BajaNomad - Anyone know some cool, small towns inland in Northern California?

Anyone know some cool, small towns inland in Northern California?

JZ - 3-27-2021 at 08:58 PM

Thinking about doing a 5-7 day road trip this week and looking for suggestions on places to see. Anywhere above SoCal really.

JZ - 3-27-2021 at 09:24 PM

How is Columbia?

AKgringo - 3-27-2021 at 10:04 PM

Drive north on highway 49, and you will pass through quite a few interesting smaller towns. Grass Valley and Nevada City (where I am) have a lot of mining history, and things are starting to come back on line.

Will you be hauling bikes with you? If you want to play with chainsaws and heavy equipment, I have some bug killed trees that need to come down. You would be impressed with the camp fire you can build with a bulldozer!

I am about forty miles from Donner Summit if spring skiing is on your mind. Sugar Bowl is a classic resort started by Walt Disney in 1937, and is a well run area. As a pass holder, I can get a 50% discount for friends and family skiing with me.

https://www.sugarbowl.com/home

[Edited on 3-28-2021 by AKgringo]

RFClark - 3-28-2021 at 04:29 AM

If you haven't driven north on Hwy 101/1 this is the time of year.

Santa Barbra

Pismo Beach - famous Clam Chowder

Solvang Danish Village

If open Anderson’s pea soup restaurant Buelton CA

Moro Bay

Hurst’s Castle San Simeon

Monterey Bay

San Francisco- The Cliff House next to the Sutro Baths both closed

Golden Gate Park

North of the Golden Gate Bridge take HWY 1 as far as you have time to drive! It’s worth the trip!

Post a trip report wit pictures!

mtgoat666 - 3-28-2021 at 06:00 AM

Bakersfield! At minimum, I never pass by Bakersfield w/o stopping at Dewar’s (Eye St location) for a sundae and box of peanut butter taffy chews.

Lots of good places to see minor league baseball on California road trip outside of the big cities, not sure what Covid has done to schedules...

San Francisco, great city,... but not during covid when indoor activities are limited...

David K - 3-28-2021 at 08:04 AM

Hwy. 1 is good as is Hwy. 49 (the road named for the 49ers, gold seekers). My mom owned the old Chinese store in Coulterville (between Mariposa and Sonora) for a few years. It had an 'opium den' in the basement, she learned.

By biological father lived in Diamond Springs (near Placerville). Nearby, in El Dorado, was Poor Red's and Rich Opal's BBQ & Saloon... creators of the Golden Cadillac drink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Cadillac
My bio father was Opal's son-in-law.
Tons of history...

amigobaja - 3-28-2021 at 09:18 AM

Eastern sierras Hwy 395. Lots of cool small towns and the mountain tops are spectacular right now. A lot safer and cleaner then the rest of californication.

thebajarunner - 3-28-2021 at 10:42 AM

Definitely head up 49 and loop over to 395 for the return down the eastern side of the Sierra.

Coming up 99 (after about a 4 minute stop in the goat's favorite town of Bakersfield---- certainly an oasis that only a goat could enjoy)
Take 41 out of Fresno to Oakhurst and then you will be treated to a long chain of very interesting little foothill towns.
You asked about Columbia.... it is just half hour from us. Interesting, lots of history. Stop off in Sonora at the Diamondback Grill for an authentic and casual meal.
My favorite spot on this trek is taking Hwy 4 up from Angels Camp to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. This is a real gem of a park, compact two mile walk through the redwood giants. Be sure to stop in Murphys for an excellent meal, lots of shops for the ladies.

Up on 49 and back on 395 is about as good as it gets.

AKgringo - 3-28-2021 at 11:17 AM

If you should make it as far north on 49 as Grass Valley, the Empire Mine State Park is a literal gold mine of information. Over five million ounces of gold came from the heart of the motherlode here!

I am not sure if the traditional tours have re-started due to covid 19 restrictions, but the tour guides were actors in period appropriate clothing.

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=499

Walking the streets of Nevada City (four miles away) is an interesting side trip!

Lee - 3-28-2021 at 02:01 PM

Hgwy 1 has been closed S. of Big Sur, N. of Lucia, for repairs for 2 months. Opens this Summer.

JZ - 3-28-2021 at 02:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner

Definitely head up 49 and loop over to 395 for the return down the eastern side of the Sierra.

Coming up 99 (after about a 4 minute stop in the goat's favorite town of Bakersfield---- certainly an oasis that only a goat could enjoy)
Take 41 out of Fresno to Oakhurst and then you will be treated to a long chain of very interesting little foothill towns.
You asked about Columbia.... it is just half hour from us. Interesting, lots of history. Stop off in Sonora at the Diamondback Grill for an authentic and casual meal.
My favorite spot on this trek is taking Hwy 4 up from Angels Camp to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. This is a real gem of a park, compact two mile walk through the redwood giants. Be sure to stop in Murphys for an excellent meal, lots of shops for the ladies.

Up on 49 and back on 395 is about as good as it gets.

Thank you and AKgringo for this advice. Looks like a good way to go. I've driven the 395 many times, but never the 49.

I followed a lot of your advice on a 14 day trip through Oregon last year and that was spectacular.

thebajarunner - 3-28-2021 at 02:20 PM

Yeah, I do give good advice.... such as streak through Bakersfield at flank speed....

If you want another great little side trip come down from Sonora on Hwy 108 to Knights Ferry.
Lots of history, Gen U S Grant family owned the ferry, he stayed here for a while between wars. Best covered bridge west of the Mississippi is here.

U2U me and I will meet you and give you a guided tour, maybe even come by the house, just ten minutes from the bridge, for a Pacifico.

Best covered bridge?

AKgringo - 3-28-2021 at 02:52 PM

The bridge across the south fork of the Yuba River was my favorite swimming hole when i was a teenager. It is about twenty minutes from my house.

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29821#:~:text=The%20Bridge...

mtgoat666 - 3-28-2021 at 03:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner

Yeah, I do give good advice.... such as streak through Bakersfield at flank speed....

If you want another great little side trip come down from Sonora on Hwy 108 to Knights Ferry.
Lots of history, Gen U S Grant family owned the ferry, he stayed here for a while between wars.

Lol

Y’all dismiss bakersfield as gritty and industrial, And make a bee line for the old timey mining towns where the only significant business in town today is service industry or living on the dole,...
And you got no idea that bakersfield is the the modern analog for the old timey mining towns, and back in the olden days you would have considered the mining towns to be gritty, dirty chitholes.

:lol:

Anyhow, bakersfield has a lot going on. And it is sort of interesting to see a city where business is booming and it is ag, mfg and heavy industry - and not service industry and computer tech.

Btw, bakersfield has 10,000 times the history of knights ferry. Grant ran a ferry there? That is probably about all that has happened in knights ferry :lol:

WestyWanderer - 3-28-2021 at 03:30 PM

Murphy’s is a neat little town in the area of Angels Camp and near the 49 route. Have stayed there before for work, quaint with a nice downtown area.

advrider - 3-28-2021 at 06:30 PM

I live in the gold country off of 49 in a little town of Sutter creek. I agree with driving 49, many, many cool places. If you make it to this area there are mine and cave tours. Black chasm caverns are in the little town of Volcano.
Everything that AKgringo and David said are good areas as well. Lots to see and do on Highway 49..

thebajarunner named some great spots, we did most of that drive last year and really enjoyed.

[Edited on 3-29-2021 by advrider]

JZ - 3-28-2021 at 06:55 PM

Probably won't go above Tahoe. What's the most scenic route to cut over from the 49 to the 395?

bajafreaks - 3-29-2021 at 06:15 AM

Highway 49 to Jackson then take 88 all the way into NV. You hit 395 in Gardnerville (my home town).

thebajarunner - 3-29-2021 at 08:16 AM

I agree that 88 is a great route across, actually my favorite
But that takes you off the 49 long before you get up to the areas mentioned by AKg
Maybe double back to there, but certainly continue on up to Nevada City before you decide on the cross over.

Or, you could just go back to Bakersfield, the Mecca of the West and hang out there for a few minutes and see all the highlights
:bounce:

Don't be dissin' Bakersfield!

David K - 3-29-2021 at 08:32 AM

Bakersfield has been the home of some of America's finest:
Buck Owens of HeeHaw,
Rick & Roger Mears and the Mears Gang (Baja to Indy Racing),
and our very own TMW of Oildale University fame!

jamiec - 3-29-2021 at 08:38 AM

88 really is the only way back over to 395 right now without going the Tahoe route. 4 is closed for the winter, as are 108 and 120.

I know a couple of people have mentioned Murphys but it really is a nice little town especially if you or anyone you are traveling with likes wine tasting. I also really like the Calaveras Big Trees just up the road from there. Mercer Caverns are also in Murphys and they are a cool way to spend the afternoon if they are open right now.

advrider mentioned Sutter Creek, agree with this. There is a really good pizza place in Sutter Creek that we always stop at when we are in this area. I believe its called Gold Dust.

AKgringo - 3-29-2021 at 08:58 AM

There is still quite a lot of scenic road north of Nevada City on 49! There are three more rivers going toward Downieville and Sierra City before the road heads east to highway 89, just north of Truckee.

I know you drove part of 89 around Tahoe last year, so passing through Reno and Carson City on the way back to 395 would be an option.

For what it is worth, a staple of the mining country was the 'pasty'. It is meat and potatoes wrapped in a pie crust and baked. If you see a restaurant that serves them, don't pass it up!

They are at their best right out of the oven, but you can take them to go and they are even good cold if you get hungry before you can re-heat them.

advrider - 3-29-2021 at 09:59 AM

You are correct, Gold dust pizza is the best around. If you go over 88 you can stop and ski at Kirkwood or do some snow shoeing in the meadow, they have rentals. Also snowmobile rentals off of Blue lakes road in Hope valley. We have a summer cabin at Kirkwood so I might be a little biased? All good suggestions by everyone, none of these areas will disappoint. Might even drive through death valley to catch 395, good time of the year for that area.

LancairDriver - 3-30-2021 at 08:59 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Bakersfield has been the home of some of America's finest:
Buck Owens of HeeHaw,
Rick & Roger Mears and the Mears Gang (Baja to Indy Racing),
and our very own TMW of Oildale University fame!

You forgot Merle Haggard, Frank Gifford, and Bill Destafani of Air Racing Fame.

mtgoat666 - 3-30-2021 at 10:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Bakersfield has been the home of some of America's finest:
Buck Owens of HeeHaw,
Rick & Roger Mears and the Mears Gang (Baja to Indy Racing),
and our very own TMW of Oildale University fame!

Mears? Who dat?
Buck Owens? Prefer Merle haggard.
Lawrence Tibbbett!
Earl Warren!

OK, Recess is over, all you children go back to class

thebajarunner - 3-31-2021 at 10:11 AM

Sheesh,
Some people sure know how to take an interesting thread into the dumpster

chuckie - 3-31-2021 at 11:13 AM

Try a map they are often helpful..I am sure if you asked someone would help you fold it back up....

JZ - 3-31-2021 at 09:57 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner

Sheesh,
Some people sure know how to take an interesting thread into the dumpster

Just got up to Oakhurst. Will post some pics tomorrow.

It's my 5 month old pup's first road trip.

thebajarunner - 4-1-2021 at 01:49 PM

Pup looks like a handsome dude, for sure

Swing through Yosemite- you are so close
And the waterfalls are at their best right now.
Plus very few visitors.

JZ - 4-2-2021 at 11:51 PM

Found a dirt road to drive down through the forest. Let the dogs run around.

JZ - 4-3-2021 at 12:23 AM

This has been my favorite spot/part so far: 37.613185° -120.127245°

About an hour above Oakhurst on the way to Plymounth (Plymounth is just pass AdvRider's place at Sutter Creek).

Crazy switch backs for about 20 mins. The mountains had really pretty orange flowers on them. I was kicking myself for not charging the drone batteries. It's spectacular.

Near the end you cross a river. Just before the bridge there is a very small primitive camp ground about 2-3 miles off 49. Drove back in there to let the dogs out.

Close to where we stopped was a Cowboy with a cage in the back of his truck. He wasn't camping and I thought that was odd, but had to walk by him to get down to the river.

Got a little closer and two dogs I didn't notice from further away went absolutely nuts.

Spent about 20 mins down by the river and walked back up to the truck, by the cowboy. He chatted me up on the way back. He said his dogs thought "the big one was a mountain lion." Referring to my oldest dog, Huck.

Turns out they were Anatolian Shepherds. The best cattle guarding dogs in the world. He has 7 of them.

Pic in front of the river. Huck and Miki are looking up at the shepherds.

[Edited on 4-3-2021 by JZ]

Orange flowers

AKgringo - 4-3-2021 at 07:59 AM

That is our state flower, the California poppy. They can be pretty spectacular this time of year!

Fernweh - 4-3-2021 at 11:50 AM

Check out :
Ferndale and the Lost Coast & Usal Beach

[Edited on 4-5-2021 by BajaNomad]

JZ - 4-4-2021 at 08:55 PM

Crossed over from West to East today. Stopped by Kirkwood. It was packed. Lots of families skiing. 52 degrees, sunshine, and still a lot of snow. Ppl were tailgating in their trucks looking up at the mountain. Very pretty drive across.

Booked a cabin about 50 miles above Mammoth. Very cool stream running by that the dogs got in. Going to hit up Bodie in the AM.

[Edited on 4-5-2021 by JZ]

BajaTed - 4-5-2021 at 11:36 AM

WEED CA. gateway to Mt. Shasta is a cool town

motoged - 4-5-2021 at 12:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaTed

WEED CA. gateway to Mt. Shasta is a cool town

As is Westport....great twisty hiway to Leggett....and then the Lost coast loop

John Harper - 4-6-2021 at 05:51 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

C Going to hit up Bodie in the AM.

I drove out to Bodie probably 15 years ago, very interesting place. There are some other old mining towns out there (Aurora, NV) and some great dirt roads for exploring. Obsidian Dome just north of Mammoth is worth the short drive, it's where the native Americans procured obsidian for use and trade with other tribes.

Don't miss the Laws Railroad Museum in Bishop, and the petroglyphs. One of the main petroglyph sites is north a few miles on Hwy 6. You can take a dirt road (Fish Slough Road) all the way back south and pass a couple more petroglyph sites. A very cool experience, especially when you realize that so much more water flowed back then. Lots of rocks show signs of water flow erosion. Very strange in such a (now) high desert setting.

If you want to see a couple cool petroglyphs that few ever see, there is Sky Rock and 13 Moon petroglyphs above Chalk Bluff Road just east of the campground. It's a steep hike up the bluff, but once on top it's fairly flat.

So much history in that area. On your way south, look for Aberdeen and go east. You can see the original diversion dam (1913) for the Los Angeles Aqueduct where the Owens River gets sent to Los Angeles.

Fossil Falls down south by Little Lake is also just a short drive, another unique site where water once flowed and ancient tribes flourished.

Have fun, drive safely on 395, it can be a dangerous road.

John

[Edited on 4-7-2021 by John Harper]

advrider - 4-6-2021 at 06:59 AM

I hike and fish that river all the time. Our cabin was about 500 yards up the hill from where you entered Kirkwood ski resort, we spend summers up there, even more so when the snow melts..

wilderone - 4-6-2021 at 08:20 AM

Benton Hotsprings, out of Benton HS, hike up to Montgomery City - a flash flood destroyed the mining town that was once there. Nice hike. Check out the "beach" at Oh Ridge campground (access for day use is free - might be renting kayaks by now); Ancient Bristlecone Pine forest; Alabama Hills movie set tour in Lone Pine.