The Buzz

We had a relative visiting from New Hampshire recently, and as good hosts do, we took her all around the area to see the sights. It was during this week-long adventure of daily excursions that I was reminded of what a plethora of wonderful natural sights and adventures Placer County and the surrounding area have to offer. All too often we get tied up in our busy lives and don't take the time to appreciate the beauty in nature all around us. There is truly so much to encounter just minutes from our doorsteps.

In one week's time, we were able to take in the wonder of the Foresthill Bridge along the Foresthill Divide and all the stunning canyon and river views, a closer look at the American River, Upper Lake Clementine and the amazing waterfall created by the dam, Overlook Park with a view to the canyon and dam site, another beautiful canyon view at Canyon View Overlook (off of Maidu), and a gorgeous Sunday drive along highway 49 where we stopped to check out the true heart of Gold Country, Sutter's Mill and Marshall Gold Discovery site. We also squeezed in a stroll in Old Town Auburn where we checked out several of the quaint shops and had a nice meal (along with beer for the men and cider for the ladies) at The Auburn Alehouse. Finally, we took a few hours to check out the museum in the Courthouse building where you can see the collection of Placer County's gold nuggets as well as lots of other items and books about the history of Gold Country.

Venturing outside of Placer County, we continued on 49 beyond Placerville where we eventually ended up in Amador county and (finally!) made it to Daffodil Hill (just outside Volcano, CA) to see the daffodils in full bloom. This was a somewhat long, windy drive to see a "quaint", but not neccesarily "breathtaking" sight. However, the discovery of a daylily flower farm/nursery and more importantly, a dozen or more wineries all nestled in a hilly area of Amador County, was worth the drive. I can only imagine the flower farm will be stunning when all the lilies are in full bloom and the nursery offered all sorts of flower and plant varieties that you don't find at your average box-store nursery. The wineries offer spendid views of vine-covered knolls, one after the other, and at least a day's worth of tasting!

Back in Auburn, we headed North on Highway 80 and up to Meadow Vista where we took a nice drive along Placer Hills Road and eventually down Plumtree Lane where the wonderful views of Bear River awaited us. Down in the canyon along the river, we were surrounded by Pine trees reaching up to the clouds. This is perhaps my favorite spot around here. It is a simple and serene surrounding. The crackling of the river over the rocks and the blue dragonflies dancing over the river always remind me that I am exactly where I want to be; home.

We also took the time to show our guest the lovely communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City. Both towns offer nice window-shopping opportunities. As a musician, I was especially excited about the World Instrument shop that we discovered in Nevada City as well as a neat little father-daughter art studio offering children's wall art, cards, bookmarks, etc.

After our week of discoveries, our visitor was most impressed by all the breathtaking views just minutes from our home in Christian Valley. She couldn't believe that some of these stops were just "side trips" along the way to a final destination.

If you haven't taken the time to find out about all the wonderful opportunities for outdoor adventure in our little paradise, you might be surprised to learn all that Placer County has to offer. According to the 2007 Placer County Citizens' Report, Placer County...

Has hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding

Has the largest concentration of world-class ski resorts in US

Has many lakes for boating, swimming, fishing and camping

Is home to the Tevis Cup 100-mile Hourse Endurance Race

Is home to the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run

Is in the heart of histroic Gold Rush country

Has 6 museums

In my estimation, everything described above is just a sampling of what the outdoors has to offer in our area . We didn't even make it up to the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe afterall, but that awe-inspiring trip will be reserved for the next visit!