Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Seeing the birthplace of modern California at
Marshall Gold Discovery
2
Rumbling down the premier single-track bike trails above
Downieville
.
3
Tasting the wines made from grapes grown in the
Plymouth
hills.
4
Spotting the anachronisms in the living history of
Columbia State Historic
Park
.
5
Wandering the historic streets of
Nevada City
, Gold Country's relaxing
jewel of a town.
6
Riding the white water
American River
.
7
Discovering traces left by the Miwoks who once thrived near
Indian Grind-
8
Driving down
Highway 49
through El Dorado & Amador Counties in pursuit
of antiques and ice cream.
NEVADA COUNTY & NORTHERN GOLD COUNTRY
The forty-niners hit it big in Nevada County - the richest score in the region known as the
Mother Lode - and their wealth built one of the most picturesque and well-preserved
boomtowns, Nevada City. Get out of town and you'll find lovely, remote wilderness areas,
a clutch of historic parks and rusting relics of the long-gone miners. This is also a magnet
for adrenaline junkies looking to race down single-tracks on mountain bikes or plunge into
icy swimming holes that are remote enough for skinny-dipping.
Auburn
Look for the big man: a 45-ton effigy of French gold panner Claude Chana marks your ar-
rival in Placer County's Gold Country. Its hallmarks are all here - ice-cream shops, strol-
lable historic districts and antiques. A major stop on the Central Pacific's transcontinental
route, Auburn still welcomes trains on the Union Pacific's main line to the east and is a
popular stop for those rushing along I-80 between the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. You'll
have to venture along Hwy 49 for a deeper taste of Gold Country, but those who want just
a sample will enjoy this accessible town.
