Page 158 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

STATE CAPITOL, Sacramento,
above; a school group splashes
in Beaver Creek, Calaveras Big
Trees State Park, right; staged
gunfight at Sacramento Gold
Rush Days, opposite.
City & Town
Sacramento was the terminus of the
Transcontinental Railroad—from there,
passengers completed their journey to San
Francisco by ferry and barge—and the city
still plays a vital role as the jumping-off
point for exploring the Gold Country.
Since the arrival of the 49ers, the small
towns of the Gold Country proper have
morphed through several distinct stages,
from rough-and-tumble boomtowns, to
somnolent hamlets, to destinations for
biker rallies, to, finally, genteel venues for
weekend getaways sporting comfortable
B&Bs, sophisticated restaurants, antique
stores and nearby wineries. Among the
most popular are Sutter Creek, Nevada
City and Murphys. The two largest towns
of the Sierra foothills—Sonora and Plac-
erville—offer all this, plus a large selection
of motels, restaurants and shops in all
price categories.
INSIDER’S
»
TIP
For 50 years now the apple
growers east of Placerville have
been luring motorists off
Highway 50 with the aroma of
freshly baked apple pies, fritters,
turnovers, strudel and donuts.
More than 50 growers participate
in APPLE HILL, a celebration
of the apple harvest, and of
autumn itself, with cider, hay
rides, pumpkin patches, hay
mazes and other family fun.
It runs from Labor Day to
Christmas. applehill.com
156 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A
LARRY HABEGGER. TOP: FEOKTISTOFF/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: ROBERT COUSE-BAKER/CREATIVE COMMONS