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GRASS VALLEY: IS IT MAINLY THE THRILL OF MILL?

Grass Valley has a classic gold rush era downtown, revolving around Main and Mill Streets. Well-kept historic buildings abound, guaranteed to engage anyone from the serious architecture fan to the casual observer. Add in terrific shops and restaurants, the historic Holbrooke Hotel and the visually delightful art deco Del Oro Theatre and you have one of the most memorable small towns anywhere. And with the ambitious calendar of street fairs and public events in Grass Valley, you’d really have to work at it to not have fun here.

NEVADA CITY: PEOPLE AND PLACE, PRESENT AND PAST

This is a town with a lot of character and a lot of characters. Study a little history and it becomes clear that this is not just a recent development. Stroll down Broad Street and it’s easy to imagine how life felt in 1875 or 1925. You won’t find better historic buildings anywhere, including amazing art deco takes on what a court house and city hall should look like. Great restaurants, great shops, great events, great atmosphere- that’s Nevada City. One visit and you’ll find yourself daydreaming about living here.

SOUTH COUNTY: TEEING UP LAKE OF THE PINES AND ALTA SIERRA

Residents of South County, while thus far never threatening succession, do have an independent nature. Highway 49 is the main artery through this part of the county and it offers easy access to attractions both “up and down the hill.” Golf is a huge attraction here with public access to both the DarkHorse course and Lake of the Pines course near the LOP community and at the Alta Sierra Country Club course as well. Lake of the Pines also features a 230-acre lake and there is ample shopping throughout the area.

WASHINGTON: AN ESSENTIAL YUBA EXPERIENCE

Washington is nestled in the canyon of the South Fork of the Yuba River, only about 20 miles northeast of Nevada City. But you wouldn’t want to hurry to get there as the sights are beautiful along the way and the road, let’s say, winds a bit. This is essential gold mining country and at its peak Washington boasted a population of 3,000. Today there are more like 180 residents but the town still offers a hotel/bar and restaurant, grocery store and a one-room schoolhouse that has operated continuously for over one hundred years. There are also two trailer park/campgrounds and a river of history to immerse oneself in.

Washington Gold Rush Story: The Little Town at the End of the Road

Rough & Ready Secession Days

ROUGH AND READY: TAX EVASION, SECESSION AND ZACHARY TAYLOR TOO

A little ways west of Grass Valley on Highway 20 you’ll find the community of Rough and Ready. The name was first attached to a mining company there, owned by A. A. Townsend, who had served under “Old Rough and Ready” Zach Taylor in the U.S. - Mexican War. This is a community that once did succeed from the union in an attempt to avoid paying a mining tax. But that was in 1850 and it only lasted for about three months. Don’t be afraid to visit, they’ve been upstanding Americans ever since. It also makes a nice loop-drive on down to Penn Valley.

NORTH SAN JUAN: JUAN IN A MILLION!

Well, Juan out of two anyway. The town was settled in 1853 but in 1857, in order to accommodate the post office,North was added to our Juan to avoid confusion with a town already named San Juan in southern California. In 1859, water arrived via a 300-mile long flume from the Bowman Lake area and this little community really took off, fueled by the profits from the now-possible hydraulic mining. A water company and even brush and hose manufacturing businesses added to the boom, along with a hotel and brewery. By 1890, hydraulic mining had ended and the town began to shrink. It is now a quiet community, home to many artists, writers and lovers of the rural life. The town suffered three major fires but fortunately several of the early structures were rebuilt of brick and equipped with iron doors and shutters. A few still remain in good repair today and do much to establish the character of the place.

PENN VALLEY: SOMETIMES CORN IS THE GOLD YOU'RE AFTER

With its rich soil and warm, seasonable climate, this broad flat valley began early-on to convert would-be gold miners into farmers and ranchers. It wasn’t long before Penn Valley became known as the “Pantry of the Northern Mines,” as the area supplied fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to freight wagons heading for mines as far away as the state of Nevada. There was also a thriving dairy industry, complete with creamery. The Butter Maker’s Cottage in Western Gateway Park is a remainder from those days. The 88-acre park is a huge draw for today’s Penn Valley, offering room for a variety of sports and outdoor activities as well as good old-fashioned picnicking. There are also over 200 businesses in the valley, should you need anything.

LAKE WILDWOOD: RESIDENTS OCCASIONALLY CONSIDER VACATION TRAVEL

But then they look out across the 300-acre lake, consider the five lakeside parks, make a reservation for a tee-time on the 18-hole championship golf course and it slips their mind. They could take a quick run down the hill to the Yuba River at Bridgeport or drive eight miles up to Grass Valley for dinner which certainly qualifies as vacation-quality fun for just about anyone. Lake Wildwood was established in 1960 and it has grown to 5,500 full-time residents who certainly appear to be enjoying themselves. Our advice is to befriend one of them pronto!

TRUCKEE: THERE'S COOL AND THEN THERE'S COOL

What's all this talk about winning the state's overnight low temperature contest most nights during winter? The difference between 9 degrees and 12 degrees is highly overrated and we’re here to tell you that what this town really has is year-round cool. It has great old buildings, classic High Sierra history, terrific shopping, lodging and dining and immediate access to some of the finest outdoor recreation in the world! And you say you love snow? Well, step right this way; we'd like to introduce you to Squaw Valley. Or can we interest you in the Truckee River, Donner Lake, Lake Tahoe, the Pacific Crest Trail, peaks overhead and graniteunderfoot? We could kayak on and on but let it suffice to say we are fond of Truckee.