Gold Country is where the California Gold Rush, which forever changed the State and the country began in 1849. On the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, Gold Country is full of historic mining towns and museums. 

 

 

Running between the Sierra Nevada and the coastal foothills is the Central Valley, Californias agricultural heartland. This enormous valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, is laced with thousands of miles of waterways and dotted with green pastures, orchards and vineyards. Fresno and Bakersfield are interesting regional centres.
The beautiful wilderness of the High Sierra, immortalised in the photography of Ansel Adams, is an outdoor enthusiasts delight. Home to the famous Yosemite National Park and the resorts of Lake Tahoe and the Mammoth Lakes, the region offers a wide range of recreational activities as well as some spectacular landscapes.
The Deserts region, in the southeast, features expansive landscapes, brilliant skies, traces of pioneer history and glittering resort cities. Natural phenomena include the isolated Death Valley National Monument and the vast Joshua Tree National Monument, while in spring, the desert explodes with displays of wild flowers. Most visitors to the region explore one of the rustic ghost towns or drive along historic Route 66.

High Sierra

The spectacular High Sierra region is home to the Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the year-round resort of Lake Tahoe and some of the countrys best ski resorts. The Mammoth Lakes area, including the ski fields of Mammoth Mountain, is a major destination for outdoor enthusiasts and boasts some spectacular natural attractions.

LAKE TAHOE: The Washoe Native Americans called it The Lake in the Sky, and, situated over 1800m (6000ft) above sea level in a stunning alpine setting, it is not hard to see why. Tahoe has clear blue skies, snow-capped mountains and an array of cultural and historical riches. The 115km (72-mile) drive around the lake affords impressive views of the basin. Lake cruises are also available the Tahoe Queen and MS Dixie II cruise from South Shore to Emerald Bay and feature glass bottoms, with views straight into the clear waters. Tahoes spectacular scenery can also be enjoyed from the Aerial Tram at Heavenly Ski Resort, which transports passengers to 600m (2000ft) over the Gunbarrel Ski Run. Emerald Bay State Park, at the southwest corner of the lake, features Tahoes only island, Fannette Island. Sights here include Vikingsholm, a 38-room Scandinavian-style castle, open for guided tours. On Route US50, the Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum displays the areas most comprehensive collection of early photos. Watersports enthusiasts are amply catered for, as the lake is blessed with excellent beaches at Emerald Bay, Baldwin, Regan and Timber Cove, where boating, jet-skiing, para-sailing, scuba diving and windsurfing are popular activities. The site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, Lake Tahoe has a number of outstanding ski resorts. On the California/Nevada border, the Heavenly Ski Resort has the highest elevation in the Tahoe basin. Other resorts include Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Gambling has been popular ever since wealthy holidaymakers started flocking to Tahoe at the turn of the century. Some of the biggest names in the casino industry, offering a variety of headline entertainment and 24-hour gaming, are to be found just over the border on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

NORTH LAKE TAHOE: This world-famous skiing destination has a great selection of high-quality resorts, including Squaw Valley USA, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, Sugar Bowl, Diamond Peak and Homewood Mountain Resort. There are plenty of activities for non-skiers, ranging from ice skating, swimming, hot tubbing and snow-tubing at Squaw Valley to sleigh rides and snowmobiling at Northstar-at-Tahoe.

EASTERN SIERRA: The Mammoth Lakes area is a major resort with spectacular scenery, year-round activities and plenty of sightseeing. In winter, Mammoth Mountain has more than 9km (6 miles) of downhill ski runs and great cross-country skiing, while in summer, the same slopes attract thousands of mountain bikers. Natural features include the lakes which were scooped out by glaciers and the remarkable Devils Postpile Natural Monument, formed when glaciers flowed over the lava that had erupted and filled a river valley.

Other sights include Bishop, where the Bishop Creek Recreation Area offers camping, trout fishing, horseriding and boating, The Inyo National Forest is home to the oldest living things on earth: bristlecone pines more than 4700 years old. Bodie is one of the most authentic ghost towns of the West, preserved in a state of arrested decay. Mono Lake, an inland sea with bizarre tufa towers, was formed about 700,000 years ago and is one of the worlds oldest lakes. Hot Creek Canyon, where volcanic activity heats pools and streams of water, also makes for an interesting visit. Near Independence is the infamous internment camp of Manzanar, where more than 10,000 Japanese were held during World War II. The Eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada offer outstanding views of the Sierra Crest.

WESTERN SIERRA: On the western slopes of the Sierra are the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, famed for their forests of giant sequoia trees, the largest trees on earth. The 2500-year-old General Sherman Tree in Giant Forest is the largest tree in the world (by volume) with a circumference of 31.1 m (102.6 feet). Kings Canyon is the deepest canyon in the USA. Yosemite National Park contains the worlds best-known glacier-carved valley, spectacular waterfalls and granite monoliths, and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Glacier Point offers some of the best views of the area. Attractions in Yosemite Village include the Yosemite Museum with a Native American cultural exhibit, the Museum Gallery with historical works of art, and the Ansel Adams Gallery, which has a large selection of limited-edition and signed photographs, prints and posters.

SPECIAL EVENTS: Feb-Mar 2003 Spring Snowfest (largest winter carnival in the West), Tahoe City. Mar FL Celebrity Sports Race, Heavenly Ski Resort. Apr Jazzaffair Three Rivers, Sequoia National Park. Jun Valhalla Renaissance Festival, South Lake Tahoe. Aug Sierra Summer Festival, Mammoth Lakes. Sep Labor Day Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe; Labor Day Arts and Crafts Festival, Mammoth Lakes; Oktoberfest, North Lake Tahoe. Oct Annual Autumn Food And Wine Festival, North Lake Tahoe. Dec Night of Lights, throughout the Mountains area.


Gold Country

The western ridges of the Sierra Nevada are home to Gold Country, also known as the Mother Lode. The discovery of gold here in 1848 attracted 300,000 fortune seekers from all over the world. Not everyone struck it rich, but the gold rush changed California forever and left a rich legacy of historic mining towns, railways and museums. The State capital, Sacramento, is a sophisticated city with strong ties to its pioneer past. Visitors can follow in the footsteps of the famous 49ers at the Columbia, Empire Mine and Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Parks, explore caverns and the wineries of El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras counties, or go white-water rafting on the American River.

SACRAMENTO: The Californian capital since 1854, Sacramento is home to more than 32 theatres, galleries and museums, and is full of visible reminders of its past. The state historic park of Old Sacramento, on the Sacramento River, features 53 historic buildings and recreates the Sacramento of the gold rush. It includes the California State Railroad Museum, which highlights how railways shaped the lives, economy and culture of California and the West. Historic steam train rides run on weekends from April to September. Also in the neighbourhood is the Crocker Art Museum. Opened in 1873, it is the oldest art museum in the west and exhibits early Californian paintings, drawings by the Old Masters and contemporary art.

In the centre of the city is the Renaissance Revival-style State Capitol and California State Capitol Museum. Modelled on the capitol in Washington DC, the building has housed the California Legislature since 1869. Tours are also available of the grand Victorian Governors Mansion, home to 13 of Californias governors and filled with historic furnishings. Artefacts from more than 100 Native American tribes are on show at the California State Indian Museum, where an exhibit traces the life of Ishi, Californias last Yahi Indian. The new Golden State Museum tells the ongoing story of California and celebrates what is distinctive about the State. Over 130 species, 32 of them threatened or endangered, are housed at Sacramento Zoo, including polar bears, snow leopards and Sumatran tigers. Sacramento is home to professional ballet, opera and theatre companies and has a vibrant nightlife, with dozens of clubs, comedy venues and restaurants offering everything from Vietnamese to Moroccan cuisine.

Excursions: Folsom, 32km (20 miles) east of Sacramento, was one of the largest cities in the state during the gold rush. Today it is home to 60 antique dealers and over 40 artisans studios, art galleries and working artists, as well as the historic buildings of the Old Town. Lake Nacoma and Folsom Lake offer sailing, water-skiing and windsurfing and a range of other activities for outdoor enthusiasts.

EL DORADO COUNTY: This is the heart of Gold Country, where James Marshall discovered the first Californian gold at Sutters Mill in Coloma. Visitors can see where the gold rush began and pan for gold at the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, which has a museum and both original and restored buildings. The South Fork of the American River at Coloma is especially popular with whitewater rafters, offering some of the best rafting in the country. Known as Hangtown in its early days, today Placerville is full of historic buildings and operates the Gold Bug Mine, the only gold mine in the state open to visitors. Wineries have flourished in the spectacular foothills of the Sierra Nevada since the gold rush, and tours and tastings are available year round.

CALAVERAS COUNTY: Southeast of Sacramento, Calaveras County is home to forests of giant sequoias at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, award-winning wineries and gold rush towns like Mokelumne Hill, Avery and Arnold. Mark Twain became a household name after writing The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County at Angels Camp, where the Jumping Frog Jubilee is held annually in May. At the gold rush town of Murphys, visitors can explore the Mercer Caverns, ten caverns with rare crystal formations. At Cave City, the Moaning Cavern, with a main chamber large enough to hold the Statue of Liberty, is open all year round, and the California Cavern is open for tours from spring to autumn.

TUOLUMNE COUNTY: Visitors can prospect for gold at Jamestown, which has served as a backdrop for films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and High Noon. The nearby Columbia State Historic Park is Californias best-preserved gold-mining town, with gold panning, stagecoach rides and tours of an active gold mine.

AMADOR COUNTY: Dotted with gold rush towns like Amador City and Sutter Creek, this region is renowned for its wineries there are around two dozen of them in Shenandoah Valley. An outstanding collection of Sierra Nevada Indian artefacts, as well as a reconstructed Miwok village, can be found at the Chawse Regional Indian Museum in the Indian Grinding State Historic Park near Jackson. The spectacular crystal formations and deep lakes of Black Chasm Cavern can be seen on guided tours.

Mariposa, in the south of Gold Country, is home to Californias oldest courthouse, built in 1854. The Mariposa County Museum features a miners cabin and a reconstructed Native American village, while the California State Mining and Mineral Museum boasts one of the largest gem and mineral collections in the world.

This is a picture of me at an abandoned house in Bodie Nv.

On one of our many adventures.