Murphys is a quaint tourist town that today is much loved all year round by locals and visitor's alike. There is a lot of gold mining history contained on these streets - young Irish immigrants (and brothers) John and Daniel Murphy were among the early California gold miners and struck it rich near here in 1848 taking out an estimated 2 million dollars in gold ore from the nearby diggings. This was one of California's richest most concentrated … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Sonora
Sonora (the queen of the southern mines) is the heart of the southern gold mining towns. Sonora was first established by miners from Sonora, Mexico. This town was important during the mining days and remains so even today. Sonora was established during 1848 and has been the county seat of Tuolumne since 1950. Even though Sonora was established in 1848 people have traveled through and settled here since the late 1820's. During its early mining … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Restaurants
The following is a list of restaurants for all southern central California gold mining towns covered in this guide. Prices are subject to change without notice. All Phone Numbers unless otherwise noted are in the 209 area code. ANGELS CAMP Cruscos Ristorante serves quality Italian cuisine in the heart of Angel's Camp. Parking (if found) is in front of the restaurant on the street or in a nearby parking lot. … [Read more...]
Spokane, WA – The Trip
This is a general outline of a recent trip to Spokane, including parts of Idaho and Montana. The total trip took 10 days and was in early August. The best time for warmer weather and more comfortable conditions is between mid July and mid August. Because gold mining was one of the main reasons for the trip several days below show "gold mining" as the main activity. We rented a car from Thrifty at the Spokane Airport and made a circle covering … [Read more...]
Spokane, WA – Wallace Idaho
Wallace is a fine example of an old mining town and during its heyday, used to be the center of a lead, silver, and gold mining in this part of t he state. Even President Teddy Roosevelt visited in 1903 and the city spent over $5000 on decorations and banners to welcome him. At the time that was a lot of money. This town of about 1000 people is located about 15 miles west of the Montana border. The 90 freeway completely bypasses the entire city … [Read more...]
Spokane, WA – Murray Idaho
The town of Murray (population 93) is located about 25 miles north of Wallace. From the 90 in Idaho take the Kingston exit and proceed north. The road roughly follows the north folk or the Coeur d'Alene River for about 24 miles. Travelers will reach a Murray, Six Miles sign just after a bridge - turn right and drive another six miles. Murray will be on your left. The roads are quite good, just a bit windy. You may want to have a map of this area … [Read more...]