“Gold Country Viewpoint”

Vintner

California Gold Country Viewpoint

 

An article by

Marilyn Froggatt

September 1, 2008

 

 

I have always intended to visit California’s Gold Country but other destinations always came first like a trip to Big Sur, visits to Napa and Sonoma, golfing excursions to Palm Springs and summers at Lake Tahoe. However, this area always intrigued me, most likely due to colorful stories about the 49’ers and the boom towns that came and went faster than the gold mines underneath them. 

 

Once I decided on the trip, I was amazed at the vast amount of information available via AAA, California history books and travel magazines. Once in the region, the local material is also quite informative. The Gold Country even has its own designation on a site called www.visitcalifornia.com.

 

On the Visit California map, the region is appropriately named “Gold County.” It looks like a relatively small area but believe me, there is no quick visit. Spanning almost 325 miles from north to south, it covers a region from Mariposa on the south to Sierra City in the north. The purpose of this designation is to give credit to the impact of what the California Gold Rush did to California. California was not even a state when James Marshall discovered gold on the American River in January, 1848. From that date on you can find references to 546 original mining towns, out of which only 246 exist in some form or another today in California.

 

And yes, the discovery of gold did make a few people very rich. However, most of the miners did not come away with much. The towns that did survive did so due to the trade and services that were originally set up for the miners but flourished even after their departure as logging and ranching took over when the rush was over in the early 1860’s.

 

As I started planning the trip, I imagined days full of tours of old mining towns, lunch in wonderfully unique boutique restaurants, shopping in cute antique stores and stops along the way at new and flourishing wineries. I was also surprised and pleased to find wine tasting and tours as another option to fill your days.

 

I chose Jackson as my ground zero. After studying the AAA map, I knew I wanted to concentrate on what they call Southern Mother Lode. Since I booked my trip at the last moment, I needed a quick fix on finding a room. My AAA membership has a cool hotel booking site and within a few minutes I found availability at the Holiday Inn Express in Jackson for a members–only rate of $119/night. Breakfast was included.  I chose to drive up I-5 from my home in Oceanside but made a mistake in taking SR 26 from Stockton. A better alternative would have been taking SR 88 from Stockton as the road is much smoother. I took a lot of hairpin turns on SR 26, which was ok, but after driving for 8 hours already, I was ready for a break. The room was just fine, very clean with a young but helpful staff. The location is quiet and you can open the windows in the evenings for the cool breeze. There is no swimming pool which is blessing and a curse. While I would have loved a cool dip after returning from a full day of touring–it’s hot here in August—the peaceful evenings were a nice trade off. And, once the sun sets everything cools off and the mornings are just perfect. One gets tired of the gray mornings that are a part of most t days along the northern San Diego coastline, so seeing the sun first thing in the morning was a welcome sight.

 

You really need at least five to seven days to take this all in. And you must choose just one or two areas to overnight. I would recommend Sonora or Angels Camp to explore the southern area. Jackson or Sutter Creek is a good alternative if you opt to stay a little further north. Camping and RVs are also an option, but check out the campsites online as many can be very crowded during peak season. Because of the heat, you are going to want to get into the water somewhere during the day if you visit during the summer months. Check out swimming in some of the recreational areas or buy a day pass at one of the private camps along the rivers or lakes.

 

As I mentioned, there are some major new wine growing areas that accompany the Southern Mother Lode. One location is the Shenandoah Valley area in Amador County. Not only is the area growing in vast numbers of new wineries, it boasts some great event offerings during the summer months. Located just northeast of the town of Plymouth and Amador, the ‘Vine Times’ (vinetimes@inflightusa.com) offers a listing of 37 different wineries in its July, 2008 edition. Look on page 23. I visited Karmere, Sobon Estate and Toscano Winery & Bistro. I particularly enjoyed Toscano. Their building is quite elegant and they have a nice park like setting outside where you can sit and enjoy the view and a bottle of one of their Italian varietals.  

 

While passing through Sutter Creek, I ran into a local gentleman by the name of Michael Politi, owner of Sutter Creek Winery Tours. He offers custom 1989 La Salle automobile tours of the Amador region. To book one of his tours, contact him at 408-421-0941. Michael feels very strongly about the growth and appeal of the area. “Watch for other events offered in the Amador county area, like the Sutter Creek Annual Chili Cook Off and Car Show on Sunday, September 7, 2008. It’s from 11:00am – 5:00pm.”

 

For more information, go to: http://www.suttercreek.org/specialevents/chilicookoff/. Looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. Also, private aircraft can fly in for the event to Westover Field. Amador’s Big Crush Harvest Festival is also coming up on October 4 and 5. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 on event days. Attendees will be treated to gourmet foods, live music at many wineries and a big raffle for prizes. For more information on the Big Crush call 1-888-655-8614 or visit the website at www.amadorwine.com.

 

 

You need to have a good adventurous attitude about the sites you are going to visit. Everything is pretty casual and because you are in the Sierra Foothills, it’s going to get dusty. For the ladies, you may want to leave the cute shoes in the RV or hotel room. If you are planning to visit the mines you will need to be in sneakers or walking shoes. If it’s just lunch and some shopping in Murphy’s or Sutter Creek, put on your favorite sandals and go for it. 

 

The mother lode area was truly a new experience for me. I am sorry I haven’t taken more time before now to explore this hugely interesting location. The location hugs the Sierra Nevada and stays at a comfortable 1,500 -2,000 feet elevation in most areas. The air was crisp and clear. You are also within a half day’s driving distance to Lake Tahoe or Yosemite. A detour makes perfect sense when you are on your way to any of a number of final destinations in California. Take some time to learn about this very vital piece of California’s history.