Page 168 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

IRON DOOR SALOON, Grove-
land, above; Lumberjack Day
Parade at West Point, right;
downtown Sacramento, oppo-
site top; Vintage Trucks with
cranes and winches at Empire
Mine State Historic Park in
Grass Valley, opposite bottom.
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
The HANGTOWN FRY, a curiously
appealing concoction of oysters,
bacon and eggs, was allegedly
born in 1849 when a prospector
tossed a satchel full of gold dust
onto the bar in the EL DORADO
HOTEL in PLACERVILLE—then
known as “Hangtown”—and
declared: “I’m a rich man and I’m
going to celebrate my good luck.
I want you to cook me up the
finest and most expensive meal
in the house.” You can still get it
at Buttercup Pantry, 222 Main
Street, Placerville (or at The
Tadich Grill in San Francisco).
166 2015 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
GOLD COUNTRY VISITOR’S ASSOCIATION; JEFFREY B. BANKE/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: SACRAMENTO CVB; JIM FELICIANO/SHUTTERSTOCK