Virginia City via the 49 highway Day 3

September 18, 2012

We left Oakhurst the next morning and found the beginning of the 49 Highway. Our goal for this trip was to ride the 49 from beginning to end. Our next stop would be in Sutter Creek and the American Exchange Hotel.

Main Street Coulterville & The Jeffry Hotel

The Highway winds and weaves through beautiful Country. In the Fall the wild oats are golden and the Oak trees dot the landscape of rolling hills. I have always loved this part of California and this route is no exception to the beauty.

The Restaurant inside the hotel

Coulterville Museum

Joe had done some research prior to the trip and found points of interest in the small old mining towns along the way. One of these was Coulterville. We stopped and found The Jeffrey Hotel. This hotel is still owned by the same family that founded it, well over 100 years ago. It has been kept in very pristine condition and is like stepping back in time. There is a restaurant in the hotel, but we will have to save that experience for another time. It was to early in the day and was not open yet, besides we ate at the hotel in Oakhurst and weren't ready for food yet.

We stayed and explored the town and again took lots of pictures. The people in the town are very friendly and willing to tell you all about the place. The town of Coulterville is primarily original buildings and is a great example of the history of the 49 highway.

We continued on and enjoyed the day. We visited several little towns along the way. I was suprised when we went through Sonora as to how busy it was. Cars lined the streets and there was no where to park. As we had explored this town on prior trips, we decided to continue on and stick to the smaller, less crowded places.

We stopped in Jamestown at the Harley Dealer and explored around. We found we were starving and were told the little Mexican place down the road was good. So we walked on over and left the bikes in the Dealership parking lot. This little restaurant proved to be special. It was just a hole in the wall but the food was excellent. It is just south of the Jamestown Harley dealer on the highway 49.

After we ate we walked back to the Harley Dealer. I was surprised that Bikes were approximately $4000 cheaper in Jamestown as in Southern California. (Note to self: when considering a new bike, shop out of the area).

We rode through Jamestown itself and circled back to the highway. Jamestown is old and has a lot of ambiance. It would be a good place to spend time and explore, but not today.

We headed on our way through the countryside. Suddenly there was a road up to the right with a sign that said "Jackass Hill". Joe took the right and we all followed. We rode up and through houses and Oak trees until we arrived at the end of the road. There was a small cabin where Mark Twain had lived and written the "Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". Joe had seen something about this place in his research prior to the trip and had wanted to stop. It was a cool piece of history to experience.

We stopped in Molhuolome for a break and found there wasn't a great deal left of this place, but the entire 49 highway is a history lesson for the California Gold Rush.

We had considered some other excursions along the way but decided to leave them for another trip as we wanted time to explore Sutter Creek. We arrived there and checked into the American Exchange hotel.

The hotel dates back to the 1800's and has been preserved in that state. It has been updated with all modern amenities but still retains the history and age of the place. I love old buildings like this because it makes you feel you are in the 1800s when the history had taken place. Old hotels are better than Museum houses as you are allowed to participate in the experience of history instead of just viewing it. You get a much better feel of what it must have been like to have lived in that time long ago.

We ended up with a room that looked out to the Veranda which overlooked the highway and the town of Sutter Creek. The veranda was set up with tables and large ceiling fans. It was a great place to unwind and discuss the day. We wandered around the town in search of dinner and decided on the restaurant in the hotel. The food was Italian in theme, but had different items than other Italian restaurants I have experienced. Joe and I decided to split the Italian Pot Roast and it was amazing. I don't know exactly how the Chef created that dish but it was awesome!

Another nice thing about this hotel is that they had washers and dryers available for the guests. The only obstacle is that there is no general store in this town and you have to return to Jamestown to buy soap. So Note to Self: stop for laundry soap and wine before Sutter creek. Not  just wine. We did a load of laundry and it made the rest of the trip easier, however I always take to many clothes on these trips. It never fails that I come home with clothes in the luggage that I never wore. Something to continue to work on for me.

We got together on the Veranda after dinner to wind down the day and and drink some more wine. Then it was off to bed .