Things To Do
Nevada City
This forest-wrapped hamlet of handsome Victorian-era homes and tree-lined streets 60 miles northeast of Sacramento is one of Gold Country's prettiest towns. Gold Rush history, wine, thriving gardens and fresh produce—it's all in Nevada City. Nevada City hosts a Victorian Christmas Festival each year in December!
Holbrooke Hotel
Serving as the backdrop for generations of the area’s most iconic moments, the Holbrooke has many a tale to tell. This building has been made from canvas, wood, soil and stone, burned to the ground, rebuilt, renamed, and gussied up for innumerable guests. It’s seen gambling, gunfights, good times and bad. Fortunes made and pure gold lost. Legend tells us even Prohibition didn’t stop the whiskey from being served in the Saloon. Over the years, the Holbrooke has hosted many famous guests that include U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison and James Garfield, and prize fighters “Gentleman Jim” Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons. Authors Mark Twain and Bret Harte spent time here, surely watching the world go by from the Golden Gate Saloon. On the right evening you might have encountered famous female entertainers Lola Montez, Lotta Crabtree or Emma Nevada in the lobby.
Bierwagen’s Farm Annual Pumpkin Patch & Harvest Festival
Pumpkin Patch Enjoy a huge pumpkin patch with tons of pumpkins just waiting to be picked. Fresh Apples Fresh apples are a fall must, and Bierwagen’s has plenty of apples for you to choose from. Apple Cider Bierwagen’s Farm presses cider once a week and it is available for the month of October. Snack Shack In case you get hungry after picking out your pumpkin, you can enjoy anything from caramel apples, pumpkin cupcakes, and apple cookies just to name a few. Don’t miss popular apple fritter nuggets – many customers come to the pumpkin patch just for a fresh order of nuggets. Or take home a fresh-baked pie to enjoy with your apples cider. Children’s Play Area If you are bringing kiddos to the farm, there are lots of fun activities in store for them. In the Children’s Play Area there are the straw-bale horses, the corn (think sand) box, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin ring toss and more. There is also a nature/farm scavenger hunt that will take you on an adventurous tour of the farm.
Maple Lane
The tour of stately Bourne Cottage is a must-see any time of year, but fall is the perfect time to visit Empire Mine. Take a stroll down Maple Lane and snap a selfie in the glow of the changing leaves, and don’t forget to bring a blanket to sprawl on the expansive lawn under brilliant foliage!