Click to enlarge

It’s almost difficult to know where this Sierras and Gold Country vacation and travel guide should begin with all there is to see and do in this California area. How about…

…in tiny Coloma (site of the state’s first gold discovery on January 24, 1848, where you can try your hand at panning, too), or

…in Grass Valley (where you can descend a mine shaft at the Empire Mine State Historic Park), or

…in Sutter Creek (with lovely shops, galleries and restaurants housed in converted, century-old buildings), or

…in Jamestown (and its restored landmark 1859 Historic National Hotel with nine B&B rooms and a charming public restaurant)?

If you get thirsty along the way, there are several award-winning wineries in Calaveras County, some of which also produce olive oil and honey. That’s just a sampling  to whet your appetite. We’ve only just begun!

As you peruse the Sierras and Gold Country travel articles, you’ll learn about Lake Tahoe, which is about 80 miles northeast of Sacramento – so pure that it’s 99.7% clear (you’ll have to see it to believe it!) – and the equally stunning surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountain range. The lake and its environs are enjoyed by both summer-water and winter-snow enthusiasts and by everyone from tree-huggers to gamblers. Mark Twain once said of Lake Tahoe: “Surely the fairest picture the whole Earth affords,” and we all know Twain wasn’t one to exaggerate!  California Highways 89 and 28, Nevada Highway 28 and Federal Highway 50 combine to provide an approximately 75-mile loop around the lake. It’s a beautiful drive and definitely a worthwhile afternoon’s activity.

During the winter months, the region averages 360 inches of snow annually and is home to North America’s largest concentration of ski resorts. With around 20 resorts to chose from (including Squaw Valley Resort, host of the 1960 Winter Olympics), there is ski terrain to challenge all skill levels, plus snowboarding, sledding and snowmobiling opportunities, too, of course.

Driving about five hours south from the Lake Tahoe area, you will arrive at what many consider the Golden State’s crown jewel, Yosemite National Park. It has it all, really – lush groves of giant Redwoods, majestic waterfalls and massive granite walls and domes. The 750,000-acre, 1,200 square-mile park contains thousands of lakes and ponds, 1,600 miles of streams, 800 miles of hiking trails and 350 miles of roads.

Yosemite’s temperatures will vary with elevation, and conditions can change rapidly, so wise travelers dress in layers and always carry some kind of rain gear. Precipitation is most predominant during the January-through-March winter months, but storms are also commonplace during the transitional spring and fall seasons, and summer can bring spectacular thunderstorms. To avoid the worst of the crowds, try to plan your Sierras and Gold Country Yosemite trip during winter, spring or fall – any season but summer.

And, again, be sure to bring your camera! Ansel Adams shot his most famous photos here, and the park is extremely popular with professional and hobby nature photographers.

Northeast of Yosemite and near Mono Lake, photographers will also likely enjoy a stop at Bodie State Historical Park. Bodie is an honest-to-goodness ghost town, deserted since the 1930s in a most eerie fashion – residents just moved on for some reason, leaving all their belongings behind.  Current park authority requires that it remain in a state of “arrested decay” (i.e., no repairs are made to the structures), and it provides a striking photo-shoot location – perfect for black-and-white or sepia-tone photos.  The late-afternoon-into-sunset lighting is optimal.

Driving southeast through the Sierra National Forest, you will pass through the Mammoth Lake area and arrive at Bishop. About another hours’ drive will take you to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, whose resident trees are estimated to be more than 4,600 years old and believed to be the oldest living trees on Earth.

Two other national forests blanket this area, Inyo and Sequoia, serving as frames for two more geological jewels – Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Despite their close proximity, the two parks are quite different. Sequoia National Park encircles 14,495-foot Mt. Whitney (the highest mountain in the lower 48 states) and is home to a tree called “General Sherman,” the largest tree in the world and believed to be the world’s largest organism, as well. Kings Canyon National Park takes its name from the narrow chasm – one of the deepest in this country – cut by the Kings River.

Here are some articles where you can learn more about California’s Sierras and Gold Country vacation destinations and the extraordinary experiences you can enjoy there:

Planning Your Gold Country Vacation or Getaway

Gold Country Tourist Attractions

Gold Country Wineries

Sierras and Gold Country Museums

Lake Tahoe Tourist Information

Yosemite Vacation Guide

Misc. Travel Resources

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Was this article useful and/or interesting?
Would you please consider sharing it?
We appreciate it!

This idyllic area’s “Mother Lode” nickname pays tribute to its history as a top gold-producing region, but it could also be used to describe its abundance of natural and historic Gold Country tourist attractions. The hills and forests are a feast for the eyes, and evidence of the region’s importance in California’s history is present almost everywhere you look.

The list below will introduce you to some of our favorite Gold Country tourist attractions. Following the list, there are also links to information about the area’s wonderful wineries and mesmerizing museums. You’re going to have a great time traveling in California’s Gold Country region!

Amador Flower Farm, Plymouth – Specializing in daylilies (over 650 varieties), the farm’s 12 acres also include over 200 unusual perennials. (amadorflowerfarm.com)

Bodie State Historic Park, Bridgeport – Designated a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park in 1962, this 19th century ghost town is being preserved in a state of arrested decay and is a popular with photographers. (parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509)

Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold – Some of the planet’s largest living organisms. Tourists from around the world follow the well-trampled trails through the North Grove, but the remote South Grove’s five-mile loop (10 miles from Highway 4) is highly recommended. (parks.ca.gov/?page_ID=551)

Columbia State Historic Park, Columbia – The term “state historic park” may be misleading; instead, think “amusement park meets living museum.” This is a real working town – with shops, restaurants, theatres and even a fantastic hotel – and costumed docents wander the streets and realistically portray 1850-70s life. It’s as if the entire town is frozen in time, just waiting for you to come experience it. Children and adults alike delight in climbing aboard an authentic stage coach, watching candy being made, sipping sasparilla at the town saloon or dipping their own candles. (columbiacalifornia.com)

Copperopolis Town Square, near Copperopolis – Once a thriving 1800’s mining town, Copperopolis Town Square has been reborn with a blend of shops, restaurants and residential lofts. This new pedestrian-oriented development was designed to pay homage to the town’s mining history within the context of a luxurious and convenient modern retail setting. (copperopolistownsquare.com)

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park, Pine Grove (near Jackson) – Nestled in a valley of oak trees that once provided the native Americans who inhabited this area with acorns which they ground into flour, the park was created in 1968 and preserves the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America. There is a museum and a Miwok village complete with a ceremonial hun’ge (roundhouse). The park’s main grinding rock also features a number of decorative carvings (circles, wheels, animal and human tracks, wavy lines, etc.), some of which are believed to be 2000-3000 years old and are becoming difficult to see. (parks.ca.gov/?page_id=553)

Kennedy Gold Mine, Jackson – Open Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, March through October, you can gain new insight into the miner’s way of life on the educational surface tours offered here. If the mine is closed during your stay, you may still want to visit to see the mine’s Kennedy Tailings Wheels that once lifted tons of gravel over two hills. The relics are popular with photographers, who often frame the hillside mine structures through the standing wheel’s giant spokes. (kennedygoldmine.com)

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Coloma – This park includes a working, to-scale replica of Sutter’s Mill, and a pathway takes you to the actual site where the original mill once stood. Further down the path is the site on the American River where James W. Marshall pulled out the first piece of gold, the beginning of the California Gold Rush. Historic photographs in the nearby museum show the site’s original buildings against a backdrop of the same hills, mountains and streams you see today. (parks.ca.gov/?page_id=484)

Mono Lake, Lee Vining – This personal favorite Gold Country tourist attraction is a dry Great Basin oasis and vital habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds. It is also one of the oldest lakes in the western hemisphere — a hauntingly beautiful, immense inland sea. The lake fills a 695-square mile natural basin. (monolake.org)

The Preston School of Industry (known as “The Castle”), Ione – Built between 1890-1894 to serve as a school for juveniles referred by the courts, The Castle is currently not in use and the grounds are not open to the public, but there are several vantage points in Ione for photographing this famous landmark. (ione-ca.com)

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Jamestown – Home to one of the nation’s last authentic, operating railroad roundhouses, Railtown’s locomotives and cars have appeared in over 200 film and TV productions, including High Noon, Back to the Future 3 and Petticoat Junction. (csrmf.org/railtown)

Silver City Ghost Town, Bodfish – A composite “ghost” town with buildings from the mining camps of Keyesville, Whiskey Flat, old Isabella, Claraville, Hot Springs, Kernvale, Miracle and Southfork. Open daily during the peak travel season and weekends-only from November 1 through April 1. (lakeisabella.net/silvercity/)

Finally, many Gold Country towns themselves should be considered tourist attractions, and walking tour maps are available for many of them at local chamber of commerce offices (e.g., at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce office, 125 Peek Street, for Jackson, CA and at the Sutter Creek Chamber of Commerce office, 11 Randolph Street, for Sutter Creek, CA). Maps to Angels Camp’s 52 historic buildings and sites are available at the Calaveras County Visitors Center (1192 South Main Street in Angels Camp, CA), while this page provides access to a printable tourist map for several Coloma area walking tours.

Photo of Calaveras Big Trees State Park by pixie_bebe via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park by artq55 via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Railtown 1897 State Historic Park by willsfca via flickr (Creative Commons).

Related posts:

Sierras and Gold Country Vacation Ideas

Sierras and Gold Country Museums

Gold Country Wineries

Planning Your Gold Country Vacation or Getaway

Misc. Travel Resources

California’s Sierras and Gold Country region includes other popular travel destinations like Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, as well as Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks. Additional articles are included in the guide’s Sierras and Gold Country Vacation and Travel Guide to help you plan your travels to and around those areas.

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Was this article useful and/or interesting?
Would you please consider sharing it?
We appreciate it!

When you speak of California wines, most people think of the Napa-Sonoma Wine Country. What they often don’t realize, however, is that long before Napa-Sonoma took the California wine culture center stage, Gold Country’s rolling foothills were home to some of the state’s most scenic and fruitful wineries. In fact, Gold Country wineries have been around since the California Gold Rush era.

Investigating these historical roots a bit further, you’ll learn the current Sobon Estate Winery in Plymouth was previously the D’Agostini Winery. Established in 1856 by Adam Uhlinger, a Swiss immigrant who brought grapevines from Europe to his new home, this is the site of California’s third oldest winery.

By the 1890s, more than 100 wineries operated in the region. Prohibition changed all that, though, and all but a few Gold Country wineries were forced to close.

After hibernating here for nearly 50 years, the foothills’ extraordinary climate and soil inspired some creative vintners, and the region is presently enjoying a winemaking renaissance. Its robust zinfandels and other red varietals are legendary for their quality and have begun attracting international attention and acclaim.

Today, Gold Country is home to more than 40 thriving wineries, many of them family-owned and producing celebrated vintages. Generally smaller than their Napa-Sonoma counterparts, Gold Country wineries attract fewer visitors and consequently provide more access to information about the winemaking process, insights that are sometimes shared by the vintners themselves. The atmosphere is low-key and laid-back, and tasting fees are typically non-existent.

Most Gold Country wineries are located in Amador County, which lies south of Lake Tahoe and north of Yosemite, about a three-hour drive from San Francisco. The area’s largest winery is Sutter Home’s Montevina in the Shenandoah Valley, known primarily for its Zinfandel and Barbera varietals. Another celebrated Amador winery is Renwood Wines, and Story Winery’s beautiful view of the Cosumnes River Canyon provides a perfect picnic-lunch destination (with facilities are available for their customers’ enjoyment).

The Sierra Nevada foothills feature several regions in addition to the Shenandoah Valley: the Nevada County wineries; the Apple Hill and Gold Hill areas of central El Dorado County; and the Fairplay/ Somerset area in south El Dorado County.

Fair Play, which is both a village and a six-mile-by-six-mile American Viticutural Area (AVA), is home to wineries that have produced stunning Zinfandels, Syrahs and Petite Sirahs for a good number of years. There are more than 20 wineries within a 15-minute drive of the village, and the nearby alpaca and Arabian horse ranches add a unique twist to your travels here.

For tourist maps you can use to plan your Gold Country wineries visit, follow these links (all but the last is in a printable .pdf file format):

Nevada County wineries tourist map;

El Dorado County wineries tourist map;

Calaveras County wineries tourist map; and

Amador County wineries tourist map.

Photo of Calaveras County Vineyards by miss_rogue via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Amador County Wine Grapes by Lee Coursey via flickr (Creative Commons).

Related posts:

Sierras and Gold Country Vacation Ideas

Planning Your Gold Country Vacation or Getaway

Sierras and Gold Country Museums

Gold Country Tourist Attractions

Misc. Travel Resources

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Was this article useful and/or interesting?
Would you please consider sharing it?
We appreciate it!

As you will quite likely quickly notice, the common denominator between all the Sierras and Gold Country museums listed below is history. History buffs LOVE this fascinating California region.

Amador County Museum, Jackson – Built in the late 1850s as a private home, the 15 rooms now provide insights to Gold Rush life, including a exhibits on “Gold History,” sewing and quilting and fashions of the past, as well as a Victorian bedroom and parlor, a Native American collection, a Chinese American collection, an old fashioned school room and much more. (co.amador.ca.us/depts/museum)

Angels Camp Museum & Carriage House, Angels Camp – Three acres filled with buggies, minerals, an assortment of expected mining equipment and the area’s ubiquitous frogs. There’s also a model of the Angels Camp branch of the Sierra Railroad. Open seven days a week March through December and weekends only during January and February. (cityofangels.org/museum)

Calaveras County Museum, San Andreas – One of the area’s finest, this museum complex includes the historic county courthouse, hall of records and jail, and museum displays include Native American, pioneer, gold mining, mineral and the Chinese artifacts. (calaverascohistorical.com/museum)

California State Mining and Mineral Museum, Mariposa – Home to over 13,000 mining artifacts, gem and mineral specimens from California and around the world, including the Fricot “Nugget,” a spectacular 13.8-pound rare and beautiful specimen of crystallized gold discovered in the American River in 1864. The mine tunnel, assay office and working scale model of a stamp mill instructs how the precious mineral was found and mined in the mid-1800s. (parks.ca.gov/?page_id=588)

The Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum, Pine Grove – Part of the 135-acre Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park, this gem of the Gold Country museums has an outstanding collection of Indian artifacts, including examples of basketry, feather regalia, jewelry, arrow points and other tools. (parks.ca.gov/?page_id=553)

El Dorado County Historical Musuem, Placerville – A tiny building filled with pioneer and Native American artifacts and a library with extensive Gold Rush-era archives. The grounds include steam engines, water wheels and more. (co.el-dorado.ca.us/museum)

The Firehouse Museum, Nevada City – Open May-September weekends, this museum houses Donner Party relics, an altar from a Chinese Joss House, Native American artifacts and 19th-century toys and clothing. (nevadacountyhistory.org/htmls/firehouse)

Grass Valley Museum, Grass Valley – An orphanage during the Gold Rush-era, this museum depicts the area’s rich history through 1930 with artifacts, clothing and Victorian era furnishings displays. Open afternoons Tuesday-Friday or by special arrangement, there is a magnificent 130-year-old rose garden located in front of the building. (saintjosephsculturalcenter.org)

The Heritage Museum, Murphys – Located at Ironstone Vineyards, this museum presents artifacts from the area’s early Native American inhabitants (the Miwoks) along with 19th-century gold mining artifacts, but its focal point is the largest crystalline gold leaf specimen in North America. Weighing 44 pounds, this specimen was discovered by the Sonora Mining Company on Christmas Day 1992, 15 miles from the winery. (ironstonevineyards.com)

Kern Valley Museum, Kernville – History and legends of the Old West come alive with this museum’s superb collection of artifacts and memorabilia.

Laws Railroad Museum & Historic Site, Bishop – With buildings set up to represent a village surrounding the railroad depot, this location’s 11 acres of exhibits preserves the history of the Owens Valley as well as the memory of the area’s last common carrier narrow gauge railroad.

Mariposa Museum & History Center, Mariposa – Displays include gold-mining artifacts, including a typical one-room miner’s cabin, a giant freight wagon and a stamp mill (a machine that crushed ore to particles of sand, releasing the gold from the quartz). Excerpts from miners’ letters to family and friends back home detail the back-in-the-day mining camp life. (mariposamuseum.com)

Miners Foundry Museum, Nevada City – Open to the public Monday-Friday, artifacts and photographs share this circa-1855 building’s rich history, including its distinction as the 1879 birthplace of the famous Pelton Wheel (an invention which revolutionized hydroelectric power). (minersfoundry.org/history)

Red Barn Museum, San Andreas – Formerly the dairy barn of the old County Hospital, this is another of the Gold Country museums that captures Calaveras County’s agricultural, mining, logging and ranching history. Actual mining carts, farm wagons and other donated objects make up the elaborate displays, many of which made possible through the help and donations of community members and local businesses. (calaverascohistorical.com/exhibits/redbarn)

Shenandoah Valley Museum, Plymouth – This free museum, part of the Sobon Estate Winery, is housed in one of the original 1856 D’Agostini Winery buildings, the only Sierra Foothills vintner to survive Prohibition and California’s oldest, continuously operating winery. The museum presents information about the region’s early agriculture and winemaking tradition. (sobonwine.com)

Sierra College Museum of Natural History, Rocklin – Open whenever school is in session, displays are illuminated from 8:00am to 8:00pm. The second-floor planetarium is open by appointment only. The Museum and Nature Trail are free to the public, but monetary donations are always accepted and appreciated. (sierra.cc.ca.us/museum/history)

Sierra Nevada Logging Museum, Arnold – Open Thursday through Sunday afternoons, April through late Fall or by appointment December through March, this museum includes a 2400-square foot building housing extensive indoor exhibit space, a gift shop, on-site storage and workshop, as well as outdoor exhibits of large equipment and artifacts. Easy walking trails lead from the museum to swimming, boating and fishing at White Pines Park, and a long walk leads all the way around White Pines Lake, passing the site of the old Blagen Mill. Admission is free; donations accepted and appreciated. (snlm.wordpress.com)

Tuolumne City Memorial Museum, Tuolumne – Open weekend afternoons (except for major holidays), this museum blends local history from the early Miwok tribes and the Gold Rush period. Displays include typical personal items (clothing, health care items and photos) and a scale-model of a local railroad and its route. (tuolumnemuseum.org)

Yosemite Museum, Yosemite Valley – Located next to the visitor center, displays present Yosemite’s native Miwok and Paiute people from 1850 to the present. Cultural demonstrations (basket weaving, beadwork and traditional games) are offered during the summer. The Indian Village of Ahwahnee is also located here, behind the visitor center. (nps.gov/archive/yose/pphtml/facilities)

Photo of Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park by artq55 via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Mariposa Museum by jimbowen0306 via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Yosemite Museum by glennwilliamspdx via flickr (Creative Commons).

Related posts:

Sierras and Gold Country Vacation Ideas

Planning Your Gold Country Vacation or Getaway

Gold Country Wineries

Gold Country Tourist Attractions

Misc. Travel Resources

California’s Sierras and Gold Country region includes other popular travel destinations like Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, as well as Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks. Additional articles are included in the guide’s Sierras and Gold Country Vacation and Travel Guide to help you plan your travels to and around those areas.

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Was this article useful and/or interesting?
Would you please consider sharing it?
We appreciate it!

As the 20th century unfolded, so did this area’s popularity as a tourist destination, fueled initially by its natural splendor and the abundant all-seasons activities and, more recently, by its proximity to Nevada’s legalized gambling.

The California side of Lake Tahoe is for all intents and purposes divided into the North Shore and the South Shore, and while you might spend time in both places during your visit it will be necessary to choose between the two for your base of operations. Driving from one to the other takes an hour or more in summer and, depending upon the weather, may not even be feasible in winter months.

There’s a big difference between the two shores. Whereas South Lake Tahoe might be described as being all about glitzy, high-rise casinos and shopping, “laid back” might best describe the North Shore. If you’re here for gambling or entertainment, then the South Shore is likely your best bet as there are more casinos to choose from and generally more nightlife. If relaxation and/or outdoor adventure are what you’re looking for, then you should probably head north.

Another consideration, perhaps: While the North Shore has a better selection of quality resorts and vacation rentals, the South Shore has more accommodation options overall, and it often offers better rates, as well. Both areas are typically crowded during the peak summer and ski seasons, so do plan ahead. If you’re flexible, keep in mind that it’s much easier to get spring and fall reservations, and the rates are often significantly lower then, too. In fact, September and October, when the crowds are gone but the weather is still nice, are among the most pleasing and least expensive months to visit. (Christmas week and July 4 are the busiest times, by the way, and also the most expensive.) If possible, plan your stay for Sunday through Thursday nights, when you can often find excellent accommodation values. If your visit falls on Friday and Saturday, dinner reservations are advised, especially on the North Shore.

Be advised that while most Lake Tahoe accommodations, restaurants and some parks are open year-round, many of its visitor centers, attractions and beaches are closed from November through May. During those months, the area honors its designation as “North America’s largest concentration of skiing facilities.”

Lake Tahoe Tourist Information – Weather and Transportation Considerations

Both the North and South Shores feature year-round, breathtaking scenery, from the Sierra’s craggy peaks (the largest unbroken monolith of mountains in the world) to the crystalline purity of Lake Tahoe (the continent’s largest alpine lake).

When planning your Lake Tahoe vacation or weekend getaway, you’ll want to use a map to locate what you want to see and experience and plan your route in advance. You can find a rudimentary tourist map of the Lake Tahoe area here, and there’s a link on that page to a printable version, as well.

At an elevation of 6225 feet, the nights are cool, even in the summer months. If you’re going to be out after dark, bring typical fall attire – a warm jacket and some long pants – in addition to your summer shorts and tops.

During the winter, snowstorms can blow in quickly and can cause power outages that may last days and, depending on the remoteness of your location, can limit your access. Bring extra food, just in case, and ALWAYS CARRY CHAINS in your car. You can check road conditions on this site, or you can also call CalTrans at 1-800-427-7623 for current highway conditions. Click on this link for some additional winter driving tips.

If you’re staying in South Lake Tahoe, use the Tahoe Blue-GO Trolley and Emerald Bay Shuttle to avoid stressing over the area’s all-too-common traffic congestion problems. (It’s like having a designated driver, too, which is important because area police STRICTLY enforce driving-intoxication limits.) There is a bus service in North Tahoe called TART (Tahoe Area Rapid Transit), but its schedule is quite limited and a car is a necessity unless you’ve arrived via the Amtrak train and just want to relax in Truckee for a few days.

Lake Tahoe Tourist Information – Misc. Tips

Wear Sunscreen. The sun is intense at 6,000 feet, so you will definitely want to wear sunscreen and you may want to use a higher SPF than usual.

Beware of bears. Do not feed them, and do not leave food or food wrappers in your car. Also beware of squirrels and other small rodents, as they may carry rabies.

You can rent skiing or snowboarding equipment at the resorts, but renting at the local ski shops in town (or at Bay Area/Sacramento sports stores before you travel) can increase your available choices and save you money. There’s also a new service, Ski Butlers, that can save you time by fitting rental equipment at your hotel.

Photo of South Lake Tahoe by the_tahoe_guy via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of North Lake Tahoe by chris runoff via flickr (Creative Commons).

Related posts:

Lake Tahoe Tourist Attractions

Sierras and Gold Country Vacation Ideas

Planning Your Gold Country Vacation or Getaway

Misc. Travel Resources

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Was this article useful and/or interesting?
Would you please consider sharing it?
We appreciate it!

No matter the season, Lake Tahoe’s pristine beauty makes it an ideal destination for your California vacation, holiday or weekend getaway. How can you miss, really, when your playground includes America’s second-deepest natural lake, some of its most spectacular mountains, 274 days of sun, 300+ inches of snow and year-round activities for kids of all ages? Indeed, the variety of ways you can spend your time may be the most inviting of all Lake Tahoe tourist attractions!

You’ll find over 15 alpine resorts and numerous cross country skiing centers (as well as a whole host of other wintertime activities such as snowmobiling, snow-shoeing and snow-tubing, ice skating and sleigh rides), and summer brings just about every imaginable outdoor recreation to the table (boating, parasailing, water skiing, kayaking, fishing, biking, horseback riding, rafting, rock climbing, hiking, camping, tennis, golf, hot-air ballooning, hang-gliding and helicopter tours).

Then, of course, there’s also the razzle-dazzle of the casinos’ year-round fun (including featured performers, cabarets and musical reviews). There are five casino resorts in South Lake Tahoe and another three in North Lake Tahoe.

There are also some interesting homes remaining from the days when Northern California’s wealthiest families built summer lake residences (perhaps the closest thing to “Lake Tahoe tourist attractions” that you will find) and some interesting museum offerings, as well. From north to south, they include:

Emigrant Trail Museum, Truckee – Located in the Donner State Memorial Park and open year-round, this museum focuses on the people who were prominent in the area’s history, including local Native Americans, the ill-fated 1846 Donner Party and the Chinese laborers who built the Central Pacific Railroad (the California-to-Utah portion of North America’s first transcontinental railroad). Pioneer Monument nearby depicts the Donner Party’s Murphy family cabin site and the depth of snowfall that tragic year. A self-guiding nature trail (a one-half-mile loop) begins at the museum, and staff-led hikes, special events and campfires start in late June. (parks.ca.gov/?page_id=503)

Historic Downtown Truckee - This old logging, mining and railroad town preserves much of its original architecture in what are now distinctive shops, excellent restaurants and fun bars. (Fun bars count as Lake Tahoe tourist attractions, right?) (truckeehistory.org)

Squaw Valley Ski Resort, Squaw Valley – Host to the 1960 Winter Olympics, you can enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and the High Sierras on a cable car ride to High Camp, where dining, ice skating and other fun activities are available. (squaw.com)

Gatekeeper’s Museum, Tahoe City – Sitting on the location of a known Washoe Indian campsite, this eclectic Tahoe history collection includes photographs, maps, written materials, artifacts, clothing and furniture. The museum is now open year-round; please see website for further information. (northtahoemuseums.org/gatekeeper)

Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Museum, Tahoe City – Added to the Gatekeeper’s Museum in 1992, this world-class collection includes over 800 utilitarian and fine baskets from 85 tribes throughout western North America. (northtahoemuseums.org/basket)

Watson Cabin, Tahoe City – This 1909 log cabin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest house built on site in Tahoe City and currently serves as a living history exhibit showcasing Lake Tahoe pioneer life. The cabin is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. (northtahoemuseums.org/watson)

Tahoe Maritime Museum, Homewood – This museum preserves and celebrates Tahoe’s intriguing maritime history and is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The collection includes eight boats (including Shanghai, an 1890s launch discovered on the lake bottom), an engine collection and a steamer room. Activities for children (including line tying, boat building, watercolors and arts and crafts) are featured making it a popular Lake Tahoe tourist attraction for families. (tahoemaritimemuseum.org)

Hellman-Erhman Mansion, Tahoma – From the turn of the century until 1965, the lands of what is now Sugar Pine Point State Park were owned by financier Isaias W. Hellman, and later by his daughter Florence Hellman Erhman. This Queen Anne Victorian, a grand-but-informal summer home they called Pine Lodge, is a remembrance of the opulent post-mining period when wealthy businessmen built elegant summer homes at Lake Tahoe. Tours are available Memorial Day through Labor Day; please call for parking information. (parks.ca.gov/?page_id=991)

Vikingsholm, Emerald Bay – Built as a summer home by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight in 1929, this magnificent “castle” – a unique blend of Nature’s spectacular beauty and man’s architectural ingenuity – is now part of the Emerald Bay State Park. Tours are available seven days a week from mid-June until the end of September. A short trail leads from the castle to beautiful Eagle Falls – it’s a must-do for hikers! Emerald Bay has been declared a National Natural Landmark, and when you see it you’ll know why. (vikingsholm.com)

Tallac Historic Site, near South Lake Tahoe – Home to the archeological remains of the Tallac Resort and three large summer estates built by wealthy San Franciscans, this 74-acre tract is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The three estates – the Pope, Baldwin and Valhalla – are open to the public in different capacities. The Pope Estate, built in 1894, is open for guided tours and houses changing art exhibits, while Valhalla, built in 1923, is a Grand Hall with beautiful wood floors and a 20-foot-high stone fireplace. It is now the site of summer concerts and the Cultural Arts Gift Store, and it is also available for rental. (valhallatahoe.com/visiting)

Heavenly Gondola and Adventure Peak, near Stateline – This year-round sightseeing opportunity is a must-see-and-do attraction. Eight-passenger gondola cabins whisk you 2.4 miles up the mountain, and in 12 minutes you arrive at Adventure Peak, complete with restaurant, cross-country ski rentals and trails, snowshoe rentals, snowbike rentals and more!

The Thunderbird Lodge, Lake Tahoe, NV – This six-acre estate (previously known as the Whittell Estate) is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the last and best examples of a “Tahoe society” residence. Located on the east side of the lake, it is surrounded by over 40,000 acres of Forest Service and Nevada State Parks land. Open for guided tours Tuesday through Saturday from June through mid-October (and other times by prior arrangement), visitors may arrive via land-based shuttle buses or by water on a tour boat embarking from South Lake Tahoe’s Tahoe Keys Marina. (thunderbirdlodge.org)

A sightseeing cruise offers an enjoyable “overview” of Lake Tahoe tourist attractions, and Woodwind Cruises 80-foot motor yacht “Safari Rose” will help you sightsee in Lake Tahoe with style. Departing from Tahoe Keys Marina, the four-hour tour includes stops and/or photo opportunities at Fleur-du-Lac (the estate where the movie “Godfather II” was filmed which is now a private resort), historic Chambers Landing, Sugar Pine Point State Park (site of the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion), Fannette Island (for Eagle Falls and the Vikingsholm Mansion) and the Tallac historic site. (sailwoodwind.com/westshorecruise.htm)

Photo of Truckee by zemistor via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Vikingsholm door by uzvards via flickr (Creative Commons).

Related posts:

Lake Tahoe Tourist Information

Sierras and Gold Country Vacation Ideas

Planning Your Gold Country Vacation or Getaway

Misc. Travel Resources

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Was this article useful and/or interesting?
Would you please consider sharing it?
We appreciate it!

Set aside as a National Park in 1890 and designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite National Park is known for its stunning granite cliffs, Giant Sequoia groves, abundant waterfalls, crystal-clear streams and biological diversity. The park is surrounded by three National Forests (Inyo, Sierra and Stanislaus) and is home to hundreds of wildlife species and thousands of plants — including 85 different mammals, over 150 bird species, 37 types of native trees and over 1,000 unique wildflower species. An opportunity to visit this National Park gem is not to be missed, and this Yosemite vacation guide will help you make the most of your visit.

Open 365 days a year, Yosemite’s 750,000 acres offer incredible natural beauty in the form of thousands of lakes and ponds, 1,600 miles of streams/creeks and 800 miles of hiking trails. The spectacular Tuolumne and Merced Rivers, both of which bear the nation’s “Wild & Scenic” designation, originate within Yosemite and flow west into the California Central Valley.

There are 350 miles of park roads to traverse on your Yosemite National Park vacation and five entrances at which to begin:

The South Entrance – on Highway 41, through Fresno and then Oakhurst
Arch Rock Entrance – on Highway 140, through Merced and then El Portal
Big Oak Flat Entrance – on Highway 120, 88 miles east of Manteca
Hetch Hetchy Entrance – on Hetch Hetchy Road, north of the Big Oak Flat Entrance
Tioga Pass Entrance – from the east, on Highway 120, near Lee Vining

The first three entrances listed above are the most popular, and The South Entrance is considered “the easiest drive” by which to reach the Yosemite Valley, as it is not as curvy and windy as the others. It also affords an easy stop on the drive in to see the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees and takes you past the historic Wawona Hotel.

The Tioga Pass Entrance may be closed from mid-November to late-May, depending on the weather. No matter where you plan to begin your Yosemite vacation, however, you should always be sure to check the current road conditions immediately prior to traveling in the area. Roads can be closed due to forest fires, particularly in the late summer, and Highway 140 was closed for much of the 2006 summer season due to a rockslide. Also, be advised that chains may be required anytime from October through April.

Reservations are only needed if you plan to spend the night in the park. Upon payment of an entrance fee (in 2009, presently $10/person or $20/car, with a senior discount available; details are available at the National Park System site), visitors are given an informative Yosemite Guide and are permitted to drive in and throughout the park. The free Yosemite vacation guide includes useful maps and details, and you will want to keep it with you in a backpack or purse as you tour the park. You should also carry drinking water and clothing layers depending on the weather forecast. Also, don’t forget the sunscreen and plenty of film/memory cards and batteries for your camera!

You will want to make use of the free year-round shuttle system in Yosemite Valley and/or the summer-season Wawona/Mariposa Grove and Tuolumne Meadows shuttles as much as possible. Park tours are also an excellent way to leave the driving to someone else and really enjoy the sights.

A year-round visitor center is located in Yosemite Valley (at shuttle stops #5 and #9), and other visitor centers are open seasonally at Wawona, Big Oak Flat and Tuolumne Meadows. The Yosemite Valley Visitor Center offers natural history displays, a helpful staff to answer questions and a state-of-the-art, wide-screen, 23-minute film, Spirit of Yosemite, presented in the center’s theater. Closed-captioning and audio-descriptions are also available for the film, and showtimes are provided in the Yosemite vacation guide you are given upon entrance to the park.

All photos by Alaskan Dude via flickr (Creative Commons).

Related posts:

Sierras and Gold Country Vacation Ideas

Planning Your Gold Country Vacation or Getaway

Sierras and Gold Country Museums

Gold Country Wineries

Gold Country Tourist Attractions

Misc. Travel Resources

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Was this article useful and/or interesting?
Would you please consider sharing it?
We appreciate it!

The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill near Coloma triggered the Gold Rush of 1849, a momentous period for California and the nation. As you plan your Gold Country vacation or getaway, try to harken back to the time of California’s statehood designation (in 1850) and remember that Gold Country was not the laid-back, relaxing countryside you’ll enjoy today as you wind along State Route 49 and visit towns that preserve and celebrate Gold Country’s rich legacy.

Like the 49ers of old, present-day travelers can literally and figuratively “strike gold” in these historic Sierra-Nevada foothills – with a gold panning concessionaire in the former case and with the abundance of affordable activities and accommodations in the latter.

For example, outstanding Gold Country wineries offer complimentary tastings – something you’ll no longer find in California’s more chichi Napa-Sonoma Wine Country. Your tasting may even be poured by the winemaker, and he or she will often welcome your questions and comments, as well. If you enjoy learning about wine in a relaxed setting, be sure to add this activity to your Gold Country vacation planning list.

You are also sure to absorb a bit of history in Gold Country – whether by design or osmosis – and the list of Sierras & Gold Country Museums where you can do that is vast and varied. Additionally, the town of Columbia is essentially “a living museum” where you can time-travel back 150 years. Its collection of Gold Rush-era brick buildings is the largest in the state, and the city offers an entertaining array of activities. Wander down Main Street, and you can catch the Wells Fargo stage coach, observe the blacksmith in action or try your hand at gold panning. When you’re ready to start planning your Gold Country vacation or getaway, click on the following link to read more about Columbia and other Gold Country tourist attractions.

A discussion of Gold Country vacation ideas wouldn’t be complete without mentioning what you can find here if you venture beneath Calaveras and Amador counties’ rolling landscape. Picture an inverted replica of the Sierra Nevada Mountains range, and you can begin to imagine the vast network of caves, caverns, tunnels and mine shafts that awaits you. Some are man-made (Sutter Gold Mine), but others are natural phenomenon, carved by water seeping through the limestone rock over the last hundreds of millions of years (Moaning, California and Mercer caverns). Guided tours are generally accessible (and the 55-to-60-degrees underground environment can offer a lovely respite during a hot summer day), and “wild cavern expeditions” can also be arranged for the most fit (and not-claustrophobic) travel adventurers.

During the May-through-September prime season, white water rafting is available on some of the state’s best rivers, joining kayaking and fishing in the area’s water sport activity set. Land lovers may choose golf, horseback riding, hunting, hiking and biking, or they may just enjoy the area’s parks (don’t miss Calaveras Big Trees State Park) or driving along the Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway.

If you’re going to be in the area during the third week in May, you’ll want to check out the Calaveras County Fair and the “Jumping Frog Jubilee” – a tribute to Mark Twain’s first published work, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, which was based on a story he overheard at an Angels Camp bar. Also, if you plan to visit during the summer, you may want to check out Ironstone Winery’s concert schedule before locking in your dates.

As you can see, there is no shortage of things to do and ways to have fun in Gold Country. Even planning your Gold Country vacation or getaway is fun!

Photo of Columbia State Park by MiguelVieira via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Ebbett’s Pass Scenic Byway by Jeff Moser / Bike Carsons via flickr (Creative Commons).

Related posts:

Sierras and Gold Country Vacation Ideas

Sierras and Gold Country Museums

Gold Country Wineries

Gold Country Tourist Attractions

Misc. Travel Resources

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Was this article useful and/or interesting?
Would you please consider sharing it?
We appreciate it!