Page 157 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

»
MUST
SEE,
DO
» Star Tracks Hollywood’s favorite steam
train, at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park near
Jamestown, has appeared in everything from
“High Noon” to “Petticoat Junction.” You can ride
it on weekends from April through October.
› railtown1897.com
» Going Underground Rappel into the
darkness and explore a chamber large enough to
hold the Statue of Liberty in Moaning Cavern.
› caverntours.com/MoCavRt.htm
GIANT SEQUOIAS dwarf hikers in Calaveras Big
Trees State Park, opposite; Empire Mine State
Historic Park, Grass Valley, above.
DRIVE
»
TOUR
» Historic Hotel In the picturesque old mining
town of Murphys, the Murphys Historic Hotel has
hosted everyone from Mark Twain and Ulysses S.
Grant to Black Bart. Look for their signatures
in the guest book on display in the lobby.
› murphyshotel.com
» Bottoms Up Sample the rich, jammy Zinfan-
dels and other wines without the crowds at dozens
of wineries in Amador, El Dorado and Calaveras
counties.
› discovercaliforniawines.com/discover-california/
sierra-foothills
» Eureka! Start your own personal Gold Rush
as you pan for nuggets at Marshall Gold Discovery
State Historic Park.
› parks.ca.gov/?page_id=484
NAVIGATING A TOUR through
the Gold Country couldn't be
easier: HIGHWAY 49—named for
the original 49ers—traverses the
entire region. It stretches nearly
300 miles through the Sierra
foothills, from DOWNIEVILLE in
the north to OAKHURST in the
south, linking all the Gold
Country’s major towns and sights.
Allow at least two days for the
journey. Start with a mountain-
biking excursion in DOWNIEVILLE,
poke around the galleries and
antique shops of NEVADA CITY and drop by the site where Marshall
and Sutter found those first sparkling nuggets in COLOMA. SUTTER
CREEK, with a bounty of inviting B&Bs and restaurants serving the local
wine, is a good place to spend the night. On your second day, explore
ANGELS CAMP—perhaps pausing to wager on a frog if it’s jumping
season (the third week in May)—try your hand at panning for gold at
COLUMBIA STATE HISTORIC PARK and take a ride on the historic steam
train in JAMESTOWN’S RAILTOWN 1897 STATE HISTORIC PARK.
SUTTER’S FORT STATE HISTORIC
Park, Sacramento.
2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 155