement, much less of standing upright and fainting. Don't expect much from them.

The site also offers a short tour around the edge of the geyser. A media room, with newspaper clippings and a constantly-running video, is also present. A randomly-placed San Francisco funhouse mirror is also on display near the geyser.The gift shop offers the usual assortment of souvenirs, postcards and t-shirts. Incidentally, the shirts were extremely reasonably priced -- $10 for adult sizes and $8 for kids.

Just off of Hwy 29, between Clear Lake and Calistoga, visit Old Faithful of California. It's purported to be one of only three "faithful" geysers in the world. Admittedly, geysers are pretty cool. But, better still, the park also is home to a pack of Tennessee Fainting Goats.

The goat exhibit explains that said goats suffer (or benefit) from a rare genetic malady that causes their muscles to go rigid when the goats are frightened, thus causing the poor goatlets to fall over. They seem pretty accustomed to the geyser, and did not faint upon its eruption.

It was a weird and wonderful place.