California Road Trips Guide - 2021 - 40

ROAD TRIPS 2021
Deer Creek Tribute Trail,
Nevada City
DISTANCE: 257 MILES * DAYS: 2-3
Foothills to Tahoe
DISCOVER ENCHANTING GOLD RUSH TOWNS AND
NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST ALPINE LAKE
G
et the day started
with an espresso
from Temple Coffee
Roasters in Sacramento. Then
follow Interstate 80 north to
Auburn to step back in time
at the Gold Rush Museum and
sip award-winning IPAs at Knee
Deep Brewing.
Highway 49 passes through
Nevada City, where 19thcentury
buildings house tasting
rooms, shops, and eateries.
Shop for joy-sparking gifts at
J. J. Jackson's or walk the
Tribute Trail along Deer Creek.
Eat a hearty meal at The Willo
Steakhouse, a no-frills watering
hole operating since 1969.
Highway 20 travels through
a forest of pines to cowboychic
Truckee. Spend the night
at Cedar House Sport Hotel,
then get up early for breakfast
at Squeeze Inn and a hike to
Castle Peak. Stroll downtown for
handcrafted finds at Riverside
Studios and then check out
the literary scene at Word After
Word Books.
Follow Highway 89 south as
it meanders along the Truckee
River and swings past Olympic
40 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
Valley. Pedal along the Truckee
River Bike Path or float downstream
(you can rent rafts in
Tahoe City).
Highway 89 takes you to
Lake Tahoe's northwest shore,
where the vistas stretch across
the lake. Snap a photo to capture
it and then go on a short
jaunt to glistening Eagle Falls.
Beyond the waterfall, the granite
peaks of Desolation Wilderness
beckon. Your gaze will wander to
the scenery, but stay focused on
the road, which skirts high above
Tahoe's crystal blue depths.
Before entering South Lake
Tahoe, stop for a dip at Pope
Beach, then detour five miles
east on U.S. 50 for a gondola
ride to the top of Heavenly Ski
Resort. Grab a veggie sandwich
at Sprouts, and rent a stand-up
paddleboard at Regan Beach for
a few laps along the shoreline.
Leaving South Lake Tahoe,
ascend Luther Pass through
aspen groves and head into
Hope Valley. Stay the night in
a yurt at Wylder Hotel or camp
under the stars. In the morning,
ascend to 8,652-foot Carson
Pass to see summer wildflowers.
SACRAMENTO TO SUTTER CREEK
The Willo
Steakhouse
Olympic
Valley
Temple
Coffee
Roasters
SACRAMENTO
SUTTER CREEK
Black
Chasm
Cavern
WORTH A DETOUR
ORTH
DET UR
Lakeside hike: At Emerald Bay State Park,
the 7-mile Rubicon Trail travels along Tahoe's
western lakeshore.
AREA OF DETAIL
Angeles
San Francisco
Los
San
Diego
Grape legacy: See
antique wine presses at
Plymouth's Sobon Estate,
one of California's earliest
wineries (1846).
Knee Deep
Brewing
Word After
Word Books
LAKE TAHOE
Heavenly
Mountain
Resort
Wylder Hotel
Your route winds past
Kirkwood Ski Resort and Silver
Lake into the vineyard-dotted
northern Gold Country. Look
for ghosts at the historic St.
George Hotel in Volcano, and
tour Black Chasm Cavern's
limestone treasures. Make
Sutter Creek your base for a
night or two so you can end this
trip tasting bold red wines at
Shenandoah Vineyards.
MAX WHITTAKER
http://www.VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
California Road Trips Guide - 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Road Trips Guide - 2021
