Learn a new dialect while rving in California
If you are unfamiliar with the little town of Boonville, California than the above title reads like a bunch of gibberish. Even if you are familiar with this small community in Mendocino County, you are probably not fluent in Boontling – the dialect that originated here in the late 1800s and has begun to fade into obscurity. When you prepare for your California RV vacation with a 1st Choice RV rental and begin to create your itinerary, don’t miss the chance to explore Boonville, CA and the unique Boontling dialect before it disappears for good!
A bit of history
In the late 19th Century, Anderson Valley and modern day Boonville were barely on the map as an early farming and logging community. Given its incredibly remote location early residents had limited options to pass the time, one of which was creating their own language. Boontling started for fun with women and children working in the fields and quickly developed into a way to joke and poke fun of each other and residents in nearby communities.
Many of the linguistic origins of Boontling can be traced to Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Pomoan, and Spanish roots, but the dialect itself is truly one of a kind. At one time teachers in Boonville taught much of the vernacular in school as way of cultural preservation, but that tradition, much like the language itself, is on its way out. The population of Boonville today is just over 1,000 people, and only a small contingent of elderly residents is still “fluent” in their native tongue. If you find yourself heading north on your California RV vacation, make the cultural side trip up the Anderson Valley and expose your ears to the one-of-a-kind linguistic phenomenon.
What else to do and visit around with your rental RV
Of course, Boonville and Mendocino County have much more to offer than a fun culture and unique language. With 13 government recognized beaches and mile after mile of beautiful coastline, Mendocino County has the quintessential Northern California Pacific Ocean seashore and the perfect destination for any California RV vacation. A little further inland are giant redwood forests that will dwarf even the largest rental RV. Notably, the Chandelier Tree with a diameter of 21 feet has been cut to allow visitors to literally drive their car through its base. Standing at 315 feet tall, this coastal redwood in Leggett, California resides in a forest of equally breathtaking ecology. Coupled with world-class wine production, a thriving microbrewery scene, farmers markets, and annual festivals occurring throughout the year Mendocino County truly has something for everyone.
If you are looking for off-the-beaten-path destinations for your California RV vacation with 1st Choice RV, do yourself a favor and set your sights to Mendocino County. While up there, “travel up the coast to Boonville and talk with the locals” before it’s too late! Of course, you may want to brush up on your Boontling first: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boontling!
Contact Us to book your next RV rental with 1stchoice RV.
Connect with Us