audra

Can anyone recommend somewhere to go on our way to Reno from San Francisco, through Sacramento? (We've been to Yosemite and don't have enough time to go there anyway.)We're considering possibly a day at Lake Tahoe, but are there any other treasures along the way we shouldn't miss? Thank you in advance!

kam

The California state fair is held in Sacramento in late August if that's of any interest. Lake Tahoe is probably the best idea. The only other suggestion would be the Gold Country but that's almost as far as going to Yosemite.

sandy

I've heard there's an old trail to take between Sacramento and Placeville, that has some interesting things to see. Anyone familiar with that?

SF Ghost

You could take trip from Reno through Virginia City then to Lake Tahoe via Carson City. From Lake Tahoe you can take Hwy 50 out of the Sierra to Placerville then to Sacramento and visit Old Sacramento by the river. All great places to spend a few hours or more.

Kal

Hello, What time of year?
Maybe if you have time you can take Hwy 50 thru Sacramento towards So. Lake Tahoe and when you get to Placerville, go north on Hwy 49 for a short trip up the Gold Country.

You can hook up with I-80 in Auburn and continue the trip to Reno or go further on Hwy 49 to Grass Valley/Nevada City and hook up with east Hwy 20 that takes you thru the mountains to I-80 again.

Beautiful drive, nice little towns.
Kal

kari

The road between Auburn and Placerville is Hwy 49. You will come across Sutter's Mill, the first place Gold was discovered in California. Lake Tahoe is also a gem.

audra

THANK YOU! You 'sold' us.. we're decided to take I 80 from San Francisco to Sacramento, pick up rt. 50 to Placerville and then head back up rt. 49 back to I 80 and Lake Tahoe.

PLEASE give me more details as to WHAT exactly we should try to visit. Also, approximately how long will that drive take without the many stops?

Again, THANK YOU very much!!!

kam

There are several wineries in the area and in Auburn is a gold mining museum. Placerville was called "hangtown" during the Gold Rush and from that comes the Hangtown Fry--which was considered the most difficult last meal request before hanging since it's tough to get oysters in these parts.(how do I know that?--credit an 11 year old French houseguest who did extensive research before his visit and then taught us alot we didn't know!)The Miwok Indians lived in this area and you can learn many of their legends. Somewhere near here is a gold mine that you can still try to pan for gold. I think I would continue on north of Auburn to Nevada City and Grass Valley and then cut over to I 80 on Rt. 20. You can buy pasties in Grass Valley and have a picnic at the Bridgeport Covered Bridge or you can eat at Apple Fare Restaurant in Nevada City--be sure to save room for homemade apple pie.If you went south of route 50 you would find Calaveras Big Tree Park near Murphys, which I think is the prettiest of the Gold Country towns. Sutter Creek and Dry Town are great towns for antique shopping.Plymouth has the greatest concentration of wineries to visit. Along the way be sure to sample a Cornish pasty (many of the original miners were from Cornwall, England, some via Western Pennyslvania), pistachios and cashews which grow around here. It's a very easy drive from SF to Tahoe, assuming you're coming during good weather, so take some time to spend a day in the Gold Country. It's an area where many San Franciscans are retiring and really fun to visit. Write to the Chambers of Commerce for some of the towns mentioned here for winery maps. Enjoy.

B.J.

We'll be in the Lake Tahoe area, too. What exactly does one do there? Can you recommend anything to do in Carson city or Virginia City?

kam

Audra: The whole route from Placerville to Auburn to Nevada City and back to I 80 is probably less than 100 miles, but you'll want to stop many times along the way. B.J.: I assume you know what you want to do in Tahoe, so other than all the suggestions above for the Gold Country, you could see Folsom Dam built by the inmates of Folsom Prison of Johnny Cash fame. It's a nice little town with antique shops and a small zoo with the largest wolf pack in captivity.

ohhlala

That picnic by the covered bridge sounds like a real fun time. Can I come? (I didn't know those things were so popular in Grass Valley shops!).

Sacratomato

Audra, when will you be going? If it's early August (around the 10th) the Nevada County Fair will be going on in Grass Valley. Treat yourself to this wonderful fair, set among the cool, towering pine trees. Prettiest fairgrounds you will ever see. Much nicer than the blistering hot, concrete-covered, overcrowded fairgrounds at Cal Expo, IMO. There's a telephone to number to call for the dates, but I can't recall it. Just ask the operator for the Nevada County Fair number.

If it's September or October, Apple Hill will be open for visitors. This is an area off Hwy 50 that contains many apple farms and orchards. The farmers open them to visitors, and you can visit arts and crafts booths, pick your own apples at an orchard, drink fresh apple cider, fish at stocked ponds, and generally just enjoy a day in the country. Very nice. They print a little book about the activites, the Placer County Chamber of Commerce probably has more info.

Hwy 49 is gorgeous, you'll want to stop along the river and get your feet wet. If you can tolerate cigarette smoke, visit Poor Red's in Diamond Springs. This place is a genuine joint. Drink a Brown Cow or a Golden Cadillac, they are famous for these, and they always give you Susan B. Anthony dollars as change. If you have a purse full of these and you live in Sacramento, everyone knows you were at Poor Red's the night before!

Auburn and Placerville are both cut little towns, lots of antique shops and so forth to look at. Lake Tahoe, of course, is the jewel of the Sierra. You can hike, rent a boat, visit casinos, camp, etc... Emerald Bay is a very nice area, nice drive too. Call the Tahoe chamber of Commerce fo hiking maps, or I'm sure there are web sites for that; maybe GORP (Great Outdoor Recreation Pages).

Just a few thoughts, have fun and let us know WHEN you're going, OK? Maybe we can all come up with more specific things for you.

audra

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH! We will be in the area in the middle of July. It's part of a three week cross-country road-trip. (Remember the Griswolds?! This will be our fifth vacation out west.)

We will have one day in which to drive from San Francisco to the Lake Tahoe/Reno area, so I want to find the best route and stops. You have all given me MUCH food for thought - and I'm happy to hear rec's for restaurants, too.

PLEASE keep the suggestions and ideas, coming. Thank you again so very, very much!

kam

Audra, With kids or without? Kids would love the Gold Country (as our French visitor did, even better than Monterey or SF itself). Must you go all the way to Reno? I really don't like it but know that many do. Remember because Tahoe's on the stateline, there are casinos in South Tahoe as well and it's so much prettier! I'm assuming you are on the return from California to the East at that point and driving on I 80, but I would stop at Tahoe and then bust through the whole of Nevada.

seamus

Ohhlala--hope your post was a poor attempt at humor! A pasty (rhymes with nasty) is a large meat and potato turnover like a large empanada. The miners used to take them for lunch in England, Wales and then Calfornia.

ohhlala

re: seamus (aka Daniel Webster?),
Your hopes are realised! Being a Brit, I think I had a inkling it might just be some sort of food (rhymes w/ prude).

bored

Can we get travel advice here, please? Please, boys, take your banter about pasties elsewhere.

audra

Kam, we are traveling with two kids, 12 & 15, both love adventure traveling and history. We don't gamble; I picked Reno/Lake Tahoe/Carson-Virginia Cities area because of it's location on I80 with many choices for accomodations and attractions. Nothing's definite yet, and yes, we'll be headed back east (sigh). I want to be sure to drive through the salt flats of Utah during the day this time; there's nothing like traveling there at dusk in 50-60 moh winds! YIKES! Thanks so much for the help - any more suggestions anybody?

kam

Audra, I've done this trip with my 20 year old son going back to college in D.C. First day we went to Tahoe. Second day we went to Salt Lake City through the salt flats--amazing. We did another trip a year later (taking the car back to D.C.) and that year we pushed from SF and got to SLC on the first evening, but we were exhausted. Then to Cheyenne and then to Omaha and then to Pittsburgh, Pa, and then to D.C. I think I was younger then!! But it was two great trips and we'll always remember them. There's a hotel in Cheyenne called Great America or something like that and it gives you a respite from the boring drive. My advice would be to skip Reno and stay in Tahoe, brace yourself and go directly to SLC. Enjoy.

connie

Frommers California on a Budget book (or something like that) has a chapter on Gold Country, and mentions many of the above suggestions.