Gold Country
We left San Jose at 4.30 in the pitch black and it did not begin to get light until we reached Stockton. Mind you, the urban sprawl we were driving through was not much to look at. Just before Stockton we took Highway 4 East towards Highway 99 and then Route 88 towards Sutter Creek.
It was not long before we were in the countryside of the Central Valley and the scenery began to be interesting. We passed a lot of orchards and rows and rows of grape vines sporting their new greenery.
At Lockeford we stopped for breakfast and by 7.30 we were on our way again. It was a beautiful drive through some lovely countryside with masses of wild flowers of every color along the route.
It’s going to be a hot day and already the sun is up and the shades are down. In front of us we can see the Sierras which is always an uplifting sight.
The cattle ranches and vineyards gave way to scrub and rock and we began to climb out of the valley.
When we reached Highway 49 we turned left and stopped off at Sutter Creek.
Sutter Creek
The first thing that caught our attention was a huge banner announcing the 49er Bypass Challenge for Walkers, Runners and Bikers was taking place today. Trust us to arrive when something was going on. The same sort of thing happened to us on our first trip to Murphys and also to Volcano. In Murphys it was a Homecoming Parade and in Volcano a chili cook off.
Another banner was strung across Main Street and the middle of the town was cordoned off so we turned up a side street and found a small car park and took a wander around.
They call this city the Jewel of the Gold Country and it is a very cute place. The main street consists of cafes, gift shops and antique emporiums all situated in buildings constructed over a hundred years ago. Sutter Creek was a tent town during the latter half of the 1800s when gold was found nearby. Be warned, the sidewalk is not suitable for wheelchairs as there are lots of levels and steps.
Today there was a lot of bustle as volunteers for the 49er Bypass Challenge where busy setting up water stations and cones and contestants with numbers pinned to their vests were warming up and studying route maps. There were four routes – a 1 mile walk around town, 5 and 10 kilometer course for runners and a 25k bike ride and they all started and finished at the same point with staggered starting times.
We stopped off at the Backroads Cafe where Tom had a decent cup of coffee and I treated myself to a cup of chocolate (without the whipped cream). Everybody was very friendly and I chatted to the coffee servers, the volunteers in the street, the competitors and the passerbys. There is a laid back and relaxed feel about the place.
I was surprised at how few competitors there were. The first call was for girls 6-7 and men over 80 but there were no participants. There were about a dozen different starting times for the under fifteens and the over 35s but nobody came forward. The announcer was having a hard time to get anybody on the start line. There was one call for 69 year old females so no wonder there were no takers – who wants everybody to know how old you are? It all seemed a little complicated to me and the announcer struggled to get all the categories and start times right. By 9 though he had a few takers and we watched small groups set off on the 10k run in one direction and the dozen bikers set off on the 25k course in the other direction. Between 9 and 9.30 there was a lull before the participants for the 5k run were called to the starting point.
Tom and I set off down Main Street to take a look at the creek the city was named after. As we stood on the bridge and contemplated it, we wondered how much gold had been found in its waters and along its banks over time. We took a stroll down Eureka Street to check it out. I found a little footbridge over the creek. Although it was not high, it was a little scary for me because its surface was open grating and with my fear of heights it was a little unnerving to see water down below my feet. I walk to the middle though and took pictures of some young children paddling in the shallow water.
Somehow Tom and I became separated, so I found a bench in the sun and started writing. Tom meanwhile had discovered an old building – which you will have to write about Tom.
OK. It was the old Knight Foundry, circa 1872. They made parts for the lumber and gold mining industry and later Samuel Knight designed a water wheel that is still in use today at huge hydroelectric power plants. Unfortunately it isn’t open to the public but there are plans to do so in the future. As I was snooping around a local drove by and told me there are all kinds of wonders inside. Click on the image for a larger version. Back to you, Margaret.
At 10.30 we left Sutter Creek and took the 12 mile trip towards Volcano. It was a pretty road, well wooded with dappled shade. Our next stop was Daffodil Hill so we turn left onto Pine Gulch Road and then right onto Shake Ridge Road. We were climbing uphill with pine trees on either. The sun is hot and there is little shade.
Daffodil Hill is at 18310 Shake Ridge Road and it is well signposted. It is situated on a working ranch and is only open for a few weeks of the year. The actual opening date is in the latter half of March and it closes sometime in the middle of April when only 25% of the blooms remain. The ranch has been owned by the McLaughlin family since 1887. Parking and admission is free.
The car park is in a field on the opposite side of the road and you are greeted at the gate and told where to park. At the entrance to the ranch there are a couple of bright yellow buckets. There are no notices or placards asking for donations but that is what they are there for. We were very happy to put some money in one of them. Our first stop was the restrooms, or rather the potty loos, but they were very clean and pleasant. The path to them was lined by large cages where chickens, doves and rabbits were clucking, cooing and twitching away. Ideal for amusing the children. I’m sure this place must get crowded but there were not too many people around today.
It was very pleasant meandering along the paths and enjoying the views of so many daffodils.
I’m sure a visit earlier in the season would be better though. This is the last weekend of this year’s season so the dead flower heads outnumbered those in bloom. It was quite pleasant to sit on a bench in the shade and drink in the surroundings and do a spot of people watching. It is not a huge display and it can easily be walked round in 20 minutes.
On the way out, we crossed paths with three peahens and up on the roof of a very old cottage with a sign which said ‘Grandma’s Cottage’ stood a large white peacock. It was magnificent. At first we didn’t think it was real so we stood and watched for about five minutes. Eventually he turned his head and, sure enough, he was real. The cottage was also interesting to look at. It was fenced off and obviously too dilapidated to go near. The deck was rotted through but there were some interesting artifacts around like the ancient washing machine at the back door.
There are no refreshments for sale on the ranch but just outside is a small cafe.
From Daffodil Hill we drove down the hill into Volcano. Drive slowly through it because it is so tiny you will be through it before you even realise it. According to Wikipedia the population is just 85. When we first visited here in 2004 it seemed bigger but that was during the annual chilli cook out at there were lots of people around.
As it is nearly 12 noon and the temperatures are hitting the high 80′s we set off for home. We take a different route via Jackson , where we turned left on Highway 49 towards Mokelumme Hill. Highway 49 is a very scenic drive, especially at this time of the year when the grass is still green and the wildflowers are in bloom. All the small towns along the way were established back in the 1850′s and stilll retain a lot of their original buildings.
At Mokelumme Hill we turn right on Route 26 towards Valley Springs. Fabulous scenery to the left and right overlooking green sloping hills with lots of trees. To the left don’t miss the view down to San Andreas. Boy, do I remember that place. Not the town itself as the only time we visited it was in the middle of the night but I do remember the inside of the hospital there but that’s a different story.
We stop again in Lockeford, not, I hasten to add, at the Lockeford Restaurant but to pay a visit to the Lockeford Meat and Sausage Service at 19775 N Cotton. It is a very small shop but they have a lot of sausages, all of them freshly made on the premises. There are two smoke houses at the back so the assistant was telling us. We bought some English Bangers – a taste of home for me – and for Tom two Cajan and two Dakota Smokes Each sausage is HUGE and very, very tasty. While we were there we also bought a marinated tri tip and some beef jerky. Now beef jerky is one of my least favorite foods but Tom assures me it is the best. The assistant explained how they make it which sounds time consuming and difficult. There were two flavors on sale, the regular and the teriyaki. He gave me a small sample of the latter and I must say it was much better than I expected as it was sweet and juicy.
Further along the road we stopped at a fruit stand and bought some fresh delta asparagus and some dried mango. Yum, yum, snacks for the car and the tri tip and asparagus will be BBQed tomorrow.
Soon we arrive at the outskirts of Stockton and the scenic ride is over.
April 16 2008 06:40 pm | Special Places
