CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH TOWNS: Mariposa

The Fishing Pond at the Restful Nest

It was the summer of 1999 when we first navigated these roads. According to the directions the innkeeper gave me, if I got to town on highway 140, I’ve gone too far but I found the Yaqui Gulch turnoff. When I got to the old highway, look for the brick water well house, Buckeye Road would start right next to it…don’t turn right, don’t turn left. Just sort of go cockeyed straight onto it. Past the three mailboxes on the left, slow down and look for Buckeye Creek Road and turn left…if you get to Ben Hur Road, you’ve gone way too far…

It is a challenge the first time you try to find the Restful Nest but once you do, you’ve found bed and breakfast paradise.  We’ve come here several times over the years to recharge, visit the area’s many sights and attractions, and…most of all…to visit with the owners, Jon and Lois Moroni, who have turned into friends.

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It’s been too long between visits, however, as we haven’t been here since Tim went to college. Their lab mix, Casey…who’d fetch sticks long after the stars came out…has since died. Jon has gone through a bout of cancer, successfully thankfully, and Lois no longer smokes.

Still, it’s the same bed and breakfast we came to know and love.

With only three rooms (there’s actually four but Lois only rents three at the most) set on 11 acres, it’s a bit of heaven sitting five miles away from town with hiking trails, fishing pond, great stargazing, wild animal sightings, and a pool and spa.

It’s not technically accessible. The toilet is in a narrow space and the small shower is also too cramped for a chair to use but there is a smooth path to the room and, since we notified them ahead of time about the chair, Jon build a ramp so Tim’s wheelchair could ascend to the upper balcony and dining room.  (If you need a fully accessible room, you might try the Best Western or Comfort Inn in town)

We spend some time catching up with the Moroni’s after dinner and then head down to our room to rest up. There is a TV in the room but you’ll only get three channels here in these rural hills.

In town, we find a place to park uphill from the main street so it will be easy to roll down. We do a little window shopping  and souvenir hunting on the old sidewalks. Mariposa is an old Gold Rush town so access can be spotty. One end of the block is ramped but the other end is stairs so you’ll need to double back to get to the other side of the street.  Some of the shops in these old buildings do not have access but many do.

Mariposa was known for pulling a lot of gold out of the ground. Today, it’s not as touristy as other Gold Rush towns farther up highway 49 in the Motherlode but more of a real town. People here work regular jobs and there’s a sense of community here.  Kids belong to 4H or the FFA and the fairgrounds are busy with local celebrations and festivals…we like to show up on Labor Day weekend for the county fair.

John C. Fremont, the soldier and explorer, called Mariposa home. At the end of the sidewalk, Bett’s Silver Coin restaurant sits in the adobe building he constructed…the only three story adobe building in the Motherlode.

At the north end of town, next to the Burger King, is the Mariposa Museum and History Center with its mining stamp mills and historical dioramas of local history.

At the south end of town, in the parking lot of the fairgrounds, is the California Mining and Mineral Museum.  With a recreated mine tunnel and hundreds of examples of gems, it’s a real treasure to see. The star of the show here is the largest intact gold nugget ever found in the state, a real whopper at 13.8 pounds.

Both museums charge $4 for admission.

Jon and Lois serve a huge breakfast to guests everyday and we don’t get out to eat too much in Mariposa but there are a number of good places to eat when the hunger does eventually strike. Our favorites are the Nachos at Castillo’s and the pizza just a few doors down at the Pizza Factory.

Mariposa is part of the Sierra Foothills AVA and has a few up and coming wineries in the area.  While Silver Fox is open by appointment only and Chappel Winery has a storefront downtown, you can visit the other two wineries…Casto and Butterfly Creek…for tastings.  If you like friendly dogs, be sure to visit Butterfly Creek, located on Triangle Road on the way to Yosemite, just east of town.

All Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting can take you on 1 or 2 day trips down the Merced River, which is just a few miles north of town.  Yosemite is 35 miles to the east and one of the best day trips you will ever do.

Old gold towns abound in the area and are fun to explore. For a more hands-on experience, you can pan for gold at the mining museum or at Paystreak on highway 140 just west of town.  Many shops in the area also sell pieces of gold mined in the area…one mine is still operating commercially.

Not as well known as the other Gold Rush towns farther up highway 49, Mariposa will give you that Gold Rush feeling without being overwhelmed by tourists. Give it a try next time you’re headed towards Yosemite…we think you’ll end up in love with it like we are.

Darryl

Copyright 2012 – Darryl Musick

All Rights Reserved

CLASSIC TRIP: North Carolina, 2000 - Part 2

In Part 1, we went to a NASCAR race in Charlotte and just missed getting robbed. Now we head for the hills...

(NOTE: This is a 'Classic Trip.' Prices and other details have probably changed in the intervening years.)


After the race and another night, we caught the train to Washington, DC (which will be covered in another trip report) and took a week's break there before returning to Charlotte.

Now, we have 8 more days, no plans, no reservations, nothing in mind but we do have a rental car for the duration. We check in to a La Quinta Inn and press on.


We pull out a map and look for somewhere to go. We see that the town of Hickory is within a couple of hours drive so off we go.

The Blue Ridge Moutains Spectacular Fall Color

Being October, the leaves are putting on a show and what a show it was. The hills and mountains were literally ablase with color. Vibrants yellows, flaming reds, glowing oranges. A SoCal boy like me never sees anything like this. We were extremely lucky to hit right at the peak of color (we've been back since and have not been able to time it just right as we did on this trip).

Murphy's Mill, North Carolina

On top of the fall color, the countryside scenery is straight out of Norman Rockwell or Mayberry...which of course is set in North Carolina to begin with. Thousands of little country roads criss cross the state with breathtaking views around every corner. Heading up to Hickory, we round a bend and are hit with a view straight off of the cover of the Saturday Evening Review, Murphy's Mill.


We pull off to take a look at this historic grist mill. We later learn that the state is dotted with such mills. The banks of the placid mill pond with it's rushing waterfall are too much to resist picnicking at.

The General Store at Murphy's Mill

No lunch? No problem, turning around we see this pleasant little country store across the street with all the supplies we need.


At this point, may I just say that the people in the state are also top-notch. You hear about Southern Hospitality but it's something else to experience it first hand. The people here are very friendly and are a pleasure to deal with.


Arriving at Hickory near dinner time, we find another charming little Mayberry-like town that the state is full of. Now Mayberry is, of course, an unobtainable fiction and all towns have problems. But the towns we've seen are beautiful examples of small town America populated by some very friendly folks.


We pull in for dinner at the Hickory Station, a nice dinner and steak house set in the restored railroad depot. As my wife dines on some savory shrimp, Tim on a nice juicy burger, and me on a tender rib-eye, we enjoy the wonderful view of the twinkling lights of downtown and the hills beyond. After dinner, the host invites us into the kitchen to meet the chef and after a nice chat we head on back to Charlotte.


The next day, we head over to the hometown of Elizabeth Dole, Salisbury. Here, we ride on the historic restored steam train at the railroad museum. The coal fired locomotive gives us a clue as to why it's not used as a fuel on modern trains anymore. Our skin, hair, and even teeth are filled with a fine, gritty soot as the smoke from the burning coal settles over the entire train.


The town offers a self guided tour of its magnificent old homes, some dating back to the 17th century. We marvel at these grand old buildings and head back for another night in the big city.

No, it's not Lake Tillery but another beautiful lake, Lake Lure.

For our last day in Charlotte, we head over to nearby Morrow Mountain State Park and Lake Tillery. We rent a rowboat at the bargain rate of $2.50 an hour a take a leisurely cruise to the other side of the lake, watching the fall leaves drift down to the surface and the snapping turtles drift up. A wheelchair accessible platform hovers over a prime fishing spot on the lake. A few bucks for a license and a cheap rod and reel from Wal-Mart is all that's needed to dip a line here (licenses are free for disabled persons).

The Pinebrae Bed and Breakfast

For a change of pace, we head to the hills for the rest of our trip. Our home is now the beautiful Pinebrae Bed and Breakfast just outside another charming North Carolina town, Rutherfordton. We arrive at 9:00pm hungry. After checking in and unpacking, we head into town to see what's for dinner. Not much at that time of night.


The only place open (and for only a few minutes more) is a barbecue place just outside of town on the road to nearby Spindale. I'm sorry to say that North Carolina barbecue and me just don't get along...just way to vinegary. The food was atrocious but luckily, it's the worst we would have to endure.


The Pinebrae is a antebellum style mansion situated on 15 acres of prime western North Carolina countryside with woods to wander through, great expanses of lawn, and many wild furry visitors popping through.


The owners, Alan and Charlotte, tell us it used to be a home for troubled youths back in the depression years. Now it's a beautiful home with four guest rooms for travelers. And fellow travelers here tend to be nice and quiet since most of their guests are visiting doctors working at the hospital down the road.

This waterfall is not on any map, this is where our hosts led us to.

A great home cooked breakfast awaits everybody each morning and guests eat at a common great table in the massive dining room with Alan holding court leading the conversation. He also tells us of the sites nearby, off the beaten path, that lead to spectacular waterfalls and mountaintop views. This luxurious and homey retreat costs us a grand total of $69 a night including breakfast.

A country lane near Rutherfordton

Travelling through the countryside towards nearby Asheville, we stop at roadside stands to pick up home made jams, jellies, and preserves to take back with us.


We travel over to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and hike up to the top of Clingman's Dome, the second highest point in the state and the highest point of neighboring Tennessee (the state line bisects the peak).

If you can make it, here is the lookout tower that awaits you at the top of Clingman's Dome

A note here for wheelchair users: although there is a smooth, paved path leading up from the parking lot to the top of the lookout tower with no steps whatsoever, the trail is very steep. A strong power chair with lots of traction and a full charge will probably make it. Be sure to bring a very strong pusher or be in extremely good physical shape if you attempt this in a manual chair. I pushed my son up to the top in his manual chair and was having some very serious doubts as to if I would make it to the end of this half-mile trail without suffering a coronary. It is exceedingly difficult for a manual chair and should be attempted with caution...remember, even if you do make it up, you have to negotiate that very steep downhill slope with a chair that wants nothing more than to break loose and make a mad dash for the fall line.


We did make it after much effort and the view into neighboring Tennessee is astonishing. After a hair-raising walk 'n roll back down to the parking lot, we head over to Dillsborough to board the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad.

The scenery of the Smokey Mountains is up close from the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad.

Here, we board a wheelchair accessible coach - with an onboard accessible restroom also - and take a 2 hour ride up the Tuckaseegee River and marvel at the countryside views of tobacco farms, villages, and the river itself. Just before a tunnel, we are treated to the spot where Hollywood created that fantastic train wreck scene from the Harrison Ford movie, "The Fugitive", complete with the destroyed locomotive and prisoner transport buses.


The train makes it back to Dillsborough at 6:00pm and after browsing through the few shops still open at that time, we have dinner at the unpretentious Dillsborough Steak and Seafood house for a delicious dinner before heading back over to Rutherfordton.


We spend our last full day here shopping for souvenirs in town and taking one last drive through the countryside. The next day, after having one last hot southern breakfast we say goodbye to our hosts and take that 2 hour drive back to Charlotte for the most regretable part of our trip...going home.


-Darryl
Copyright 2000 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved