A Day Trip to Grass Valley Offers Gold Mine of Fun

More than 150 years ago, fortune-seekers rushed to California hoping to strike gold.

Those early 49ers are long gone, but when it comes to intriguing, off-the-beaten-path activities for grown-ups and kids, you can still hit the Mother Lode in Grass Valley.

Nestled in the Sierra Nevada Foothills northeast of Elk Grove, this Gold Rush-era town is an easy 90-minute road trip.

So on a day when temperatures threatened to reach into the 90s, my husband and I packed up our 2-year-old daughter and headed for cooler climes, enjoying the drive along the way.

The landscape changes dramatically as Interstate 80 climbs up into the foothills past Rocklin. Concrete fades to pastures and farmland, eventually giving way to more rugged terrain studded by boulders and pine trees.

Once you hit Highway 49 and pass through Auburn, the road narrows to one lane and begins wending its way “up the hill” into Gold Rush territory.

Our first stop was the Empire Mine State Historic Park, a vast playground of discoveries from tadpoles in the reflecting pool to the metal and wood remnants of California’s gold mining heyday.

Established in 1850, the Empire Mine was one of the largest and richest hard rock gold mines in the state until it shut down in 1957.

Today, the park carefully preserves the mining operations area – including the stamp mill, cyanide plant, machine and blacksmith shops – as well as the lush grounds and English manor where mine superintendent William Bowers Bourn, Jr. lived with his family.

Kids will love running around the expansive, green lawns and exploring the gardens, which includes a reflecting pool and fish pond.

If a tour of the historic Empire Cottage, designed in 1897 by famed San Francisco architect Willis Polk doesn’t grab your interest, the mine shaft viewing area offering a glimpse down a tunnel that burrows more than 5,000 into the earth might.

There’s even 14 miles of hiking trails for nature lovers.

The Over the Hill Gang, a crew of about 200 or so volunteers, have taken on the enormous task of maintaining the 845-acre park, including the formal gardens and historic buildings.

“If the floor was tilted back then, you have to build it tilted now,” said volunteer blacksmith Dave Frank.

Last year, the gang started construction on an underground display, where visitors will be transported by electric tram down to one of the main mine shafts.

Opening day is still up in the air, but in the meantime, volunteer docents also offer daily tours and demonstrations to the public.

In addition to “living history” tours throughout the year, every summer the Empire Mine Park Association hosts the Miner’s Picnic, a long-standing tradition that was originally a benefit for widows and orphans of mine workers.

This year’s picnic on Aug. 27 will feature games for kids, gold panning, local food vendors, mine equipment demonstrations and docents dressed as historic characters.

But if hiking and history don’t appeal to you, Grass Valley offers plenty of other entertaining activities with the historic downtown at the center.

Wine lovers would enjoy the downtown area’s three tasting rooms, which offer sips of various vino from five local wineries.

Shoppers shouldn’t discount Grass Valley just because it’s a small town. Specialty boutiques line downtown streets with unique wares including paper goods, fabric, toys, chocolates, jewelry, art and supplies for even the most gourmet home chef.

A trip to Grass Valley wouldn’t be complete without sampling a local favorite – pasties – and the downtown area offers the best in the area.

Many of the miners who eventually settled in Grass Valley hailed from Cornwall, where they once journeyed deep underground for tin. Instead of resurfacing for lunch, they’d pack these hand-held, crescent-shaped meat pies.

When these Cornish miners left England’s shores for America, they brought their culinary traditions with them.

A docent highly recommended either Marshall’s on Mill Street or Cousin Jack’s on South Auburn Street for the tastiest pasties, so after a long, hard day playing at the mine, we headed downtown for a takeaway dinner.

Cousin Jack’s didn’t disappoint. The traditional beef and potatoes pasty was perfectly seasoned and wrapped in a golden, flakey pastry.

We can’t wait to go back and try Marshall’s.

Although we didn’t spend the night, a Grass Valley day trip could easily extend into an overnight “staycation.”

The Victorian Lady, a quaint bed & breakfast perched on a hill overlooking Downtown Grass Valley, is within easy walking distance of restaurants, shops and even a movie theater.

The stately inn is located on the aptly named South Church Street lined with beautiful Victorian homes on one side and interesting old churches on the other.

With nightly rates ranging between $135 and $210, the Victorian Lady can be a bit steep for a bargain-hunter like me who tries to stay under the $100 threshold.

The Northern Queen Inn next to Trolley Junction provides a thrifty, but equally charming, option just a few miles up the hill in Nevada City with rates between $90 and $140 a night.

Located on a pine-covered hillside, the inn offers guests a glimpse of local history with tours of an authentic narrow gauge railroad and a Chinese cemetery on its 34-acre grounds.

If you’re planning a trip for the holiday weekend, be sure to check out Grass Valley’s Fourth of July Celebration starting Monday with a parade through downtown at 11 a.m.

The festivities move to the Nevada County Fairgrounds after the parade with live music and entertainment culminating in a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.