Sierra Seasons Magazine - Summer/Fall 2013 by Hukari Designs

Favorites from Years Past • RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT • FINDING GOLD • MASSES OF LADYBUGS • CAVE COUNTRY

Summer/Fall 2013

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Treatment at Sonora Regional Cancer Center focuses not only on cancer, but most importantly on each patient’s well-being—body, mind and spirit. During her cancer treatment, Tricia Dunlap worked less and her income was reduced. A caregiver asked Tricia about her life stressors and a pending land tax bill was near the top of her list. Without hesitation, the caregiver said, “Send me the bill.” And that was it. Paid for through the Sonora Regional Medical Center’s Cancer Patient Support fund, Tricia’s land tax bill was no longer part of her stress, which freed energy for her to fight cancer and swim regularly throughout treatment. “Some days I could swim more than others but swimming kept me going,” says Tricia. Her last treatment was in April and a PET scan in July confirmed she is cancer free.

To learn more about the Cancer Center call 536-5155.

Sonora Regional Cancer Center at

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n w o t s e Jam 2013 EVENTS

TB AKEdowntown’s A STEP BACK eclectic mix of shops. ROWSE

PAN for gold or take an excursion train to where gold was discovered 150 years ago. TAKE in the excitement at Chicken Ranch Casino. ENJOY the region’s favorite dining experiences. SPEND the night at one of several inns and savor a libation with friends old and new.

April 7 - October 28 Train Rides at Railtown 1897 Every Saturday and Sunday April 20 - Native Plant Sale Rocca Park Downtown

May 4 - Art in the Park Rocca Park Downtown

May 24-26 Annual Sidewalk Sale June 17 Father’s Day Trains Excursion train rides at Railtown 1897

July 4, 11, 18, 25 Family Movies Thursday evening at Railtown 1897

July 27 - Rods to Rails Custom & Classic Cars and Bikes

October 12 - Native Plant Sale Rocca Park Downtown

October - Heritage Days A tribute to Jamestown’s Historical Past

October 21-22 Jamestown Marketplace A grand yard sale and Fair

October 26-28 Halloween Harvest Celebration Main Street Parade

Enjoy living history at our authentic gold mining camp! Hands-on Gold Panning from novice to professional Bus tours and school groups

800-596-0009 18170 Main Street

For more information, ub Jamestown Promotion Cl 70 33 209-984-

25 Years Featuring the

DEAN FLEMING

Best of the Central Sierra

THE

PUBLISHER

THE YEAR WAS 1988 and my dream for Tuolumne County region to have a magazine showcasing the best of our region was about to come true. One year later, Calaveras County joined our regional focus. In the 25 years we have been publishing Sierra Seasons, I have had to pleasure to work with some wonderful people, from the writers and photographers who contribute their talents, our representatives and businesses that have made Sierra Seasons possible. And I have enjoyed talking to our readers and hearing what stories they would like to see in future issues. Thank you all! To celebrate the best of the Central Sierra, and Sierra Seasons, we are running edited versions of 4 of our favorite stories from recent past years. In 2004, editor Jan Hovey compiled an incredible look at our region’s rivers. This 20 page feature included four ways to visit and enjoy the rivers from the Clavey in the south to the Mokelumne in the North. The next year, we included an article on finding gold– how and where to pan for the mineral. In the summer of 2009, I wanted to display the beautiful photos of hibernating ladybugs by Phil Schermeister and the story behind them, by the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center. Exploring local caverns is a highlight attraction in the Central Sierra, and in 2000 we ran an overview of the cave tours available. I should note that these and most past issues or Sierra Seasons are available on our website. Of course, the bulk of this issue is dedicated to current events and attractions. I hope you will continue to enjoy the best of our region and reading Sierra Seasons.

Don Hukari, publisher

CENTRAL SIERRA SEASONS MAGAZINE Publisher: Don Hukari Editor: Jan Hovey Design: Hukari Designs Events Editor: Judy Stoltenberg Hukari Designs: Post Office Box 3306 Sonora, CA 95370 (209) 928-3009

Hike the Woodchuck Basin Trail. See story on page 16.

Distribution Department: 17877 Yosemite Road Tuolumne, CA 95379

ERIN POLLEN

FROM

Advertising Representatives: Tuolumne & Stanislaus CountiesKen Jay Tuolumne & Calaveras CountiesDiane Del Priore

Contributing Writers: Tom Bender, John Buckley, Patti Cherry, Dean Fleming, Michelle Cruz Gonzales, Patricia Harrelson, Bob Holton, Jan Hovey, Sunny Lockwood, Bonnie Miller, Amy Nilson, Ron Pickup, Erin Pollen, Frank Priscaro, Pam Quyle, Mark Stoltenberg, Photographers: Jerome Andrews, Tom Bender, Dave Bonnot, Dean Fleming, Jan Hovey, Don Hukari, Dick James, Sunny Lockwood, Amy Nilson, Ron Pickup, Erin Pollen, Pam Quyle, Phil Schermeister, Dianne Shannon, Judy Stoltenberg, Larry Tusoni

COVER– North Fork of the Stanislaus River. Photo by Chris Hall. INSET: Some of the favorite stories from the recent years, starting on page 10.

C 6 D N w D

S u m m e r / F a l l

2 0 1 3

25 Years Featuring the Best of the Central Sierra Rivers Run Through It Finding Gold

–From summer of 2004 . . . . . . . . . . .

–From summer of 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Masses of Ladybugs Cave Country

–From summer of 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....................

–Must do activities for the summer . . . . . . . . .

–From summer of 2000

Get Outdoors!

–Tuolumne County’s museums

Apple Season

–Fresh apples and hard cider

D E PA R T M E N T S Contributor . . . . . . . . 9 Regional Map . . . . . 34

............

.............

These Are the Strings –A story of remembrance . . . 23 Great Getaways –From camping to executive homes . 24 Handmade –In the Mother Lode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Dome Is Where Art is –KASA art classes . . . . . . . . . 32 Day in the Life of an Artist –Quyle Kilns . . . . . . 36 Pretty Bold for a Mexican Girl –Growing up . . . 55 Coming Home –A trio returns to their hotel . . . . . . . . 55 Xeriscaping –Gardening with little water . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Top Award –Sonora Regional Medical Center . . . . . . . . 62 SUNNY LOCKWOOD

ERIN POLLEN

Museum Tour

Xeriscape, gardening for low water usage. See page 60.

COMMUNITY FOCUS Jamestown -Railtown & Antiques . . . . . . 4 Copperopolis -New town, old town . . . . . 8

Golfing Highlights . 37 Events Calendar . . . 39

Angels Camp -Home to Jumping Frogs . 15

Live Theatre . . . . . . 46

Arnold/Ebbetts Pass -Big Trees . . . . . . . 20

Lodging Guide . . . . 46

Columbia -State Historic Park . . . . . . . . 22

Dining Directory . . 48 Book Review . . . . . 51 Wine Highlights . . . 61

Sonora -Art, Shop & Dine . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Lloyd Bunch bakes up his home ranch apples. See page 52.

Subscription Info . . 14

Upper 108 -Sonora Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Murphys -Main Street Charm . . . . . . . . . 56 Wineries -Murphys Wine Tasting . . . . . . 58

CENTRAL SIERRA SEASONS MAGAZINE is published two times a year. Subscription rate is $12.00 for 6 issues to U.S. addresses. Single copies and back issues: $2.50. Send all remittances and inquiries to: Hukari Designs; Post Office Box 3306; Sonora, CA 95370; (209)928-3009. www.sierraseasons.com. Volume 26, Number 1, Copyright © May 2013 by Hukari Designs. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of publisher is prohibited. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not of Hukari Designs. Claims made in advertising are the responsibility of the advertiser.

North Calaveras County . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Highway 120 -Oakdale to Yosemite . . . 64 7

Annual Events June 12 – Music in the Park June 22 – Art & Jazz on the Square Art show, music in the gazebo

July 20 – Western Days August 11 Summerfest

Summer fun dress for wet play!

September Saturday Concerts

6:30 to 9:30pm Free concert, $5 per car parking Bring a lawn chair or call for table reservation: 209-785-9700

October 12 – Flea Market & Dog Days Summer fun dress for wet play!

November 29-30 – Old-Fashioned Holiday Tree lighting Friday night Music and carriage rides with Santa Saturday

January – Chili Cook-Off February – Dog Days April – Easter Celebration May – Hot Copper Car Show

www.CopperopolisTownSquare.com 866.276.4235 Highway 4 • Copperopolis, California

Lake Tulloch Plaza

“World’s Greatest Bank” Ten Local Locations

3505 Spangler Lane Suite 300 Copperopolis

209-785-7007 866-4-UMPQUA

www.umpquabank.com 8

INSIDE SEASONS

Spotlight – Pamela Quyle, owner, Quyle Kilns By Jan Hovey Central Sierra Seasons is thrilled to include “A Day in the Life of an Artist” by Pamela Quyle in this issue, a Calaveras County ceramic artist who has been instrumental in providing a wide variety of quality filter-pressed clay to schools and artists throughout California for many decades, as well as showcasing her signature high-fired ceramics in the gallery since 1984. The words passion and dedication best describe Pamela, working her full day shift at Quyle Kilns Gallery interacting with customers, ordering and working with materials and supplies, and sharing stories about the 15-plus artists that also display their work in the gallery. During her night shift, which sometimes lasts until 2 a.m., Pamela spends quiet time creating works of art with her nature-designed pottery. This is one busy woman! Each piece goes through 27 steps before it hits the showroom. On Tuesdays, when the gallery is closed or during slow times, she delivers clay to the Bay Area. We are pleased to share her family story with you. Parents Paul and Joyce Quyle started making their own clay formulas in the 1940s, as there were no clays available for their own use. As interest in their specialized clays grew, they decided to expand their clay production and pottery business. In 1954 they moved to Murphys and opened Quyle Kilns on the 100acre family ranch, historically known as Brice Station. Pamela attended San Jose State University and graduated with a degree in Television Broadcasting with a minor in Electronics. “My favorite job was as a stage manager in broadcasting, working with sound and lighting and being a stage hand,” she explained. Pamela worked with PBS in San Francisco, as well as for ESPN, for 15 years. She moved back to Calaveras County in 1984, has been active in Calaveras Community Television/Peg Access since its inception and continues as a member of its Board of Directors. In addition to television broadcasting, Pamela has also been a disc jockey, an accountant, a salesperson for I. Magnin, Bullocks and Sax, a cook for the Hoff Brau Restaurant and as a landscaper, as well as a French maid. She also used her many talents as an industry photographer and spent time working with computer videos at AT&T and Hewlett Packard. “You could say I did the whole gamut,” she smiled. “Ever since I was little I wanted to know how things worked. So, I figured if it could be done, I’d do it.” And she did! Pamela has been painting in watercolor her entire life and uses that technique in glazing patterns on her ceramics. “Clothing, visual arts, everything is all about good design,” she added. “We’ve produced a quarter million pieces of pottery since we opened,” she remarked. “I’m here to keep the family business going.” Qulye Kilns is the oldest clay making company for studio potterers in the United States, a testament to the family’s and Pamela’s passion and dedication to the clay industry.

25 Years Featuring the B

FAVORITE ARTICLES Based on reader response

RON PICKUP

RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT IN

THE

SUMMER

2004, Sierra Seasons Magazine dedicated the

issue to our rivers, from the Tuolumne to the Mokelumne. Their power carves granite and can literally move mountains. And, on a much more meditative level, each tributary merits an entire day of sitting in one place and simply witnessing its unique intrinsic beauty. Part of that issue featured several of the recreational opportunities our readers could experience– BY KAYAK AND CANOE Flatwater kayaking and canoeing is best in our river-fed reservoirs such as New Melones, White Pines Lake, Utica and Union Reservoirs, Lake Alpine, Spicer Reservoir (for the more experienced), Highland and Pinecrest Lakes. For beginners and self-proclaimed floaters, the lower Stanislaus from Knights Ferry through into Oakdale has one Class II rapid. BY RAFT Whether you prefer a relaxing afternoon float trip or multi-day whitewater adventure, there are a host of professional rafting companies in the Central Sierra that can meet any water enthusiast’s needs. Tumbling through the Sierras from its headwaters in Yosemite, the Tuolumne River has long been revered as California’s premier river. The Main Tuolumne trip, from Meral’s Pool to Ward’s Ferry, offers a steep gradient with thrilling Class IV rapids. The Cherry Creek/Upper Tuolumne from Cherry Powerhouse to Meral’s Pool requires a training seminar, and the 18mile ride is the most challenging run in the U.S. The North Fork of the Stan boasts the most technical Class IV whitewater in California. The trip starts at 4,000 feet and hurtles five miles, at a 70foot/mile gradient, down to the Giant Sequoia groves of Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Just minutes away from Yosemite, the Merced River gradually mellows into a runnable whitewater river just below El Portal sporting Class III and IV rapids. BY FOOT Walking the rivers gives you the unique opportunity to witness the river’s power and beauties from the edge. Be sure to have your map with you as you explore these exceptional river trails. The Preston Flat Trail is #1 for river hikes in the Summit Ranger District on Highway 120. There is a large trailhead parking area and is accessible nearly year round. This historic trail leads upstream along the north side of the Tuolumne River from the Kirkwood powerhouse for 4.2 miles to Preston Falls. The South Fork of the Tuolumne River floats quietly through 1.5 miles of nearly level terrain, which provides a strong contrast to the raucous cascade tumbling out of Rainbow Pool six miles to the west. The Bradley Grove Trail begins on the South Grove Trail well inside Calaveras Big Trees Sate Park. The 2.5-mile loop trail follows Beaver Creek. Its the main feature is a grove of Sierra redwoods that were planted in the 1950s. Highland Lakes are the headwaters for two major Central Sierra rivers – the North Fork of the Stanislaus and the Mokelumne River. There are networks of trails from this pristine alpine area in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness.

e Best of the Central Sierra FINDING GOLD BELOW Deer Creek Trail near the Hermit Valley bridge on Highway 4 is a rare opportunity to hike to the Mokelumne River, as the canyon is quite steep (requires a wilderness permit). EASY STROLLS The Knights Ferry Recreation Area is a beautiful place to wander beside the lower Stanislaus River. Two easy and short trails can be taken from here for children of any age. The National Recreation Trail at Pinecrest Lake, one mile off Highway 108, takes you on a fairly easy 4-mile hike. The Lake Alpine loop off Highway 4 is an easy 2.5-mile walk and follows its scenic shore. BY MOUNTAIN BIKE The Central Sierra is mountain bike mecca. Choose from scenic paved or graveled roads with moderate terrain, or opt for the more challenging single track and 4X4 trails with steep grades. Perfect for beginners because of its gentle grades, the Sugar Pine Railroad Grade runs along the south side of the South Fork of the Stanislaus River. The three-mile trek begins at Fraser Flat Campground. An excellent trail for families from beginner to intermediate. The trail runs from Lyons Reservoir on Highway 108 to Confidence Road near Twain Harte. For the more advanced, the 22-mile Slick Rock Trail begins at the west end of Lake Alpine and traverses a lengthy section of very rough 4WD road past Slick Rock and onto graveled and newly paved portions of forest roads, then back up Highway 4 through Bear Valley. The Deer Valley Trail is very difficult mountain bike trail starting at the west end of Hermit Valley on Highway 4 and travels through a rare corridor of wilderness area and leads all the way to Highway 88. Another expert trail is the Sand Flat Trail, a very steep, very rough 1.5 mile trip that ends on the North Fork of the Stanislaus River. Take the trail from Highway 4 at Big Meadow to Camp Wolfeboro on the Stanislaus.

GOLD PROSPECTING ADVENTURES

Bob Holton’s previously-published article about how and where to find gold in the Sierra Foothills, a perfect accompaniment to “Rivers Run Through It.” IS AN EXCERPT FROM

WHERE DO I START? • Rule #1 – Look for gold where it has been found before. • All along Highway 49 and side roads off this historic route is fertile ground for prospecting, but access may be an issue. • Permission to pan on private property is often granted. Always ask first. • City waterways are usually off limits or highly restricted. Again, ask. • If you’re going to prospect on government land, call or go by the U. S. Forestry Service, 532-3671, 19777 Greenley Road, Sonora. Gold panning is generally allowed on forestry and Bureau of Land Management property with some exceptions. Dredging and more serious mining activity usually require a permit or are forbidden. Excellent maps are available at the above address. • The following businesses give instruction, provide access to private gold-bearing property and furnish the tools. Some hold classes along a creek. Gold Prospecting Adventures 18170 Main Street, Jamestown, 984-4653. Individual and groups of all sizes. Panning on Woods Creek. Hidden Treasure Gold Mine and Mother Lode Mining Co., in Columbia Historic State Park, 532-9693. Individual and groups of all sizes. Also conducts tours of an actual mine. BASIC EQUIPMENT • Gold pans, metal or plastic • Shovel, trowel and crevicing tool. A long handled spoon bent at the edges makes a good crevicing device. • Small container or vial for your gold • You may later want to add equipment like a portable sluice box, etc. PANNING TECHNIQUES • Place dirt in pan, about half full. • Carefully submerge it in the creek without losing any of the contents. Start with a light swirling motion to work heaviest material (gold) to bottom of pan. While pan is still in water, break up muddy clumps with fingers. • Remove large rocks, first washing them over pan and checking to make sure you’re not throwing out gold. Shake pan vigorously, swirling it around and removing more rocks. Repeat this process for several minutes. • Now, slightly tilting the pan, let lighter material spill out while continuing to swish and swirl contents. Do this until all that’s left is approximately three tablespoons of concentrate. • While beginning to slowly rock the pan, with only a small amount of water and concentrates remaining, start looking for presence of bright yellow metal. • If you have gold in your pan, place it in vial one piece and flake at a time. Tip: Small, wet flakes stick to dry fingertips. • Make sure you have retrieved all gold before starting over again with step #1. • Going through one pan typically takes five minutes at first. With experience you will get it down to under a minute. • Your chances of finding gold at first are slim. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t. A nice sized nugget or two may be in your very next pan. Good luck! 11

FAVORITE ARTICLES Based on reader response

25 Years Featuring the B MASSES IF

LADYBUGS!

YOU ASK KIDS OR ADULTS TO NAME THEIR

favorite insect, the ladybug is almost certain to top the list. These colorful insects (which are actually beetles) are not only beautiful, they are also beneficial– helping farmers and gardeners by feeding on pests that might otherwise harm valuable crops. For those who spend a lot of time out along the rivers and streams of the local mountains, ladybugs are a common sight especially during the warm summer season. Most people think of the ladybug with a single kind in mind. In reality, there are over 5,000 species of ladybugs worldwide, with 450 species present in North America. Just in California alone there are 175 species. Many species are red with black spots (what most people consider the standard ladybug). Other species of ladybugs can have stripes, while some have no spots or stripes at all. When temperatures drop and the weather chills, ladybugs undergo something called “diapause,” which is the insect’s version of hibernation. They gather in great masses on logs or on ground covers, and sometimes even inside buildings to spend the winter. They live off of their stored reserves until warmer weather comes and food is once again available. Ladybug concentrations are not always immediately evident. First you may notice a few motionless ladybugs huddled together in pine needles or covering a rotted log. Then, you suddenly discover thousands of ladybugs spread across the forest – blanketing the trunks of trees, hanging in foliage or even covering rocks and boulders. Local places to look for ladybug concentrations include the South Fork Stanislaus River, the Clavey River and the Tuolumne River’s numerous forks – all of which can periodically have ladybug gatherings. Almost every stream drainage in Calaveras Big Trees State Park or in the lower or middle elevations of the Stanislaus National Forest has potential to surprise a hiker with the sudden discovery of masses of ladybugs. Like most discoveries tied to nature, it is best to leave the ladybugs undisturbed. So, keep a sharp lookout for ladybugs as you explore the forests and rivers of the local mountains. Near the mist of a cascading waterfall or along shady wetness of a streamside zone, you may just discover thousands or even millions of ladybugs – cooling it until spring’s warmth sends them flying away home to your distant garden or flowerbed.

Photography by Phil Schermeister. Story by John Buckley, executive director of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC) and Brenda Whited, CSERC biologist. CSERC is a non-profit conservation organization that works to protect water, wildlife, and wild places across 2,000,000 acres of the region. To find out more about CSERC, go to www.cserc.org. 12

e Best of the Central Sierra CAVE COUNTRY Story and photos by Ron Pickup

THE ORIGIN OF OUR CAVERNS IS as fascinating as their present beauty. Curiously, all of the cavernsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; marvelous limestone and marble formation owe their existence to the marine animals that lived in the ancient seas. Over millions of years, their decomposed shells and skeletons fused with plant life, mineral and other sediments submitted to tremendous pressure and compacted into firm rock.

ABOVE: California Cavern lake BELOW: Flowstone at Moaning Cavern

Eventually, over eons, the earth underwent a great upheaval. The earth quaked, tilted and pushed sedimentary, metamorphic rock thousands of feet into the sky. olcanoes spouted fire. eat mated cold, creating rain, creating cycles, and water slowly began the creation of caverns. Water worked its way through the plant life, absorbed carbon dioxide, made carbonic acid and slowly dissolved the calcite composition of limestone and marble. It seeped through cracks spreading into crevices, crevices into pockets and pockets into chambers. Deep underground, slow moving water also played a part in forming caverns. This water, containing hydrogen sulfide, joined with the surface water introducing oxygen, and together they created sulfuric acid that also broke down the calcite composition of the mountains. And in some caverns, underground streams played a major part in chamber erosion. After millions of years, the cavern chambers grew, and eventually its beauty began to manifest. Continuously, over thousands of years, drop by drop, calcite deposits growing down from the cavernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ceiling create stalactites. And below, drips splashing up from the floor create stalagmites. If the two formations grow together, they become a column. The seepage of water along a slanted ceiling creates drapery formations, and as it seeps down the walls onto the floor, it creates flowstone resembling a waterfall. All of these and other formations are very fragile. They can easily be broken, and even touching the end of a stalactite can drastically break off its continued life by disturbing its chemical balance. The greatest respect must be given to live caves (any cave that is still being formed by water) to ensure their continued growth. There is said to be 2,500 known caves in the Sierra Foothills. For a sensory treat not experienced in any other way, I strongly suggest seeing as much of this beauty as possible. There are many caverns easily assessable in the Mother Lode. Some are commercially operated show caves; others are wild caves which should only be explored by experienced spelunkers and never explored alone.

LOCAL SHOW CAVES Black Chasm Cavern 15701 Volcano Pioneer, Road, Volcano 736-2708 or (866) 762-2837 BlackChasmCavern.com California Cavern 9565 Cave City Road, Mountain Ranch 736-2708 or (866) 762-2837 CaliforniaCavern.com Mercer Caverns 1665 Sheep Ranch Road, Murphys 728-1201 MercerCaverns.com Moaning Cavern 5350 Moaning Cave Road, Vallecito 736-2708 or (866) 762-2837 MoaningCavern.com 13

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Mark Twain mural on the Calaveras Coin and Pawn bulding by Sonora muralist, Judy Grossman

Calaveras Coin Enjoys New Location Calaveras Coin & Pawn reopened at 1283 S. Main St. in historic downtown Angels Camp in the actual hotel made famous by Mark Twain. It was here that Twain heard the frog story which inspired his classic book, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Family owned and operated, the Wesely family has made just a few updates since Howard Wesely, who passed away in 2012, started Calaveras Coin & Collectibles more than 20 years ago. Changes include adding pawn, moving four doors down to a larger location and adopting the new name. Inventory includes coins, antiques, collectibles and one-of-a-kind items. With more than 40 years’ experience in the numismatic marketplace, combined with a deep passion for history and rare coins, tokens and currency, Calaveras Coin & Pawn’s goal is to provide serious collectors of all levels from beginner to the most advanced with quality, accurately graded, eye-appealing specimens of exceptional value. The store also provides collateral loan services as pawnbrokers of items of value in exchange for temporary loans of cash. For more information, call 736-2646.

In 1848 Henry Angel opened a trading post in what was to become Angels Camp, and one year later some 4,000 gold miners were camped in the gully. A few years later while in downtown Angels Camp, Mark Twain was inspired to write his first successfully-published story in 1856, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Today a walking tour of Main Street leads past bronze plaques in the sidewalks depicting “frog jump” winners over the years. North of downtown, a statue of Mark Twain contemplates tree-shaded Utica Park, as well as a bronze sitting Twain statue on the front bench in the front of Greenhorn Creek’s restaurant and clubhouse.

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G et O utdOOrs

The Wood Chuck Basin Trail off of Highway 4 offers great views of the Mokelumne Wilderness Area in Alpine County.

Story and photos by Dean Fleming

Each summer season brings exciting new outdoor recreation opportunities to the Central Sierra. Even though the days are longer and these warmer seasons are much anticipated, no matter how much time is available during summer and fall there will never be enough hours in the day to experience all the wonderful activities in this region. There are many popular outdoor activities making stronger and stronger impressions on the local community here. With each passing year, more and more individuals are choosing to head outside and enjoy the natural resources found in abundance between Carson Pass and Yosemite National Park. Whether they are mountain biking, hiking, playing disc golf, kayaking or even just lounging beside one of the many subalpine lakes in the region, all of the individuals who enjoy this area’s natural environment agree on one thing: The options for outdoor fun are endless! This season we decided to select four classic outdoor activities and highlight a few of the most outstanding locations in the region. So if you’re looking for a new activity this summer and fall, or your seeking a new and exciting destination to explore, come along with us to these spectacular Central Sierra locations.

Perfect picnic spot at White Pines Lake

GO FOR A SWIM AT WHITE PINES LAKE: In summer, Highway 4 quickly becomes the water-lovers favorite trans-Sierra pass. While each of the Mother Lode’s high elevation byways provide a wonderful array of lakes and rivers, it’s safe to say that Highway 4 offers some of the most concentrated and convenient summer hot spots. Famous for its tranquil roadside lakes (there are more than five lakes in as many minutes from Highway 4) the summer boating, fishing and kayaking options on Highway 4 grow alongside rising Central Sierra temperatures. One of the most popular lakes at a summer elevation, and therefore often the first to see a significant amount of recreational traffic, can be found just east of Arnold. White Pines Lake, at an elevation of 4,270 feet, offers a range of activities from late spring into fall. One could easily reach the banks of White Pines Lake with a stroll from most Arnold cabins - or with a quick bike ride from a number of restaurants on Highway 4. Not only does this lake make a wonderful addition for residents and weekend visitors of Arnold and White Pines, it is one of the best quick picnic sites in the Sierra. I spent a few days at White Pines this spring with the intent to photograph some stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming, but ended up enthralled by the wonderfully scenic picnic sites on the south bank. Just footsteps from the tranquil waters of the lake, each picnic site at White Pines offers barbeque pits, picnic tables and benches; almost all are enclosed by majestic aspen trees and carpeted by lush green grasses. The park is self-funded and run by volunteers. Alongside some of Highway 4’s most scenic terrain, one of the first things White Pines visitors will notice is a large dam on the lakes western shore. According to the nearby (and well worth a visit) Sierra Nevada Logging Museum, in the late 1930s the space now filled by White Pines Lake was known as Dunbar Meadow. Literature at the museum describes the logging significance of this area: “In 1938, Frank Blagen Sr. bought harvesting rights to the timber on about 21,000 acres of land from Calaveras Land and Timber. With this purchase, he also acquired Dunbar Meadows, which included the property along San Antonio Creek where he built the Blagen Sawmill, and also the land upon which the Logging Museum now sits, and also where White Pines Lake later was built.” Blagen’s mill had a good run, but was eventually closed in 1962. In 1965 American Forest Products (AFP) came up with a plan to subdivide along San Antonio Creek from White Pines to Camp Connell. As an addition to this subdivision, American Forest Products dammed San Antonio Creek, creating the 26 acre White Pines Lake. And what an addition it is! Although the damming and flooding of the undoubtedly serene Dunbar Meadow was probably a huge disappointment for landowners in the meadow itself, today White Pines lake adds a huge amount of recreation options for nearby homeowners and seasonal visitors. As with any project that changes the continued on page 18 17

DON HUKARI

continued from page 17

natural topography of the land, there was, and perhaps still is, some opposition to the creation of this “recreation lake;” however, when considering the sheer beauty of White Pines, and it’s nearly year-round accessibility to Calaveras County’s townships, one could argue that White Pines Lake is one of the best mid-elevation destinations in the Mother Lode. White Pines Lake is located less than one mile from Highway 4 off Blagen Road near Giant Burger and the Timberline Lodge. Kayaks and stand up paddle boards can be rented in Arnold from Sierra Nevada Adventure Company.

GO FOR A BIKE RIDE AT RED HILLS: Year-round accessibility, low elevation and close proximity to Highway 49, makes Red Hills the perfect afternoon mountain biking adventure. This area’s great informative nature trail also makes this area a nice place to take the whole family on a day hike. Although the best time to catch the Red Hills’ famous wildflower bloom is spring and early summer, the late rain this year is providing some unusually long displays of color in the Mother Lode’s foothills. Perhaps the best feature of Red Hills is the huge amount of trails that cater to advanced mountain bikers and beginners alike. In fact, the trails at Red Hills are some of the most versatile in California. Some mountain biking trails – specifically farther up Sonora Pass – are littered with advanced obstacles, drop-offs and hair-raising washes. Unlike these advanced courses, Red Hills can be enjoyed at a slow pace with the whole family, or raced down at high speeds. With that in mind, users should be aware of other bikers at all times and be willing to step aside to let more advanced riders pass by. While some of the trails at Red Hills are wide enough for a car, much of the area’s terrain is single track. It’s probably best for beginners to stick to the wider trails; especially on weekends. One particularly wide trail at Red Hills – perfect for beginners – isn’t really a trail at all. The Serpentine Loop Road is a mild dirt road that was designed for easy wildflower viewing and sightseeing; however, the addition of a mountain bike to this awesome 4x4 road makes for an excellent introduction to the sport. For more advanced single tracks and some pretty intense hill climbs, drive past Serpentine Road until you reach an obvious parking area with a bathroom. From this point, there are eight established trails (17.3 total miles) that can keep even the most dedicated bikers busy for a season. The Red Hills are located ½ mile outside Chinese Camp on Red Hills Road. From Highway 49 and the town of Sonora, take Highway 108 west for a few miles until you reach the Yosemite Junction and the left hand turn back onto Highway 49. Turn left onto Highway 49 and drive a few miles farther until making a right turn onto Red Hills Road. The Mother Lode Field Office website has a single page downloadable map of this short drive for clarification. 18

The Red Hills Recreation Area near Chinese Camp offers great mountain bike trails.

GO BACKPACKING AT GIANELLI CABIN: In the midst of summer’s rising temperatures, Tuolumne County can be a difficult place to escape the heat. The sun, which is often referred to during 110 degree August temperatures as The Death Star, can be a hard thing to avoid. It seems the only alternative to burying one’s head in the freezer is to get up the hill and out of the heat. A great option lies just a few miles up Highway 108 at the Gianelli Cabin Trailhead. Residing at a splendid alpine elevation of 9,000 feet, this area is a cool environment that marks the start of many spectacular hiking trails. The main trail at the Gianelli area begins just a few miles off Highway 108 at the Gianelli Cabin Trailhead. The trail makes its way east across a large plateau which passes over the top of Burst Rock. As it quickly crosses into the Emigrant Wilderness, the trail traverses the top of a steep ridgeline, passing alpine lakes and streams for as long as the enthused hiker wishes to stamp

DON HUKARI

their feet. Though many destinations can be reached in a single afternoon, a vast majority of the lakes along this trail require an overnight trip. Chewing Gum Lake is the first major lake encountered east of the Gianelli Trailhead and is therefore one of the most popular overnight stops. The lake is easily reached within a few hours from a southbound junction, located three miles from the trailhead parking lot. Though it is possible to visit this lake in a single day, many people prefer to spend a few days camped along its tranquil shores. For a more aerobic vacation, one can head a few miles farther down this well-marked offshoot trail to reach Camp Lake; one of the Emigrant’s best backcountry stops. Upper Relief Valley is perhaps the most popular backpacking destination reached from the Gianelli Trailhead. Pleasant stops along the way, plenty of water to purify for cooking and excellent campsites make this 16.4-mile trip (one way) a great overnight experience. For Upper Relief Valley, take the main trail about six miles to a well-marked, northbound junction. This offshoot trail continues for the last 10 miles to reach the valley. For those who don’t enjoy squirming into heavy backpacks and eating burnt food for a week, Burst Rock has nearly limitless day hiking possibilities. Hundreds of streams flow from high altitude snow patches, down the rocky crags and into an abundance of crystal clear pools. Each season, the receding snow-pack reveals one of the most thriving alpine ecosystems in California. Plants that appear as though they were transplanted from a Brazilian rainforest abound in the meadows and can stand as tall as four feet. To get to the Gianelli Cabin Trailhead from Highway 49 and the town of Sonora, head 22 miles east on Highway 108 to the town of Cold Springs. 1.3 miles past the Cold Springs gas station, turn right (south) onto Crabtree Road. Stay on Crabtree Road, past the turn to Bell Meadow and the Aspen Meadow Horse Packing Station. At this point the road merges to gravel. This section of the road lasts for about five miles and is rough, but any car can make it. Stop at a large, obvious parking area where Crabtree Road dead ends. The trailhead is obvious and well marked, located at the eastern end of this lot.

Burst Rock in the Emigrant Wilderness Area off Highway 108

GO FOR A HIKE ON THE WOODCHUCK BASIN TRAIL: Boasting well maintained and easily accessible hiking through some of the most splendid high-altitude terrain in Alpine County, the Woodchuck Basin Trail is perhaps most revered for its amazing views of the Mokelumne Wilderness. Wandering through wildflower-filled sub-alpine forests, lush meadows and tranquil streams, the Woodchuck Basin Trail starts as a fairly steep 2.0 mile uphill hike, shortly rounding the summit of Wheeler Ridge – a wonderful vantage point comprised of ancient lava bluffs and splendid vistas. Clint Smitheman of Sierra Nevada Adventure Company’s Arnold store describes the Woodchuck Basin Trail as a moderate hike because “it only gains 1,000 in about 2.0 miles and has an easy, steady grade.” Clint added that “one can make this an all day affair for the family, or make a quick jaunt after work. Some folks even head up there to spend the night and watch the moonrise.” I highly recommend taking a camera on this mild high-country hike. Unbelievably vibrant wildflowers seemed to be exploding from the hillsides. A very photogenic creek runs almost two-thirds of the trail, and other lush high-altitude plant species make perfect foregrounds for the massive volcanic rock formations near the summit of Wheeler Ridge. Clint Smitheman also commented on the spectacular scenery in this area. “Woodchuck is an interesting hike from the very beginning,” said Clint. “There are plenty of flowers and volcanic formations to perk your interest. You quickly get great views to the south and west so you are rewarded even if you turn around half way up. Of course if you do persevere to the top, the 360 degree panorama is well worth the two-hour hike. The views sweep across the Mokelumne Canyon at the peaks ringing Tahoe, east to the Highland Massif, and south to the Emigrant.” The Woodchuck Basin area truly provides easy access to a surreal wilderness experience – even if you only have a few hours after work, or you want to spend the a whole day tripping around the cliffs and picnicking. To get to the Woodchuck Basin parking area and trailhead from Highway 49 and the town of Angles Camp, take Highway 4 east for just over 50 miles – past the turn off for Bear Valley Ski Resort – until you reach the north shore of Lake Alpine. The Woodchuck Basin Trailhead is located at a large dirt turn off/parking lot 1.2 miles past Lake Alpine (but before Cape Horn) on the left (north) side of Highway 4. There is also a small, makeshift campground at the parking area with a few scattered fire rings. From this parking area, follow a wide dirt road-to-path to the official (signed) trailhead about a quarter mile up the hill. Keep in mind that the majority of the Woodchuck Basin Trail is inside the Mokelumne Wilderness. No motorized vehicles or bicycles are permitted on this trail. 19

ARNO

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www.columbiacalifornia.com SPECIAL EVENTS Every Saturday & Sunday: TOWN TOURS Every Second Saturday: GOLD RUSH DAYS June 8: SARSAPARILLA ROUNDUP June 15-16: FATHER’S DAY FLY-IN June 16: COLUMBIA CAR SHOW June 17-21: ART CAMP July 4: GLORIOUS 4th CELEBRATION & PARADE July 20: BIG BAND STREET DANCE July 30, Aug 20, 27, Sept 3: HISTORY’S MYSTERIES August 3: BATTLE OF SAWMILL FLAT August 24: BUTTON SHOW September 7: CALIFORNIA ADMISSION DAY September 15: COLUMBIA ART SHOW September 21: BACK TO SCHOOL 1861 September 28: POISON OAK SHOW October 5: FIDDLE & BANGO CONTEST October 5-6: STORIES IN STONE October 12-13: HARVEST FESTIFALL October 26: ILLUMINATION OF JACK-O’LANTERNS November 11: VETERANS DAY Nov. 29 - Dec. 22: CANDY CANE MAKING December 6-7: DOCENT LAMPLIGHT TOUR December 8: EQUESTRIAN PARADE December 8: LAS POSADAS NATIVITY December 13: MERRY MERCHANTS Dec. 14-15, 21-22: MINER’S CHRISTMAS

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These Are the Strings Just before noon on Thanksgiving Day, 2007, George Chance presses the buttons to open the gate of the Sonora Hills Retirement Community. Most 1986 Toyota 4x4 pickups in Tuolumne County show their age with road rash and snow chain scars, but his still has a “driven to church on Sunday” look. In the words of fictional characters of the Chance family, Mark Stoltenberg writes about the hardworking Gold Rush families that have made our area’s history so rich. He has written a number of historical articles and one-man plays, and performed them for schools and Forest Service campfire programs. Mark Stoltenberg’s collection of stories, Tuolumne Fathers and Sons, makes interesting listening while driving through the Mother Lode. The stories are available on CD at Mountain Books in Sonora, and online at shoprecords.com.

Jane Chance’s contribution to dinner has just come out of the oven. She can relax, wait for her son, and count her blessings. She hears his familiar knock, then the opening door, and calls, “Come in, George! Hi, honey – did you bring the boys?” “No, I felt like driving Dad’s truck, so it’s just the two of us.” He sniffs fresh yeast bread, “If I’d brought them, there wouldn’t be any croissants left by the time we got to Twain Harte. Can I have one?” “We’ll split one. Your college man’s been gone three months – we don’t want to deprive him! How does he look? Hungry?” George takes his time choosing a roll, deeply satisfied that the three-month vacancy at the dinner table will be filled today by his older son. “Steve looks great – happy to be home.” “Gary stopped by with that sweet girl the other day.” Jane doesn’t need help with her coat and said, “They’re as cute as a button.” “Yeah, we like Chelsea. If we’d known how deliriously happy that driver’s license would make the lad, we’d have gotten it a long time ago.” They enjoy his cleverness while quality testing the warm roll. From the first moment Grandma Jane held her youngest grandson she’s known that George and Gary are cut from the same cloth. She treasures this fact, but rarely shares it. George is uncomfortable sharing this next news, “Did Gary tell you? Steve got a tattoo.” continued on page 25 23

DICK JAMES

Great Getaways

“It’s so easy to arrive but it’s so darned hard to leave.” By Bonnie Miller

The mountains offer something for everyone. For those who don’t quite want to rough it, but need some fresh air, a hotel or mountain cabin provides the perfect getaway that will keep calling you back.

CEDAR CREEK REALTY RENTALS Highway 4, a National Scenic Byway, boasts some of the most dramatic scenery in the Sierra, from picturesque Murphys to Markleeville. There is no better way to enjoy the area than to steep oneself in the communities of Highway 4 by staying for an extended visit. Cedar Creek Realty offers accommodations for one night, one week or an entire season of mountain activities. They specialize in quality rentals located primarily between Arnold and Dorrington. Cedar Creek Realty Rentals operates the largest vacation rental service in Calaveras County. Rentals run from modest to executive. All rentals can be confidently reviewed in advance through visual tours and descriptions available on their website. Each rental is thoroughly described right down to the neighborhood. This is a realtor you can count on. Their motto says it all when they say, “We know the mountains.” Cedar Creek enjoys a huge clientele of return customers and may match you so perfectly to a residence that you’ll be back for more mountain living. 24

One of the magnificient home rentals available in Arnold by Cedar Creek Realty Rentals. ABOVE: Lake Alpine on Highway 4, Ebbett’s Pass.

Cedar Creek Realty Rentals 1332 Oak Court Arnold, CA 95223 795-4663 CedarCreekRealty.com Miscellaneous: all rentals are non-smoking; pets by arrangement; rentals are rated by quality and location.

LAKE ALPINE RESORT When the snow melts in the late spring, Lake Alpine Resort reopens its doors. This remote, but accessible resort offers a variety of accommodations including a full spectrum of cabins from tent cabins with shared bathroom facilities and studios to fully equipped cabins suitable for families or large parties. All facilities are graced with the scenic view of beautiful Lake Alpine. Lake Alpine Resort provides a small, well-equipped grocery store, a saloon and a fine restaurant with added outdoor seating located in the historic lodge. The building is appointed with the dramatic stone fireplace built in 1927 by the famous hermit Monte Wolfe. Receding ice on the lake reveals a beautiful body of water teeming with recreational opportunities: fishing, kayaking,

mountain biking and clean camping can be at your fingertips, or at your doorstep if you stay at the Lake Alpine Resort. Visitors can enjoy fishing, swimming and boating on the lake. Bicyclers and hikers can follow the moderate paved trail around the lake. The more adventurous can visit the surrounding Stanislaus National Forest full of hiking and climbing opportunities. For your summer adventures, consider a visit to the breathtaking Lake Alpine Resort. Lake Alpine Resort 4000 Highway 4 P.O. Box 5060 Bear Valley, CA 95223 753-6350 LakeAlpineResort.com Miscellaneous: pet friendly; outfitted kitchens; outdoor firepits and barbeques provided; boat rentals available.

PINECREST CHALET Pinecrest Chalet is a collection of individual mini chalets with amenities from single room to fully-outfitted cabins. The moderately-priced cabins sleep from two to fourteen. All of the cabins feel like a quiet spot in the woods while providing numerous family activities.

DICK JAMES

These Are the Strings continued from page 23

Jane is less shocked than amused. “I’m guessing it’s either a baseball or a trout.” “You’re hoping it’s a baseball or a trout. This is payback, isn’t it, Mom? Carol and I must’ve given you and Dad fits sometimes.” “Oh, no, honey,” Jane comforts her only son, “Carol never did any such thing.” They both laugh as George wipes his hands on his jeans, then cradles the rolls out into the sunshine. The door of the truck still bears the faint outline of her late husband’s magnetic sign that had simply stated, “Carl Chance, Carpenter.” Jane turns to George, “You’re doing fine, son. Don’t sweat the small stuff.” George opens the door, “Did you talk to Carol today?” George and his sister have already had their holiday chat. “She called when she put her rolls in the oven. They’re probably done eating by now.” Jane’s muscle memory and a little help from George soon have her happily seated – almost girlish with anticipation, headed for the mountains. George walks around, climbs in, starts the engine and turns the radio off. “I’ve been thinking about Dad.” Pinecrest Chalet offers cabins for rent with convenient access to Dodge Ridge Ski Area and Pinecrest Lake.

The Chalet is an easy one-third mile walk to Pinecrest Lake without the crowds and parking congestion that can plague the lake on summer weekends. The Chalet is just a leisurely fifty-mile drive over the Sierra crest to reach Highway 395. Adventurous sightseers can visit Bodie State Park, Mono Lake or return to Pinecrest via an alternate route through Yosemite. Located just two miles from Dodge Ridge ski area, this location provides an economic alternative to condo rentals or pricey hotels thirty minutes away in winter. Especially enticing benefits include the group discounts and monthly specials or bargains that can be had during the spring and fall seasons. The Chalet is pet friendly by arrangement and even offers some beautiful RV sites. This facility was privately owned and operated for 50 years until it was purchased by the UC Berkeley Alumni Association four years ago. By special permit with the Forest Service the facility must be open to the public. All are welcome, whether a Cal Alum or not. “Let the Chalet be your springboard to an amazing array of mountain activities” they say, and it’s true. Pinecrest Chalet 500 Dodge Ridge Road, Pinecrest, CA 95364 965-3276 Alumni.Berkeley.edu/travel/Pinecrest-Chalet Miscellaneous: Wifi, non-smoking, TVs and DVD players, microwaves, refrigerators; most units are handicap accessible; pet friendly; fireplaces and outfitted kitchen units available.

“Is that why you brought his work truck?” “We moved in the house twenty-five years ago this week, you know.” “Yes, I do know. That was a fun time, wasn’t it?” She paused, “You and your dad – you all put so much of your hearts and souls into building that beautiful home.” “So did you, Mom.” George reaches for the pile of mail on the dashboard. “I got something interesting at the post office box just now.” He pulls out a padded envelope, “This guy called me up last week – just out of the blue – to say that they came across an old reel-to-reel tape in his grandfather’s attic and his son, for a school project, had – what do they call it? – ‘digitized’ it. It’s an old radio show from back in Ohio.” “Cincinnati?” Jane is keenly interested. George checks the return address. “Yes. They did some research – turns out it was Dad and his band – the guy thought I might like to have a copy. Guess this is it.” Jane is caught off guard. Her right hand pushes her chin up and stays there. The first words she can come up with are, “I thought I’d lost him – your father – back there, back then.” George eases back out through the security gate and said, “I didn’t know how you’d react to this.” “Well,” she pats any of her white curls that might have been disturbed, “I see what you mean by ‘interesting.’” They share a nervous laugh, then George brightens, “The turkey’ll be out in about an hour. I told the boys we’d be back for halftime – Lions and Packers – I’m forecasting tears in Detroit.” Jane searches the roadside for the few landmarks that existed continued on page 27 25

PHIL SCHERMEISTER

HANDMADE in the Mother Lode By Sunny Lockwood

FOR

MOST OF US, WOOD IS COMMONPLACE.

From firewood stacked by the back door, to the oaks and evergreens lining our Mother Lode roads, it seems quite ordinary. But Larry Tusoni of Angels Camp and Richard Sholer of Sonora have a soulful, artistic connection with wood that transforms it to an elegance and class all its own. Richard Sholer has been playing guitar for half a century. His junior high and high school bands performed for school events. As an adult, he discovered bluegrass and became a street musician. He dreamed of making the instrument he loves, but the dream faded in the harsh reality of earning a living. He became an apprentice carpenter, later a licensed general contractor, and later still, a music store owner. But it seems guitar-making was his destiny. Master luthier Michael Hornick (Shanti Guitars) took Richard under his wing. “I always wanted to buy one of his guitars, but couldn’t afford it. Then one day he said he’d teach me to make my own guitar if I’d do some construction work for him,” Richard says. Richard never returned to construction work. Today, his exquisite Sholer Guitars (which start at $4,000) attract devoted customers and high-end music stores. “I tap on every piece of wood I use, listening to the sound of each piece. If it doesn’t resonate with me, I put it aside and use another piece.” The backs and sides of his guitars are made of Indian Rosewood or Hawaiian Koa Wood. “I use Adirondack Spruce or Sitka Spruce for the top. Spruce is the best sounding top,” he says. “Right out of the shoot, the guitars have really great tone.” He uses Honduras mahogany for necks, Ebony for fingerboards and bridges, real bone for the nuts and saddle, and his trim is all exotic wood: ebony, koa, rosewood or birds eye maple. He finished his elegant instruments with abalone shell rosettes. “I feel like I finally found what I am meant to do,” he says. “I am living my dream.” 26

Richard Sholer works in his Tuolumne County shop.

Born and raised in Framingham, Massachusetts, Larry Tusoni enjoyed lakes and rivers as a kid, and watched his father and uncle make bamboo fly fishing rods. It was a hobby with the men. “I’d get the cast offs,” Larry says. Today, along with a successful career in software development, he continues the family art, making split bamboo rods for enthusiastic customers across the country. His High Sierra Rod Company operates from Larry’s oneman shop. There, he turns 12-foot lengths of Arundinaria Amabilis Bamboo into elegant rods with the strength and flexibility to transform fishing line into graceful, almost poetic designs that sail beautifully and perfectly pierce the water’s surface. “This bamboo grows in a 30-square mile area of China,” Larry says. “It’s the only region in the world where the bamboo develops the characteristics demanded by rod makers.” Larry enhances the bamboo’s strength and beauty through detailed hand craftsmanship. Each strip is hand finished, each taper hand set. Silk wraps, nickel silver ferrules and hardware, exotic wood reel seat and natural cork handle complete the heirloom beauty of each rod.

These Are the Strings continued from page 25

that autumn of 1941. As they climb Twain Harte grade, she is amazed at the high definition of the memories that this revelation, contained in the padded envelope, has opened up. She wants to share them. “He’d been gone over a year. It’d gotten to where I didn’t know what to expect when I got one of his letters. It was a hard time for both of us, trying to hold strong, but there were times we both doubted. Oh, George, I do so want to hear his voice!” “Mom, I’m sorry if my timing leaves something to be desired,” said George. As he makes the U-turn up his driveway, they see Penny and her boys grinning and waving from the deck. “Your timing’s perfect, honey,” she said waving with one hand and patting his arm with the other, “Now, what and where is that tattoo?” At the Thanksgiving table compromise prevails. The game stays on with no sound and Penny picks a CD and lights the candles. Around the table each shares what he or she is thankful for: good health, croissants, brothers and George borrows, “the house that built me” from a country song. Grandma Jane is thankful for “the kindness of strangers,” but deflects follow up questioning with a smile. A Larry Tusoni bamboo rod and reel

Larry cuts his raw bamboo in half. Then he splits it into narrower and narrower strips. He straightens the strips, runs them through a beveling machine, planes them until he has the size and taper he wants, then glues the strips together, binds them with cotton thread and lets the glue dry. “Then I sand and scrape and sand. I go from 80-grit to 800-grit to make them real smooth. I straighten them with heat and patience. Each rod comes out differently, even if I make them all the same. That makes it interesting,” he says. Combining his artistic and software abilities, Larry has designed a software program for making split bamboo rods. He also authored the book: Bamboo Rod Taper Design with RodDNA Designer. “It shows people how to design a rod using my software,” he says. Larry’s rods average about $1,600. In addition to making his soughtafter rods, Larry gives classes in rodmaking.

---Whether creating rods or guitars, Richard and Larry are artists who’ve discovered the pleasure of turning wood into functional art.

The turkey is carved and all are content. Steve is encouraged to talk with his mouth full about dorm life and textbooks. By dessert, the mystery is too much for Gary. He can’t enjoy his pumpkin pie until he knows more about this kind stranger. George brings out the padded envelope and finally opens it to read the letter: “Dear Mr. Chance, I’ll call you George after our enjoyable chat on the phone last evening. I’m still chuckling about you and I being the last two dinosaurs being dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age.”(With perfect comedic tone and timing he reads on.) “Gary, I can HEAR your eyes rolling.” Gary’s burst of glee opens the flood gates and the entire table is engulfed in sustained mirth. Jane and Penny share a look of pure joy and savor this anthem of mother’s music and family laughter. Eventually, George is able to continue, “’So, here it is, youngest son’s Senior Project. He got a kick out of the advertisements. I tried to point out the historic context. All who have heard it enjoyed the performance. We hope you’ll enjoy it, too.’ And it’s signed.” George leans forward, locking eyes with each one present, “A Cincinnati Stranger. Let’s head out to the deck for the portrait. Mom, you bring your camera?” Both boys are taller than George, Grandma Jane points out. All four are beaming as she snaps the photo that will adorn her night stand and Penny’s Christmas cards in a few weeks. All but Jane go back in to chuckle at John Madden’s six-legged turkey and witness the rout of the New York Giants at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys “You alright, Mom?” George and Jane stand gazing off into the lofty pines and cedars. “I was just thinking about something Carl told me once about singing harmony – that two voices go together to create a third voice – that you and Carol are our harmony. You never really heard him play, did you?” “Well, sure I did. Remember your thirty-ninth birthday? Carol and I carried in your cake and he followed along playing the Jack Benny theme. That was Carol’s creation, you know. When she laid it out for him, he wiggled his left hand and said, ‘not as limber as I once was, but I ought to be able to do as good as Jack.’” continued on page 29 27

MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT

By Bob Holton

Tuolumne County Museum Tour a step back in time IT

WAS ONCE THE SCENE OF A WORLD-CLASS

GOLD

Rush, and one of the wickedest parts of the Wild Old West. Whether you live in Tuolumne County or just linger awhile, a road trip along Highway 49 is like traveling effortlessly through time back to the mid-19th century. Museums, of course, are big on the history aficionado’s itinerary when visiting here, so we have put together an alltelling list of these popular attractions. The following information is subject to change, however, owing to our Golden State's current budget woes and future funding considerations.

JUDY STOLTENBERG

Columbia State Historic Park and Museum - just north of Highway 49 on Parrott’s Ferry Road, 532-3184 Here we find not only a museum, but what is left of a Gold Rush city once booming with 49ers from all corners of the globe. The whole town is a museum, literally. Restored to its original look of the 1850s, old Columbia’s stores, restaurants, saloons, hotels, functioning blacksmith shop, etc., still offer goods and services to the general public. Various historical reenactments also happen here throughout the year, not the least of which is “Columbia Diggings 1852,” from May 30 to June 2, and “Historic Fourth of July,” held on July 4, of course, starting at 11am. The museum is open seven days a week except Thanksgiving and Christmas, 10am to 4pm. Admission is free, including complementary guided walking tours of the town on Saturday and Sunday. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and Roundhouse Museum - Fifth Street and Reservoir Road, Jamestown, 984-3953 Several of the restored steam trains to be seen here have starred in major Hollywood movies and commercials. Guests can climb aboard and travel back to 1897, “through miles of scenic meadow and oak-studded Gold Country.” During the summer, the park is open seven days a week, 9:30 to 4:30. Among the attractions are guided roundhouse tours. Train ride departures: July and August, Wednesday noon and 2pm; September and October, weekends 11am to 3pm on the hour. Call for specific information and costs. 28

Tuolumne County Jail Museum and History Center - 158 Bradford Avenue, Sonora, 532-1317 This museum was originally Tuolumne County’s cheerless jailhouse, built in 1857, and some of the inmates’ cells are said to be haunted. Behind the museum is a courtyard where legal hangings once took place. Also attached to this facility is a vast archive of rare photographs and documents available to the public for research. Museum hours: Monday through Friday, 10am to 4pm; Saturday, 10am to 3:30pm. No museum fee. History Center: Tuesday and Thursday 9am to noon, $10/hour research fee, no appointment necessary. Veterans Military Museum - 9 North Washington Street, Sonora, 533-0923 Open Monday through Friday, 10am to 2pm; Saturday, 11am to 3pm. All the displays in these hallowed halls honor our veterans of World War I, II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, the Iraq War, and more recently Afghanistan. Unlike other museums mentioned above, the exhibits here will continue to grow as long as nations are at war. Sadly, the possibilities are endless. No fee. Fire Museum and Senior Lounge - 25 N. Washington Street, Sonora, 532-7890 Open daily, 9am to 3pm. Here is another fine example of a “specialized museum,” in which a rather small but unique collection of firefighting equipment from the 1850s is on exhibit. Sonora’s first volunteer fire department was organized in 1852, when entire frontier towns went up in smoke on a regular basis. No fee.

These Are the Strings JUDY STOLTENBERG

continued from page 27

“I remember, honey, but, oh, there was a time, before you were born, before the war, that music poured out of your dad and people stopped. And they listened. Of course, I’m biased. I was in love with him,” her smile fades a bit. “I’m remembering the last letter he sent from Ohio. I call it the ‘these are the strings’ letter. Your dad was at a crossroad, there in Cincinnati. He’d left California to achieve something. He quoted his Grandpa Powell about the gold seekers who’d come to the foothills – their stubborn pride would not let them return home without their pocketful of rocks.” “He wrote the letter in installments over a week, starting on a very forlorn Thanksgiving Day, going through highs and lows, hope and despair, waking up in the morning on the floor of a vacant basement with no windows, thinking about all the choices that had put him there.” “Almost sounds like he was homeless,” the word stuns George. “He always seemed so confident – so sure. I never knew anyone more comfortable in his own skin than Dad.”

From below Left: Front of the Tuolumne County Museum in downtown Sonora; The Columbia State Park Museum; Engine #3 comes out of the roundhouse at Railtown State Historic Park; the Veterans Military Museum in downtown Sonora

Tuolumne City Memorial Museum - Carter and Bay Streets, Tuolumne, 928-3516 Tuolumne City was once a major logging center. Ergo, this museum boasts one of the better logging exhibits in the country, including educational videos. Me-Wuk artifacts are also on display along with various mining implements and gold washing paraphernalia. Open Saturday and Sunday only, 1pm to 4pm, depending on docent availability. No fee. Groveland-Yosemite Gateway Museum - 18990 Highway 120, Groveland, 962-0300 Open Sunday through Thursday, 1pm to 4:30pm; Friday and Saturday, 10am to 4:30pm. This year’s “Living History Day” is October 5, featuring gold panning, 19th Century cooking demos, games, arts and crafts. No fee. New Melones Visitor Center and Museum - 5150 Stud Horse Flat Road, Sonora, 536-9094, located off Highway 49 by New Melones Reservoir on the Tuolumne County side Open Saturday, Sunday and Thursday, 10am to 4:30pm. This museum is central to water reclamation issues and the controversy that once raged over creation of Lake New Melones. Also seen here are wildlife exhibits and artifacts recovered from the Gold Rush town of Melones, now submerged under 300 feet of water. No fee. This concludes Part I of our tour. It will take the diligent student at least one week, maybe longer, to visit all of these depositories, learn everything there is to learn, and become thoroughly proficient in Tuolumne County history. Look for Part II, titled “The Wonders of Calaveras County’s Unrivaled Museums,” to appear in a future issue of Seasons.

“He faced two futures and he needed to decide. They’d added a new member to the band and he was so excited about their new sound. They were writing new songs and rediscovering old ones. He changed the strings on his fiddle – at the suggestion of the new guitar player – and tucked the old ones into the envelope with that letter saying, ‘Well, here they are, Janie. I’m sending them home to you with love and trust that you will find a place for safe keeping. These are the strings that I’ve been sawing away on for over half my life in front of strangers and in my room, beside the river in Yosemite and up at Kennedy Meadows, around gypsy campfires in Arizona, in front of radio microphones, my grandpa and you.’” “He couldn’t have two first choices. How could you respond?” George wondered. “Call me selfish, but I desperately wanted him to come back here to me. I would’ve gone there if he’d asked, but he didn’t. He faced two futures and I knew it had to be his choice with no strings attached,” she punned. “Maybe I don’t want to think of him as anyone but my Dad. Maybe we should just leave it alone, Mom. What this amounts to is a recording, a snapshot of him when he was about Steve’s age. I don’t know if there’s really anything for either of us to gain in listening to it. I just don’t want anything to change the way I remember him.” “I know, honey, but I think you should hear him – his music. Son, have you ever known Carl Chance to be less than trustworthy,” her smile reassured him, “and I don’t think I can wait another minute to hear his voice!” Putting his arm around her shoulder, George escorted her back inside, “You’re right, Mom. It’s a gift. Let’s go open it together.”

Sonora Hub of Tuolumne County . . .

SONORA 2ND SATURDAY ART NIGHT The Second Saturday Night of Every Month! Join the fun for music and art in downtown stores and restaurants, plus openings at downtown galleries.

• 15,000 Sq.Ft. Showroom • Interior Design Services • Home Decor Accessories • 38 Years Experience • Extended Financing O.A.C. Next to Sonora Family Bowl • Open 7 Days a Week

www.HeusersFurniture.com 37 S. Stewart Street • Downtown Sonora • 209-536-9834

DIANNE SHANNON

BOTH: DIANNE SHANNON

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS

Musicians entertain shoppers on Second Saturday at Mountain Home Gifts.

Mountain Home for Gifts Pharmacist and business owner John Williams wants to support the local economy and has opened a new store featuring regional items. Known for his Bob’s Greenley Pharmacy, which his father started many years ago, John has take his retail experience and expanded onto downtown Sonora’s Washington Street. He is also a big supporter of Sonor’s Second Saturday Art Night pictured above.

What’s Up To night!

Your Online Directory to food, fun, nightlife & live music...

Mountain Home Gifts is more than a home decor store and more than a souvenir shop. The eclectic selection of gifts and cabin accessories can really make one feel at home in the mountains with local poster art, Gold Rush memoralbilia and Yosemite artworks. With the tagline: “If you visit just one store in Sonora, this is it!,” John has carved out a beautiful niche for himself. So be sure to visit the store at 87 S. Washington Street.

The Europa Returns to Sonora

Originally built and opened in 1920 by Italian immigrants, The Europa was a fine dinner restaurant and an Inn with 14 men-only boarding rooms upstairs. After a few owners and nearly 50 years of operation, The Europa was purchased in 1968 by Harry and Bea Bezaitis. In 1989 another family member bought the restaurant and ran it as Wilma’s Cafe and the Flying Pig Saloon. Now, Larry and his wife Brenda, with the help of their family, are proud to return The Europa to Tuolumne County as The Europa Deli, Sports Bar and Grill, 275 S. Washington St., marking four generations of Bezaitis family tradition and 90 years of service. Homemade lunch and dinner with a mix of most of the old Europa favorites are offered. Enjoy traditional fare and some new vegetarian and heart-healthy specials. The restaurant has a traditional dining room and a sports bar room as well. For more information, call 536-4670.

Dome Is Where the Art Is! KASA opens a new world of art in Sonora By Patti Cherry

The iconic Sonora Elementary Dome building overlooking downtown Sonora is being transformed into a community center.

AT 251 BARRETTA STREET, SONORA, across a beautiful jagged ravine overlooking downtown, you will find one terrific Tuolumne County view. You will also find one of Tuolumne County’s oldest treasured buildings– the Historic Dome, reinvented, reinvigorated and alive with arts, sports and culture. A dynamic growing area in Tuolumne County, this seven-acre Historic Dome Campus is worth the short drive or walk around the corner from the hustle-bustle of downtown Sonora. In addition to this acreage housing the Historic Dome building, the property is home to Cassina High Continuation School, a refurbished sports field, a Masters Gardner’s Community Garden 32

and Central Sierra Arts Council offering art classrooms, arts community meeting rooms and ultimately gallery space for CSAC’s permanent art collection. What you will not find is a dull moment. This is a place for visitors and residents alike to take part in cultural activities of all kinds that is still developing but in the best possible way – organically. It takes a committed community to raise this kind of venue from embryo to actuality, especially when finding financial resources is a struggle. It has taken 16 years, but it is now becoming a reality and an idea whose time has finally come. I asked CSAC’s Executive Director, Connie O’Connor, why she has been so passionate about this project. “About sixteen years ago when Dick Bergsund was President of CSAC, he, I and many, many other wonderful people developed the idea of creating a community arts center at the Dome. Before Dick passed away, he handed this box of Dome papers to me and said, ‘I’m not going to be able to this so I’m giving this to you to carry forward.’ I’ve felt driven to keep the idea alive. Now with the help of so many enthusiastic supporters, we are bringing it to fruition. I truly believe a community that supports the arts and culture lifts everyone in that society.” CSAC has been operating with that objective in mind for over 40 years. Even through difficult times, it has always adhered to its mission: “To promote the arts and arts education in Tuolumne County, thereby enriching the lives of residents and visitors.” If you go to their website CentralSierraArts.org, you will find a calendar chock full of events and programs. The Children’s Summer Arts Camp is now in its eighth year and will run from June 17 – 21, held in Historic Columbia Sate Park. With Kids Art Studies Academy, or as it is affectionately called KASA, much of the arts programs are for kids. But, let’s face it, when it comes to art, we are all kids at heart. Consequently, adults will also be generously considered in all of the plans. Here, briefly, are some other events coming up. In July there will be an excursion to Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento and the Grand Opening at Tuolumne County Arts Alliance in August along with opening of the new George Post Gallery and Art Party in the Park. September brings us a Children’s Art Exchange Exhibition and an Art Excursion to the Oakland Museum of Art. October events include Celebrating California Arts Day and a Plein Aire Festival. November is Native American Month at the George Post Gallery, and in December expect Christmas at Dunsmuir House and the introductory KASA Annual Gingerbread House Contest. For more events or details, visit TuolumneCountyArts.org. Better yet drop by the Dome to see why, when it comes to art, “Dome is where the Art is.” Note: The Central Sierra Arts Council will introduce a new name to go along with this new opportunity to serve the arts needs of Tuolumne County. Watch their website to see the new brand as well as new programs.

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PARK 35

A Day in the Life of an By Pam Quyle

The entrance to Quyle Kilns gallery and worshop.

Quyle Kiln Gallery showcasing art from many artists and Quyle’s 1852 printing press.

IN AN IDEAL WORLD AS AN ARTIST I would be able to get up and have a healthy breakfast, do some yoga and stroll leisurely out to my clean, brightly-lit studio. I would feel the breath of inspiration and begin work on the art project du jour. However, my day is probably a lot more like yours and starts with the snooze button and the realization that I have an incredibly busy day ahead.

Working as a potter seems like it would be a very Zen existence, but in my world it means one part creativity and 30 parts craftsmanship and running a business. My day includes shaping raw clay into functional forms, which requires multiple steps over days and weeks of time per pot. Also, my day has to include glaze/lab work, gallery sales, marketing, merchandising, continuing education, teaching, building maintenance, office work and supervising our Clay Manufacturing Division. When I do get to have that creative Zen time in the studio, it is wonderful and I realize why I have done this for 30 years. The opportunity to be able to see and feel and express myself while also making an object that someone else will love and cherish is an amazing gift. I am blessed to be able to feed my family and call myself an artist, too. It all started when my folks moved to Murphys in 1954 to pursue their dream of being self-employed potters. I stepped in to manage the day-to-day running of their pottery business in the mid ‘80s. Along with the many art classes available through school, my folks taught me painting, batik, gardening, cooking, sewing, weaving, printing and photography. My need to express my creative side was always nurtured by my folks, and I started adding “one of a kind” items into their product line when I was in high school. I chose to go into a more technical field in college and worked in television broadcasting for some years. The combination of all these skills and experiences shape the way I work today. I am generally interested and pleased by simple designs. My brush work is the same as I use in painting watercolor,

GOLFING

n Artist

ANGELS CAMP Great Golf Getaway

ALL: JAN HOVEY

Quyle’s classroom where a variety of art classes are held throughout the year.

and I love to use the forms from my garden to decorate much of my pottery. As a “mountain girl” I paint and draw trees, lakes, water, leaves, flowers and animals around me. My goal is to create pottery that will stand the test of time and bring a pleasurable experience to each person who views or uses it and it’s an amazing gift to me. Quyle Kilns Pottery has produced over a quarter million pots in the last 60 years, priding ourselves on making highquality, functional dinnerware, kitchenware and decorative works. While I continue to produce our old glaze patterns, I listen to what my customers request and create custom designs. Recently I have been able to branch out and include some fused glass jewelry and sculpture into my shop. Fifteen other artists show here, and I find it inspiring to be able to work alongside other artists and to be able to bring their work to the public, too. We host a variety of weekend classes, open to the public each summer, in ceramics, sculpture and blacksmithing. I welcome you to visit our gallery and our winery, Brice Station, four miles above Murphys on Highway 4.

HIGHLIGHTS

Greenhorn Creek Resort is just a hop from the historic downtown of Angels Camp and is named after the late arriving greenhorn miners who were sent to the creek to stake their claims. These days, an 18-hole golf course wanders over old underground diggins and artifacts of that golden era. “Greenhorn Creek is one of the best secrets for quality golf in Northern California,” said Mike Kristoff, general manager. “When couples, groups or tournament guests visit the property for the first time, they are in awe of the tour-conditioned greens and layout surrounded by 100-year old oaks and rolling foothills. Greenhorn Creek serves as an ideal jumping-off point to spectacular scenic drives, to experience local wineries, a wide variety of outdoor activities, plus other excellent nearby golf courses.” Greenhorn Creek has lodging in an on-site condominium resort, cottages on the course or the recently added Caddy Shack, where golfers can rent out a fivebedroom lodge with room for twelve and complete with a horseshoe pit and barbecue. Situated at 1,500 foot elevation, the weather is fabulous as is the food and fine wines served at the resort’s Camps Restaurant. Visit greenhorncreek.com.

COPPEROPOLIS A Golfer’s Haven Saddle Creek Golf Course has recently been recognized by GolfWeek magazine as the 10th Best Public Course to play in the State of California along with iconic layouts like Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Pasatiempo and Torrey Pines’ South Course. Saddle Creek is located in the heart of the Copper Valley and golfers will discover stunning vistas of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east, while a collection of shimmering lakes, native trees, indigenous grasses and 100 bunkers provides a challenging, thought-provoking experience from tee to green. No two holes run parallel to each other. Saddle Creek Resort is widely recognized for its award-winning cuisine at The Copper Grille, the chef-driven restaurant serving contemporary American cuisine and wines from the region. There are 16 fully-appointed bungalows for rent and within walking distance of the Lodge and

The course at Saddle Creek Resort is rated 10th in California.

Grille. Options include a two-bedroom, two-bath suite or a onebedroom suite with full kitchen and dining area, and a living room with cozy fireplace. Guests also receive access to the resort’s Sports Club, which houses a junior Olympic-size lap pool, workout equipment, tennis and bocce ball courts and a horseshoe pit. Saddle Creek’s miles of hiking and biking trails are easily accessible, as well. Visit saddlecreekgolf.com or call 785-7415 for more info.

VALLEY SPRINGS Best Golfing Value Nestled in the heart of the Gold County, La Contenta is the best value for golfers in the foothills with E-specials offered every week. As a favorite destination for more than 35 years, the facility has undergone a remodel to include a new Golf Shop, event center and banquet facility, wedding gazebo, Vista Grille restaurant and lounge, and an outdoor covered deck for dining with a view. The management and staff at La Contenta is committed to offering top value to their patrons whether through a membership program, tournament hosting, coordinating a memory-filled wedding or the casual elegance of the Vista Grille. Honored by Golf Digest, La Contenta Golf Club continues to improve as one of Northern California’s best public/semi private golf club and event centers. Register at lacontentagolf.com.

ARNOLD Sequoia Woods

Sequoia Woods Country Club offers a challenging 18-hole golf course in a beautiful mountain setting. Nestled in the western

Sierra Nevada at a 4,000-foot elevation, this course makes dramatic use of the local terrain, combining the natural meadows and slopes of the first nine holes with the narrowed, pine tree-lined fairways of the second nine. The course brings golfers challenging play and fabulous views. The Sequoia Woods course was designed by well-known architect Bob Baldock. The par 70 course is closed only in the coldest weeks of winter. Located above the fog line, there is plenty of sunshine for most of the remaining golf months. Call 795-2141.

SONORA Mountain Springs Mountain Springs Golf Club, 17566 Lime Kiln Road, is an 18hole course that features 6,665 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. Course rating is 71.9 and has a slope rating of 128. Designed by Robert Muir Graves, ASGCA, the course opened in 1990. For more information on the golf course, call 532-1000.

GROVELAND Golf is King Pine Mountain Lake Golf Course, designed by William F. Bell, has been rated “4-1/2 stars Best Places to Play” by Golf Digest magazine and is open for play year-round. This championship course is available for tournaments and public play. The 6,382yard, par 70-course offers everything a golfer, beginner or expert, could want from a round of golf: a classic park-like setting, a fair but challenging layout, plenty of oaks, pines and breathtaking views of Yosemite peaks. Summer hours are from 6am to 6pm open daily. Call 962-8620 or visit pinemountainlake.com.

JUDY STOLTENBERG

Central Sierra Region

CALE N DAR

EVENTS

Events which end with a www will have a link for additional information online at the Calendar of Events page at www.sierraseasons.com

•••••••• J U N E •••••••

Cherries on the counters at Sonora’s Certified Farmers Market.

Farmers markets amaDOr COUNtY Jackson Mel’s Diner Parking Lot, Highway 49, Sundays, 9am to noon, 418-7591 Pine Grove Pine Grove Park, Wednesdays, 3 to 6pm, 418-7591 Plymouth McGee Park, Main Street, Thursdays, 4 to 7pm, 418-7591 Sutter Creek Eureka Street parking lot, Saturdays, 9am to noon, 418-7591

CaLaVeras COUNtY Angels Camp Certified Farmers Market, Utica Park, Fridays, 5pm to dusk, 303-7637 Murphys Certified Farmers Market, Val du Vino Winery, Fridays, 4pm to dusk, 728-9911

tUOLUmNe COUNtY & sOUtH Oakdale Certified Farmers Market, Third Ave. between E and F, Thursdays, 5pm to 8pm, 845-3591 Sonora Certified Farmers Market, Stewart Street, Saturdays, 7:30am to 11:30am, 532-7725 Tuolumne Certified Farmers Market, Memorial Park, Wednesdays, 4pm to dusk, 928-4351 Twain Harte Farmers Market, Eproson Park, Fridays 4pm to 6pm, 586-4482

15, 22, 29, Concerts in the Pines Saturday nights during the summer. Located on the Rotary Stage at Eproson Park, music from 6pm8pm. Bring chairs, blankets and a jacket. Candy and popcorn are sold at the concert. June 15 British Invasion (Beatles) June 22 - Hills Brothers Band, June 29 - Threshold. Twain Harte, 586-4482, www 1, 2, Columbia Diggins 1852, Reinactment of the 1852 town of tents and shacks which sprung up in the wake of the discovery of gold. Live music, games of the period. Food. 10-5 daily, Columbia State Historic Park, Columbia, 5361672, www 1, Bump City - Tower of Power Tribute, 9pm show, Willow Creek Lounge - Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 1-877-747-8777, www 1, Vintage Day, The culture of the 1920s-40s comes to life as guests experience the music, dance and food of the Art Deco era. Vintage Day is held in conjunction with the popular annual “Where the Hell is Groveland Car Show” on Sunday, June 2 in Mary Laveroni Park. At 8:00, Ginger and the Hoosier Daddys will sweep you off your feet and get you on the dance floor to use those dance moves you picked up earlier in the day, Groveland Hotel, 962-4000, www 1-29, The Wingnut Adams Band, Iron Door Saloon live entertainment, June 1: The Wingnut Adams Band, 7/8: The Penetrators Groove Band, 14/15: Shurman, 21/22: The Paul Chesne Band, 28/29: Beer Drinkers & Hellraisers (ZZ Top tribute). Most bands play 9pm to 1am. Call for ticket prices and more information. Groveland, 962-8904, www 2, Annual Garden Tour, Tuolumne County Master Gardeners 18th Annual Garden Tour on Sunday from 10:30am- 4:00pm. Four Beautiful Gardens plus the Demostration Garden. Tickets are $10. 533-5695 2, Where the Hell is Groveland? Car Show, 8am - Mid afternoon. Mary Laveroni Community Park, Groveland, 962-0429 5, 12, 19, 26, Concerts in Tuolumne Park, Wednesday evenings at the Memorial Park. Live music along with the wonderful farmers market. 6/5 - James and the Jukes, Progressive Blues; 6/12 Jesse James and the outlws, country; 6/19 Coyote Hill, Americana; 6/26 Crash Landing, Classic Rock. Tuolumne, www 6, Comedy Showcast, 8pm show, Willow Creek Lounge - Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 1-877-747-8777, www 7, Dave Stamey and Sourdough Slim, 9pm show Western Music, Willow Creek Lounge Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 877-747-8777 8, 5th Annual Sarsaparilla Roundup, Saturday noon. Features contests in the afternoon, including mug slide, horseshoes, spelling bee. Frosty cold sarsaparilla. Columbia Chamber of Commerce & Columbia Soda Works, Columbia State Historic Park, 536-1672

8, Brice Station Winery Release Party, with live music by The Tour Guides. Tickets $10, Brice Station Winery & Quyle Kilns Studios, Murphys, 768-7262 8, Farm and Ranch Tour, Farms of Tuolumne County 10:00am - 4:00pm. Visit some of FOTC’s most beautiful farms and ranches in the Jamestown/Sonora area for a day of fun and education. This is a self-guided tour, www 8, Foreverland Michael Jackson Tribute, 9pm show, Willow Creek Lounge - Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 1-877-747-8777, www 8, Jamestown Antique Street Faire, The Jamestown Promotion Club will sponsor the Antique Street Faire from 8am to 5pm. Booth space is available for $25. To reserve a space call Rick Pierce, 984-4865 8, Sonora 2nd Saturday Art Night, Join the fun for music and art in downtown Sonora stores and restaurants with openings at local galleries. 532-7697, www 8, Summer “Folk at the Oak” concerts, Twisted Oak Winery, David Lindley with Joe Craven. Dinner, Twisted Oak wine, soft drinks, and water will be available for purchase. Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Bring blankets and low-back chairs for first-come, firstserved seating. Buy tickets on line for a discount or at the gate if any are left. Each event has different food and music! Come enjoy an evening under the stars! Vallecito, 736-9080, www 12, 19, 26, Music in the Parks: June, Calaveras County Arts Council presents free music at various parks throughout Calaveras County on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm through the summer. Pack a picnic and bring lawn chairs or blankets. June 12, Mokelumne Crossing (Americana) at Copperopolis Town Square; June 19, Fishtank Ensemble (Gypsy) Angels Camp’s Utica Park; June 26 Bsides (rockin’ 60s) in Mountain Ranch Community Park, Calaveras County Arts Council, Assorted parks in Calaveras County, 754-1774 13, World Championship of Karaoke, 8pm. Show signups start at 7:30pm, Willow Creek Lounge - Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 1-877747-8777, www 13, 14, 15, 16, Tuolumne Lumber Jubilee, Four days of merriment and lumber education. Thursday: Tuolumne Appreciation Day, Carnival rides, live music. Friday: Carnival rides, queen coronation, live music, Saturday: parade, rides, kid’s games, women’s events, hot dog eating contest, arm wrestling, Jr. tug-o-war, live music. Sunday: Church services, soap box derby, rides, logging evens, tug of war. Tuolumne Memorial Park, Tuolumne, 743-6796, www 15, Busta Groove, Bay Area Party Stars, 9pm show, Willow Creek Lounge, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 1-877-747-8777, www 15, Glitter, Gatsby and Gangsters, an amazing step back in time. Imagine a garden party, festive dinner in the garden, dancing to period music and more. The indoor and outdoor

Central Sierra Region

CALE N DAR

EVENTS

Presenting the only Calendar of Events covering the complete Central Sierra region, All phone numbers are 209 area code

grounds of the newly remodeled Hotel Leger sets the environment for great, classy fun. Calaveras Arts Council, www 15, Paddle Fest, The festival is a great opportunity to demo boats, talk to manufacturer’s representatives, attend clinics and choose your dream boat or board! PaddleFest is by reservation only. Entrance fee is $35 for Adults & Kids under 13 are $25. The day begins at 10am and ends at 3pm after clinics, a deli lunch. Arnold, snac@snacattack.com, 795-9310 15, 16, Father’s Day Fly-In, at Columbia Airport. Begin each day with a pancake breakfast from 7 to 11. View classic aircraft, take biplane rides; aviation vendor booths, food and beverage sales, CDF demos, aircraft fly-bys, Tritip Dinner and Dancing to live music Saturday night. Sat. 8-5, Sun 8-3. Columbia Chamber of Commerce, 533-5685, www 15, 22, 29, Friday Night Hurst Ranch Barbecue, Every Friday evening join us for BBQ dinner buffet and family entertainment at Hurst Ranch. The dinner and show is sure to please everyone. Call for times and details. Historic Hurst Ranch, Jamestown, 984-4040

The Hurst Ranch Friday Night Barbecue offers good food and cowboy entertainment.

16, Father’s Day at Railtown, All dads ride free aboard regular steam powered excursion trains when accompanied by a child. Vintage diesel locomotive pulls our first class car and open air cars, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Jamestown, 984-3953, www 20, Comedy Showcase, 8pm show, Willow Creek Lounge, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 877-747-8777, www 20, Shine & Show: Classic Car Show, 5:30p8:30pm in Murphys Historic Hotel parking lot. This is open to the public at no charge. Polish up your car and cruise on down. Bring the entire family and enjoy some great music, BBQ, and cold drinks, Murphys Historic Hotel, 728-3444

21, Bella Donna, Stevie Nicks Tribute, 9pm show, Willow Creek Lounge, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 877-747-8777, www 21, 22, 23, Passport Wine Weekend, Event includes barrel tastings, food and wine pairing, entertainment, sponsored by Calaveras Winegrape Association at 25 Calaveras wineries. Call for prices and more information on events! 736-6722, www 21,29, 30, Galerie Copper Art Classes, Watercolor Friday, June 21, 10am to 12, Hummingbirds with Selma Sattin of Copperopolis for a morning of painting hummingbirds with watercolor and pen. Colored Pencils Saturday and Sunday, June 29/30, 10am to 3 pm; Mountain Lion Workshop with Gemma Gylling of Valley Springs $60. Copperopolis, 785-2050, www 22, Art & Jazz on the Square, 10am to 4pm. Copperopolis Town Square. Sidewalk sale of local artists’ work. Copperopolis, 785-2050, www 22, Arts Council Birthday Party, Party & Barbecue, Collaborative Grand Opening at the Historic Dome Campus. Historic Dome Field, Master Gardeners, KASA (Kids Art Studies Academy), CSAC, Sonora Lions Club Park, Sonora, 532-ARTS 22, Super Huey, Huey Lewis Tribute, 9pm show, Willow Creek Lounge, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 877-747-8777, www 27, World Championship of Karaoke, 8pm show, Willow Creek Lounge, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 877-747-8777, www 28, Top Secret, 9pm show, Willow Creek Lounge, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 877-7478777, www 29, Generation Esmeralda featuring Jimmy Goings, 9pm show, Rebirth of Santa Esmeralda Latin Stars, Willow Creek Lounge, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, 877-747-8777, www 29, Murphys-Angels Lions 6th Annual Classic Car Show, Utica Park. Space is limited to 100 show cars on grass area. (1975 & older). Awards! Pre-registration is $20 and ends 6/22. $25 after and at gate. 9-3pm. Benefits charity, 728-9971 29, Summer Folk at the Oak concerts at Twisted Oak Winery, Mumbo Gumbo. Dinner, Twisted Oak wine, soft drinks, and water will be available for purchase. Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Bring blankets and lowback chairs for seating. Seating is first-come, first-served. Buy tickets online for discount or at the gate if any left. Come enjoy an evening under the stars! Vallecito, 736-9080, www

• • • • • • • • J U LY • • • • • • • 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 19-21, Galerie Copper Art Classes, Expressions in Oil with Diana Boyd; two sessions $125 or $200. Color Workshop with Judie Cain $125. Call for costs, times and schedule. Copperopolis, 785-2050, www

continued on page 40

MORE INFORMATION AMADOR COUNCIL OF TOURISM 115 Valley View Way, P.O. Box 40, Main Street, Sutter Creek, 267-9249, www.touramador.com AMADOR COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 596, 571 So. Main, Jackson 95642; 223-0350; www.amadorcountychamber.com AMADOR COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL P.O. Box 1722, 21 Main St., Sutter Creek 95685; 223-9038; www.acaconline.com CALAVERAS COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL 22 Main St.; P.O. Box 250, San Andreas 95249; 754-1774; www.calaverasarts.org CALAVERAS COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 1211 S. Main, Angels Camp 95222 • 736-2580; www.calaveras.org CALAVERAS VISITORS BUREAU P.O. Box 637, 1192 S. Main St. Angels Camp 95222; 736-0049; 800-225-3764 (CAL-FROG) www.gocalaveras.com CENTRAL SIERRA ARTS COUNCIL 193 S. Washington St.; Sonora 95370; 532-2787 www.centralsierraarts.org HIGHWAY 120 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 1263, Groveland 95321; 800-449-9120 www.groveland.org HISTORIC SONORA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 884, Sonora 95370; 588-9625 www.sonorachamber.com OAKDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 590 N. Yosemite Ave. Oakdale 95361 847-2244; www.oakdalechamber.com TUOLUMNE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 222 Shepherd St. Sonora 95370; 532-4212 www.tcchamber.com TUOLUMNE COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU 542 Stockton St., Sonora 95370 533-4420 • 800-446-1333 www.tcvb.com UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE Stanislaus National Forest Headquarters 19777 Greenley Rd. Sonora 95370; 532-3671; 24-Hour Recreation Info: 532-9784 www.fs.fed.us/r5/stanislaus Calaveras Ranger District Office 5519 Highway 4, P.O. Box 500, Hathaway Pines 95233; 795-1381 www.fs.fed.us/r5/stanislaus/calaveras All phone area codes are 209 unless otherwise noted

www Several events listed here have additional information online that can be found at

www.sierraseasons.com Check the website for an updated calendar with links, and submit your event. 39

HIGHLIGHTS

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Presenting the only Calendar of Events covering the complete Central Sierra region, All phone numbers are 209 area code

VALLEY SPRINGS Local jewelers shine in Valley Springs Firefall Jewelers introduced its beautiful line of custom and unique jewelry in the Valley Springs location about 7 years ago. They have created thousands of exquisite pieces of jewelry for friends and neighbors throughout Calaveras County. They take pride in their professional jewelers and their repair work is second to none. They offer a Graduate GIA Gemologist on staff, which provides accurate appraisals for the higher caliber pieces. Last August Firefall moved their location from Nove Way to The Terrace, next to Fusion Grill. They spared no cost in designing a contemporary, beautiful store. Greg Thompson, the owner of the shopping mall, and his construction crew worked day and night to insure that the move was quick and easy. Don't forget to introduce yourself to Noreen Coca, Steve Denison and Debbie Couch as they would love to chat and clean and check your jewelry, as well. For more information, call 772-7388.

COPPEROPOLIS A Beautiful Basecamp for Salt Springs Coyote Creek Country Store and Recreational Rentals at Salt Springs Valley and Campground, 7422 Rock Creek Road, Copperopolis, opened under new management last summer. The establishment offers a family-friendly campground for day use, overnight camping by the day or week and is home to newly remodeled restrooms with hot showers, a swim area and a fishing pond stocked with fish for the kids. Coyote Creek invites guests to enjoy a day of fishing on the reservoir catching largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, red-ear perch and catfish, as well as jet skiing and water skiing. Monthly bass tournaments are open to the public. The county store offers snacks, ice, wood and fishing gear and rents kayaks, small fishing boats and canoes, as well as tents and camping gear set-up in a site ready for arrival. Open all year. Call 785-7787 or visit coyotecreek.us or saltspringvalleyreservoir.com for more information.

3, 10, 17, 24, Concerts in Tuolumne Park, Wednesday evenings at the Memorial Park. Live music along with the wonderful farmers market. 7/3 Swing Gatine, Jazz; 7/10 Route 66 Band; 7/17 Dossi on the Rocks; 7/24 Uplands Drive, rock. Tuolumne, www 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, Music in the Parks, Calaveras County Arts Council presents free music at various parks throughout Calaveras County on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm through the summer. Pack a picnic and bring lawn chairs or blankets. July 3, Grover Anderson (Folk) in San Andreas Turner Park; July 10, James Faifua and the Jukes (blues) Valley Springs Ball Field; July 17, Route 88 (rock) Mokelumne Hill Shutter Tree Park; July 24, Bill Welles (Americana) Murphys Community Park; July 31, Cantamos (Folk-Latin) Camps at Greenhorn Creek in Angels Camp, Calaveras County Arts Council, Assorted parks in Calaveras County, 754-1774 4, Columbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Glorious 4th of July, Celebrate our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday the old-fashioned way! Come to Columbia State Historic Park on the 4th of July and participate in the many activities the 49ers enjoyed way back when, including a glorious parade up Main Street at noon. In addition to the parade, listen to the Great Mother Lode Brass & Reed Band concert, dance in the street, and try your skill at the many contests popular in the early days of Columbia. Columbia Chamber of Commerce, 536-1672, www 4, Fireworks on the Water, Lake Don Pedro, 9:30pm. The show will take place on the water by Don Pedro Dam, and can be viewed from the Blue Oaks Group Area, the Visitor Center/Helipad area, or from the water. Each vehicle will be charged $15.00 to utilize the Recreation Area, park and view the show. Don Pedro Recreation Agency, 852-2396, www 4, Twain Harte July 4th Parade, Come and be a participant or spectator for the Twain Harte 4th of July Parade. After the parade stay to listen to the band, water slide for the kids, a dunk tank, food and more. Fun! Fun! 352-6267, www 5, Summer Folk at the Oak concerts at Twisted Oak Winery, Uncle Bonsai performs. Dinner, yummy Twisted Oak wine, soft drinks, and water will be available for purchase. Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Bring blankets and low-back chairs for seating. Seating is first-come, first-served. Buy tickets on line for a discount or at the gate if any are left. Each event has different food and music! Come enjoy an evening under the stars! Vallecito, 736-9080, www 5-27, Live Entertainment, July 5/6: The Penetrators Groove Band, 12/13: Mike Osborn, 14: Brian Oberlin, 19/20: Brandon Joe Carey Band, 26/27: The Aaron Pearson Band. Most bands play 9pm to 1am. Call for ticket prices and more information. Iron Door Saloon, Groveland, 962-8904, www

6, Hernia Hill, 5K/10K/Half-marathon/Relay at Twisted Oak, Hernia Hill 5k/10/Half & Rubber Chicken Relay, 5K, 10K and Half-marathon. Open to all ages and sizes.On Your Mark Productions 209-795-7832, info@onyourmarkevents.com 6, Independence Day Celebration, This event is fun for the whole family. Gates open at 4pm, fireworks show starts at dusk and last around 30 minutes. Adults $10, Children $5. Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys, 728-1251, www 6, 7, 41st Annual Sierra Nevada Arts & Crafts Festival, 70+Booths of handmade crafts, art, gourmet foods, live music, jugglers, face painting, pancake breakfast. Annual Ebbetts Pass Independence Parade on Saturday 10am, Arnold, 925-372-8961 6, 13, Workshops at Quyle Kilns, First Saturday of each month Blacksmithing Classes at Brice Station / Quyle Kilns. 9am - 2. Instructor Tim Mann, 728-9967. Second weekend monthly Clay sculpture workshops, Instructor Marlene Bradford, 728-3562 www 6, 13, 20, 27, Concerts in the Pines, Saturday nights during the summer. Located on the Rotary Stage at Eproson Park, music from 6pm8pm. Bring chairs, blankets and a jacket. Candy and popcorn are sold at the concert. July 6 Rock of Ages, July 13 - Jana & Friends, July 20 Mitch Ballard (country), July 27 - Homegrown. Eproson Park, Twain Harte, 586-4482, www 6, 13, 20, 27, Friday Night Hurst Ranch Barbecue, Every Friday evening join us for BBQ dinner buffet and family entertainment at Hurst Ranch. The dinner and show is sure to please everyone. Call for times and details. Historic Hurst Ranch, Jamestown, 984-4040 8, Live music at Brice Station, 7/13 reggae band A La Lune 7-10pm $10, 7/27 rock n roll Cantamos 7-10pm $10, Brice Station Winery & Quyle Kilns Studios, Murphys, 768-7262 11, Wines of the World, Starting at 5:30pm, Wines of the World is an integral part of the wine associations educational program. Cost for CWA members is $20 and $30 for non-members. Guests are welcomed to dine at the hotel afterward with a $5 discount on each entree. 728-9467 or on-line, Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, Murphys Hotel, 728-9467, www 11, 12, 13, 14, Mother Lode Fair, at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. This event features carnival rides, food, live entertainment, pageants, agricultural displays, destruction derby & more! Sonora, 532-7428 13, Sonora 2nd Saturday Art Night, Join the fun for music and art in downtown stores and restaurants with openings at local galleries. 5327697, www 13, Summer Folk at the Oak Concerts at Twisted Oak Winery, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks perform. Dinner, yummy Twisted Oak wine, soft drinks, and water will be available for purchase. Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Bring blankets and low-back chairs

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Events which end with a www will have a link for additional information online at the Calendar of Events page at www.sierraseasons.com for seating. Seating is first-come, first-served. Buy tickets on line for a discount or at the gate if any are left. Each event has different food and music! Come enjoy an evening under the stars! Vallecito, 736-9080, www 13, 14, Murphys Heritage Day & Homecoming, 11:30am at Murphys Community Park. Concert by Calaveras Community Band. “Old Timers” luncheon for Murphys, Douglas Flat and Vallecito residents 70 years of age or older who have lived in the area for 10+ years. No charge, but must reserve. Duck races begin at 1pm, Murphys, 728-8183 18, Shine & Show: Classic Car Show, 5:30pm8:30pm in Murphys Historic Hotel parking pot. Open to the public at no charge. Polish up your car and cruise on down. Bring the entire family and enjoy some great music, BBQ food, and Cold Drinks! Murphys Historic Hotel, 7283444, www 20, Spotlight on Railtown Fundraiser, Behindthe-Scenes at Railtown with local wineries serving amongst the locomotives, speeder rides, live music and lots of other surprises, followed by a special, excursion train. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Jamestown, 984-3953, www 20, Summer of Love Concert, the harmonies and costumes of the earlier part of the decade, through the English Mod and Motown’s songs, Groveland Hotel, 962-4000, www 20, Big Band Street Dance, Saturday from 8 to 10:30pm commemorates the anniversary of Columbia State Historic Park with music by Rod Harris and The Columbia Kicks Band at the corner of State and Main Street. 1940s era costumes encouraged. Prizes! Tours of Columbia 1 and 3pm. Auto show 3 to 7:30pm. All activities free. Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Columbia State Historic Park, Columbia, 5889128, www 20, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Ironstone Summer Concert Series; live on stage; Purchase your seats on Etix.com or by calling (800) 5143849. Choose from general admission lawn seating, reserved seats (Sections A, B or C) or premium seats with a buffet dinner beforehand. Ironstone Vineyards Amphitheatre, Murphys, 800-514-3849, www 20, 21, Twain Harte Arts and Wine Festival, Our main street is closed off for over 100 crafts and artists’ booths with live music and entertainment between 10am and 5pm both days. Around the corner, the Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce will have a tented area for wine tasting. The entry fee of $15 includes a wine glass. Proceeds benefit chamber activities, Twain Harte Chamber of Commerce, 586-4482 26, Vineyard Tour and BBQ, Calaveras wineries welcome you. Barrel tastings, food and wine pairing, entertainment. Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, Murphys and nearby wineries, 7289467, www

26-31, Bear Valley Music Festival, Classical, Jazz, & Opera music since 1967. With the support of the community, Bear Valley Music Festival creates a magical experience throughout the summer. Call for ticket pricing and times or check web site for details. July 26: Richard Glazier, piano, July 27: Asleep at the Wheel, swing music & BBQ, July 28: Meet the Conductor, July 31: 50 Years of Gold Film. Bear Valley, 753-2574, www 27, Columbia History Mysteries, We invite families or groups to solve an actual crime that occurred in Columbia in the 1800s. Witness the event, interview key members to the crime and get a chance to subpoena them in court. Then select one person from your group to question people on the stand. At the end, you will determine the outcome of the crime. Columbia State Historic Park, 588-9128. 27, Rods to Rails, Extraordinary cars take over Jamestown. Jamestown Promotion Club, Jamestown. gary@mlode.com or 984-0888 27, Summer Folk at the Oak Concerts at Twisted Oak Winery, Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys perform. Dinner, yummy Twisted Oak wine, soft drinks, and water will be available for purchase. Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Bring blankets and lowback chairs for seating. Seating is first-come, first-served. Buy tickets on line for a discount or at the gate if any are left. Each event has different food and music! Come enjoy an evening under the stars! Vallecito, 736-9080, www

•••••••• AU G U ST ••••••• 1-11, Bear Valley Music Festival, Incredible Classical, Jazz, & Opera music since 1967. With the support of the community, Bear Valley Music Festival creates a magical experience throughout the summer. Call for ticket pricing and times or check our web site for details. Aug. 1: Delphi Trio w/Orchestra, Aug. 2: Jazz in Bear Valley, Aug. 3: Music Comes Alive! family concert, Aug. 3: Van Cliburn Gold, Aug. 4: Stars of Tomorrow young musicians, Aug. 4 Movie Amadeus, Aug. 6: Wine and Orchesta, Aug. 7: Delphi Trio, Aug. 8: Bravo Broadway, Aug. 9: Shawnette Sulker soprano, Aug. 10: Bollywood Gala, Aug. 11: Mozart Mozart Mozart! Bear Valley, 753-2574, www 2, Melissa Etheridge Live, Ironstone Summer Concert Series; live on stage; Purchase your seats on Etix.com or by calling (800) 514-3849. Choose from general admission lawn seating, reserved seats (Sections A, B or C) or premium seats with a buffet dinner beforehand., Ironstone Vineyards Amphitheatre, Murphys, 800-5143849, www 2, Summer Folk at the Oak concert at Twisted Oak Winery, The Deadly Gentlemen perform. Dinner, Twisted Oak wine, soft drinks, and water will be available for purchase. Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Bring blankets and low-back chairs for seating. Seating is first-come, first-served. Buy tickets on line. Each event has different food! Vallecito, 736-9080, www

2-31, Iron Door Saloon live entertainment in August, 2/3- Tessie Marie & The Poor Man band, 9/10- Paul Chesne Band, 16/17-Rhythm Deluxe w/ special guests Randy and Jeanette from Spellbound, 23/24 The Wingnut Adams Band 30/31- The Penetrators Groove Band Most bands play 9pm to 1am. Call for ticket prices and information, Groveland, 962-8904, www 3, Singing Rails Music Event at Railtown 1897, Music event with a day of folk music and fun. Call for times. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Jamestown, 984-3953, www 3, Vines & Hoses, Murphys Firefighters Association 4th Annual Community Signature Luau Style Dinner. 7pm at Twisted Oak Winery, Vallecito. 728-3864. Advanced ticket sales only. 3, Cajun Fete, Pioneer Hotel in Sheep Ranch, starring Tom Rigney & Flambeau. Dinner, dance fundraiser for the Arts! If you have something wonderful to donate to the silent auction, please contact Connie at 754-1774. Early-Bird Tickets are $50 each until June 21 and are $65 each thereafter. For tickets, Calaveras Arts Council, 754-1774, www 3, 10, Workshops at Quyle Kilns, First Saturday of each month Blacksmithing Classes at Brice Station / Quyle Kilns 9am - 2, instructor Tim Mann, 728-9967. Second weekend monthly Clay sculpture workshops, Instructor Marlene Bradford. 728-3562, mwbradf@comcast.com 3, 17, 31, Columbia History Mysteries, We invite families or groups to solve an actual crime that occurred in Columbia in the 1800s. Witness the event, interview key members to the crime and get a chance to subpoena them in court. Then select one person from your group to question people on the stand. At the end, you will determine the outcome of the crime. Columbia State Historic Park at 588-9128, www 3, 10, 18, 24, 31, Concerts in the Pines, Saturday nights during the summer on the Rotary Stage at Eproson Park, music from 6pm8pm. Bring chairs, blankets and a jacket. Candy and popcorn are sold at the concert. August 3 Blues Box Bayou, August 10 - The Corvairs, August 18 - Chains Required, August 24 Buffetville, August 31 - Rod Harris Big Band, Eproson Park, Twain Harte, 586-4482, www 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, Friday Night Hurst Ranch Barbecue, Every Friday evening join us for BBQ dinner buffet and family entertainment at Hurst Ranch. The dinner and show is sure to please everyone. Call for times and details., Historic Hurst Ranch, Jamestown, 984-4040 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, Music in the Parks, Calaveras County Arts Council presents free music at various parks throughout Calaveras County on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm through the summer. Pack a picnic and bring lawn chairs or blankets. August 7, Dyemusica (rock-reggae) Railroad Flat Elementary; August 14, Gillette Brothers (Cowboy Minstrels) Arnold Cedar Center, Calaveras County Arts Council, 754-1774 continued on page 42

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The events, dates and locations listed are subject to change. Some events may require advance reservations. Phone numbers are provided for confirmation. Area codes are 209 unless otherwise noted.

••••••AU G U ST, Continued •••••• 8, Wines of the World, 5:30pm, Wines of the World is a part of the wine associations educational program. CWA members: $20, $30 for non-members. Guests are welcomed to dine at the hotel afterward with a $5 discount on each entree. 728-9467 or visit on-line at calaveraswines.org. , Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, Murphys Hotel, 728-9467 9, Magic of the Night, Free event in downtown Sonora includes live music, food and dancing, car show, street entertainment and more. 6-9pm, City of Sonora, Multiple locations on the streets of Sonora, 532-7725, www 10, Annual Barrel Blend Party, Brice Station, Join us for a catered dinner, live dance music by The Original Snail, vote for the next High Country Red blend! $40, Brice Station Winery & Quyle Kilns Studios, Murphys, 768-7262 10, Arts Party in the Park, Barbeque, music, reception and fun! Central Sierra Arts Council, Sonora, 532-ARTS 10, Big & Rich “Party Like Cowboys” Tour, with Cowboy Troy and Whiskey Dawn, Ironstone Summer Concert Series; Purchase on Etix.com or call (800) 514-3849. General admission lawn seating, reserved seats or premium seats with a buffet dinner. Ironstone Vineyards Amphitheatre, Murphys, 800-514-3849, www 10, Sonora 2nd Saturday Art Night, Music and art in downtown stores and restaurants with openings at local galleries. 532-7697, www 15, Shine & Show: Classic Car Show, 5:30pm8:30pm in Murphys Historic Hotel parking lot. This is open to the public at no charge. Polish up your car and cruise on down. Bring the entire family and enjoy some great music, B.B.Q food and cold drinks!!! Murphys, 728-3444, www 16, Summer Folk at the Oak concert at Twisted Oak Winery, Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore perform. Dinner, Twisted Oak wine, soft drinks, and water will be available for purchase. Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Bring blankets and low-back chairs. Seating is first-come, first-served. Buy tickets on line, Vallecito, 736-9080, www 16, 23, 30, 6, Galerie Copper Art Classes, Four-week class on Thursdays August 16, 23, 30 and September 6 Oil Painting with Judie Cain of Murphys. Call for costs, times and schedule of other classes. Copperopolis, 785-2050, www 20, The Hella Good Party Band, the radical hits of the 1980s! This high-energy six-piece act dresses the part. Groove to the music of Prince, Asia, Billy Idol, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, and many more. Groveland Hotel, 962-4000, www 20, Murphys Historic Hotel 157th Anniversary Celebration, Great BBQ, ice cold drinks. Live music, Murphys, 728-3444 ext. 416 25, Summer Sunday Fine Arts Concert, Enjoy wine and light appetizers at 3:30pm, concert begins at 4pm. Limited seating. Call the Petroglyph Gallery: 286-1387, www

29, 30, 31, 1, 2, Strawberry Music Festival, Fall Festival Labor Day Weekend; Camping, activities, food, and music, music, music, music. A camp-out for the family with children’s and teen’s programs. Bluegrass, blues, folk, and more. Camp Mather, Yosemite, 984-8630, www 30, 1, 2, Twain Harte Film Fest, Original movie competition and showing. Events and movies for three days with awards. Check the website for details., Twain Harte, www 31, 1, Cedar Center Arts & Crafts Festival, Artist booths with a variety of crafted work and continuous entertainment. The Lionís Club holds a local pancake breakfast, and the Ebbetts Pass Fire

•••••••• S E PTE M B E R ••••••• 6, 7, 8, Healing Conference at Brice Station, Healing the Healers conference at Brice Station. A 3 day workshop with international presenters, for anyone interested in all types of healing. September 7 Brice Station presents The Tour Guides, 7pm - 10pm, $10. Public welcome, Brice Station Winery & Quyle Kilns Studios, Murphys, 768-7262 6-28, Iron Door Saloon live entertainment, 6/7- Brandon Joe Carey Band; 14-Tequila Mockingbird; 21 Chili Cook-off Weekend; 27/28- Jenn Gibbons & Friends. Most bands play 9pm to 1am. Call for ticket prices and more information, Groveland, 962-8904, www 12, Wines of the World, 5:30pm, Wines of the World is a part of the wine association’s educational program. CWA members: $20, $30 for non-members. Dine at the hotel afterward with a $5 discount on each entree. 728-9467 or calaveraswines.org. , Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, Murphys Hotel, 728-9467 13, Ironstone Silent Movie, “Gold Rush” Doors open at 6:00pm. Dinner served at 6:30 p.m. $20 (plus tax & gratuity) Includes dinner, movie and popcorn! Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys, www 14, Sonora 2nd Saturday Art Night, Join the fun for music and art in downtown stores and restaurants with openings at local galleries. 5327697, www 14, Elvis Returns, California’s own Rob Ely performs two sets of Elvis entertainment: a revue of where it all began with a young 1950s Elvis Presley, and his 1968 black leather “comeback” tour. Groveland Hotel, 962-4000, www 14, 15, Veteran’s Art Show, Held in conjunction with 2nd Saturday weekends in September, October and November in Sonora at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 9 North Washington St. The third show will encompass Veteran’s Day on November 11. Each of the three weekends will feature local veteran artists. Veterans from all eras. 559-1908. 14, 15, Me-Wuk Indian Acorn Festival, Annual Celebration of Tradition. Traditional dancing, hand games, crafts, Indian deep-pit barbecue, vendors. Indian tacos, deep pit BBQ, Native American arts & crafts. Tuolumne Rancheria, Tuolumne, 928-3475, www

14, 15, Views of Friendship Art Show, Children’s Art Exchange Exhibition. Sonora and Kirishima, Japan Sister Cities. Collaboration with City of Sonora and Mentoring Works, Sonora Opera Hall. Opening Reception September 14 at 4:00, closes September 15 at 2:00. 532-ARTS www 15, Columbia Art Show, This fine art show features almost 50 local painters, sculptors and photographers who will display their art on the shady streets of the Columbia State Historic Park. This event is FREE to the public, www 19, Shine & Show: Classic Car Show, 5:30p8:30p in Murphys Historic Hotel parking lot. This is open to the public at no charge. Polish up your car and cruise on down. Bring the entire family and enjoy some great music, BBQ food, and cold drinks! Murphys, 728-3444 21,22, Quilts and Threads Show, 10am-5pm on Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday. Our show features over 250 exhibits of quilting, embroidery, weaving and spinning. Quilts, door prizes, boutique, vendors, quilt appraiser, refreshments. Admission: $7.00 for one day or $10.00 for two day pass, Mother Lode Fairgrounds, Sonora, 532-7521, www 22, Summer Sunday Fine Arts Concert, Enjoy wine and light appetizers at 3:30pm, concert begins at 4pm. Limited seating. Call the Petroglyph Gallery: 286-1387, www 28, Annual Sierra Apple Festival, Old-fashioned family fun with activities and surprises. 10am-3pm: Food, crafts, children activities, music and apples! apples! apples! Fundraiser for mentally disabled, NAMI. Mother Lode Fairgrounds, Sonora, 201-6436, www 28, Cioppino Feed, All You Can Eat Cioppino Feed 5pm- 9pm. Cioppino is a fresh seafood stew in a rich tomato broth. Our Cioppino includes but not limited to, prawns, crab legs, mussels, clams, calamari, and cod. This is served with a house salad and fresh house made garlic bread! Priced at $22.95 per person Note: our regular menu is also still available! Murphys Hotel, Murphys. Reservations Call: 209-728-3444 28, Concours D'Elegance, “A Celebration of Automotive History” Becoming a renowned event for classic automotive enthusiasts, the Concours d’Elegance is an event committed to helping foster young citizens who will make a difference in the world. The event features over 300 classic automobiles in the beautiful setting of Ironstone Vineyards. Proceeds from the event benefit 4-H Youth Development Programs, California State Fair Scholarship Fund, Calaveras County Fair Scholarship Program and California FFA. Tickets: $20 adult, $35 couple or family. Children under 14 admitted free. For information: 736-2561. For sponsorship information call 928-5908. Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys, www 28, Galerie Copper Art Classes, Monoprinting, 9-noon and 1-3pm Pour it On with Ken McBride of Oakdale. Call for costs, times and schedule of other classes. Copperopolis, 7852050, www

Events which end with a www will have a link for additional information online at the Calendar of Events page at www.sierraseasons.com

28, Poison Oak Show, Enjoy a particularly unusual show of poison oak displays. Like a traditional flower show, except all entries include poison oak! Trophys awarded. Musical entertainment from 1 to 4pm, St Charles Saloon (Bixler Brewery), Columbia State Historic Park, 533-4656 28, 29, Annual Calaveras Artists Studio Tour, Saturday & Sunday, 10am - 5pm each day. Passport tickets for the studio tour will be available mid summer at Gallery Calaveras. See story on next page. Calaveras Arts Council 754-1774, or Gallery Calaveras at 22 Main St. in San Andreas, 754-1774, www

•••••••• O CTO B E R ••••••• 4, 5, 13, Iron Door Saloon, live entertainment in October, 4/5 Brandon Joe Carey Band, 13- Dollar Party (Come support Groveland’s youth with an all day family friendly party. Party starts noon, raffle drawing all day with great prizes and all proceeds going to Tenaya Parent Club, to support Tenaya Elementary) Most bands play 9pm to 1am. Groveland, 962-8904, www 5, Calaveras Grape Stomp & Gold Rush Street Faire, Celebrate the 19th anniversary, from 9:30am to 5pm in the historic Gold Rush town of Murphys, hosted by the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance. No charge to attend the event. calaverasgrapestomp.com, 209-754-0127 or 209-7289467. Murphys area, 607-0782 5, Fiddle & Bango Contest, 10:30am to 4pm, The Fiddle & Bango Contest will be held at the gazebo in Columbia State Historic Park. More than 40 musicians will compete for prizes. 536-1672, www 5, 6, Plein Air Festival, Celebrating California Arts Day, Plein Aire Festival on the ground of the Historic Dome Campus in Sonora. Youth Arts Fair at KASA, music, demonstrations, hands-on projects and more. Central Sierra Arts Council, Sonora, 532-ARTS, www 5, 6, Twain Harte Oktoberfest, Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors Oktoberfest over the first weekend in October every year. Artist and craft booths will be in the area of Eproson Park and a beer tasting tent for a $15 ticket, a beer mug is included. Local food purveyors presenting food pairings to the beers being tasted. The tastings run from noon to 3 pm each day, with wine added on Sunday. 586-4482 6, 12, 20 ,27, 37th Annual Sonora Bach Festival, A series of classical music recitals and popular youth concert. Youth Concert Oct. 6, 3pm; Gala Orchestra Concert, Oct. 12, 7pm; Locals Concert, Oct. 20, Bach Brunch, Oct. 27, 12:30pm. Call for details and prices. 536-6330, www 10, Wines of the World, Starting at 5:30pm, Wines of the World is an integral part of the wine associations educational program. Cost for CWA members is $20 and $30 for non-members. For more information, call 728-9467 or visit on-line at calaveraswines.org. Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, Murphys Hotel, 728-9467 11, 12, 13, Annual Mountain Heirloom Quilt Faire, Quilt Faire features quilts, wall hangings, wearable art, dolls, needle art and member challenge exhibit. $7.00 admission at the door. There will be door prizes, demonstrations, boutique with quilts and other handmade items for sale, Country Store with homemade goodies to eat for sale and Vendor Booths. Fri-Sat. 9 - 4pm; Sun. 10-4. Independence Hall Quilters, Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys, www 12, Sonora 2nd Saturday Art Night, Music and art in downtown stores and restaurants with openings at local galleries. 532-7697, www 12, 13, Veteran’s Art Show held in conjunction with 2nd Saturday weekends in October and November in downtown Sonora at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 9 North Washington St. The November show will encompass Veteran’s Day on November 11. Each weekend will feature different veteran artists from the surrounding area. Veterans from all eras will be involved. 559-1908. 12, 13, Mother Lode Art Association Exhibition, 61st Annual juried art show. Sonora Opera Hall, Sonora, 532-ARTS, www

continued on page 44

CaLaVeras artists OpeN tHeir DOOrs tO tHe pUbLiC By Patti Cherry

Artist Judie Cain Papais will be one of the many fine artists featured on this year’s Artists Studio Tour in Calaveras County.

The foothills nurture many great artists, from painters to photographers, weavers and woodworkers to ceramicists. Calaveras artists will open their doors to the public for the weekend of September 28 and 29, 2013. Guests may view a wide spectrum of art during the annual Calaveras Artists Studio Tour. Although many of the featured artists regularly show their work in galleries, rarely does the public get to meet the artists in person. For this weekend only the Calaveras artists will welcome the public into their private studios where visitors may see works in progress, demonstrations and art available for purchase. Guests can enjoy the artists’ hospitality while meeting them face-to-face in the intimate setting of their personal studios or hosting galleries. The Calaveras County tour features more than twenty-five artists consolidated at about a dozen studios. The locations are spread between communities so that visitors can enjoy a back road excursion across the county. Guests follow a selfguided tour around the county to each unique location. This event is sponsored by the Calaveras County Arts Council and cost is $10 per person for the weekend event. Visit their website at www.calaverasarts.org for a complete list of the participating artists featured this year. Passports that include directions, short bios and photos of the artists’ to the participating studios can be obtained midsummer at Gallery Calaveras, 22 N. Main St., San Andreas, at the Calaveras Visitors Bureau, 1192 S. Main St., Angels Camp, or by calling 754-1774. 44

Central Sierra Region

CALE N DAR

EVENTS

Events which end with a www will have a link for additional information online at the Calendar of Events page at www.sierraseasons.com

•• O CTO B E R, Continued •• 12, 13, Columbia Harvest Festifall, Join us for a cornucopia of country crafts, comestibles, demonstrations of skills, and music and dancing on the shady streets of Columbia State Historic Park, decorated for the harvest season. Columbia Chamber of Commerce. 209-536-1672 or columbiacalifornia.com. 18-20, Tuolumne Writers Retreat, Participate in classes, hear featured speakers, take a lantern walk to the Cemetery for a Ghost Poetry Open Mic, enjoy professional Literary Performances, Miners Nuggets of Prose & Poetry Reading, Authors Row. 209-533-3843 19, 20, All Hallows Fantasy Faire, The Dark Ages were never this much fun! Live music, Fantasy Village, costumed performers, fire eaters, Village Marketplace, Ancient Warriors, Dragons, contests, jugglers, Mother Lode Fairgrounds, Sonora, 533-4420, www 25, Cioppino Feed, All You Can Eat Cioppino Feed 5p.- 9p. Cioppino is a Fresh Seafood Stew in a rich tomato broth. Our Cioppino includes but not limited to, prawns, crab legs, mussels, clams, calamari, and cod. Murphys Hotel, 7283444, www 25, 26, Ironstone Silent Movies, “The Phantom of the Opera,” Friday doors open at 6pm, Dinner at 6, $20 plus tax and gratuity. Includes dinner, popcorn and movie. Saturday doors open at noon and lunch at 12:30. $20, Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys, www 26, Illumination of the Jack O’Lanterns, 5:30pm, Carve your pumpkins, turning them into classic peg-toothed grinners, artfully chiseled ghouls, leering witches, or any familyfriendly design of your choosing. 5:30pm, Bring your carved gourds to the Columbia Museum on Main Street for judging, and enjoy the live musical entertainment. Prizes will be awarded for the most original, most gruesome, most entertaining, etc. 209-536-1672, www 26, Stanislaus River Salmon Festival, Knights Ferry Recreation Area, free family friendly event. Live music, salmon obstacle course, face painting, fly fishing demo, historic tours, educational exhibits, food. 10am -3pm. J.D. Wikert: 334-2968 ext. 403 26, 27, Jamestown Halloween & Harvest Celebration, Harvest celebration in downtown Jamestown, 984-3370

•••••••• N OVE M B E R ••••••• 1-30, Native American Month, George Post Gallery at the Historic Dome Campus, 251 Barretta Street, Sonora, Central Sierra Arts Council, 532-ARTS 9, Sonora 2nd Saturday Art Night, Join the fun for music and art in downtown stores and restaurants with openings at local galleries. 5327697, www

9, 10, 11, Veteran’s Art Show held in conjunction with 2nd Saturday celebration in November in downtown Sonora at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 9 North Washington St. Featuring veteran artists from the surrounding area. Veterans from all eras will be involved. 559-1908. 14, Wines of the World, Starting at 5:30pm, Wines of the World is an integral part of the wine associations educational program. Cost for CWA members is $20 and $30 for non-members. Guests are welcomed to dine at the hotel afterward with a $5 discount on each entree. 728-9467 or calaveraswines.org. , Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, Murphys Hotel, 728-9467 15, Ironstone Silent Movie, “An Evening of Railroad Shorts.” Doors open at 6:00pm. Dinner at 6:30pm. $20.00 (plus tax & gratuity) Includes dinner, popcorn, and film! Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys, www 29, Cioppino Feed Murphys Hotel, All You Can Eat Cioppino Feed 5pm-9pm. Cioppino is a fresh seafood stew in a tomato broth, includes but not limited to, prawns, crab legs, mussels, clams, calamari, and cod. Served with a house salad and fresh house made garlic bread! $22.95 per person. Reservations: 728-3444, Murphys 29, Historic Downtown Sonora Christmas Parade, Evening parade on historic Washington Street. Enjoy decorated floats, cars, animals and lots of fun. Open Houses throughout the town follow the parade. Visit Santa in Courthouse Square after the parade. 532-7725, www 29, 30, Christmas Delights in Jackson, Start your holiday season with family fun on Thanksgiving weekend, 6 - 9pm. Stroll down historic Main Street, taking in the festive atmosphere. Shopkeepers offer hot cider and treats to visitors. Jackson Business and Professional Association, www.jacksonbca.com, 29, 30, Cowboy Christmas Gift and Craft Show, The Oakdale Cowboy Museum will be celebrating their Annual Cowboy Christmas Gift and Craft Show on Friday from 5-9pm and Saturday, from 9:00am - 4:00pm at the Gene Bianchi Community Center in Oakdale. www.oakdalecowboymuseum.org, 847-7049 29, 30, Hometown Crafters Holiday Faire and Craft Boutique, A variety of handmade crafts and homemade goodies will be available for Christmas shoppers in a festive holiday atmosphere. 10am-5pm, Sonora Opera Hall, Sonora, 536-9625 29, 30, 1, Sonora Christmas Craft Fair, Eat, shop and be merry as Christmas is near! This spirited celebration of the season includes live music and entertainment, over 200 fine craftsmen and artists, great food and fun filling every building. 10am to 5pm. Fire on the Mountain, Mother Lode Fairgrounds, Sonora, 533-3473, www 1, Valley Springs Christmas Parade, Santa will make a special trip from the North Pole to the Parade in Valley Springs at 10am at California and Chestnut Streets. Craft Faire 9am-1pm. at the Vet’s Hall, 189 Pine Street, 598-1467

LIVE THEATRE 5/31-6/23 Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks A touching and human comedy about a formidable retired woman who hires an aerobic dance instructor to give her private dance lessons. What begins as an antagonistic relationship blossoms into a deep friendship as these two people from very different backgrounds reveal their secrets, fears and joys while dancing. SRT East Sonora Theatre 6/14-7/13 Boeing Boeing Boeing Boeing is an uproarious jet propelled comedy that had audiences and critics cheering on Broadway and London’s West End. Bernard, a successful architect thinks he can easily juggle his three flight attendant fiancees. Volcano Theatre Company Amphitheatre 6/21-7/20 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer This summer, join Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and Becky Thatcher in the greatest summer adventure ever told in this imaginative adaptation of Mark Twain’s incomparable classic. Laura Eason’s version brings out the child in all of us, as we explore the thrill of mischief-making, the fickleness of first love, the cold shivers of an adventure gone wrong. Main Street Theatre Company Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre 6/21-7/20 Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare’s story opens with soldiers returning from war, some of whom carry the invisible scars of conflict. But the play is ultimately a comedy in which a band of pranksters conspire to bring Beatrice and Benedick, two of the sharpest wits in literature, to the altar. Murphys Creek Theatre Company Stevenot Amphitheater 6/21-7/28 The Diviners With a tapestry of characters that are rich, deep and full of life, the Diviners is a lyrical fable set in bucolic America in the 1930s that bristles with complex psychological undercurrents and a hint of Greek tragedy. Stage 3 Theatre 6/28-8/18 Oklahoma! Rodgers and Hammerstein's first glorious collaboration created a new standard for musical theater. Set in the Western Territory just after the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between the farmers and the cowboys provides a colorful backdrop for a love story. SRT The Fallon House, Columbia

7/26-9/1 RESPECT: A Musical Journey of Women This international hit musical tells the exciting story of women through popular music and the real adventures of women realizing dreams, lost loves, relationships and careers. The song list includes “Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey,” to “Boots Are Made For Walkin'. SRT East Sonora Theatre

10/4-10/27 The Spitfire Grill Since it opened off-Broadway in 2001, The Spitfire Grill has become one of the most often-produced new American musicals. It depicts the journey of a young woman just released from prison who decides to start her life anew in a rundown mining town. SRT East Sonora Theatre

8/2-9/1 The Compleat Wks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) (Revised) The whole family will enjoy watching three talented actors, armed with an outrageous assortment of outerwear and props, cram the Bard’s entire canon of plays — and sonnets — into 90 minutes of high-speed hilarity, Murphys Creek Theatre Company Stevenot Amphitheater

10/25-11/24 Harvey Elwood P. Dowd is a cheerful and charming fellow with one character flaw: an unwavering friendship with a 6-foot-tall, invisible rabbit named Harvey. A feel-good fantasy for the whole family. Pulitzer Prize winner. SRT Fallon House, Columbia

8/9-9/7 The Wizard of Oz All your favorite Oz characters are here, but with a modern twist! Hip hop with us down the yellow brick road. Fun for the family. Volcano Theatre Company Amphitheatre 8/9-9/7 Sherlock’s Last Case Sherlock’s Last Case puts the great detective in the center of the action, when he receives a death threat from the supposed son of his late nemesis, Professor Moriarty. But this is classic Sherlock, so there are always surprises, and in Sherlock’s Last Case, lots of laughs. Main Street Theatre Company Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre 9/6-9/29 Don’t Dress for Dinner A philandering husband is hoping to entertain his mistress for the weekend, has arranged for a chef to furnish the gourmet delights and is in the process of packing his wife off to her mother’s. It’s a side-splitting farce served up at a break-neck speed. SRT Fallon House, Columbia 9/6-10/13 A Street Car Named Desire In 1947, Tennessee Williams wrote a play so towering, so affecting that it changed theater overnight; the shock wave of the Big Bang can still be felt today. Stage 3 Theatre 9/28-11/2 The House of Frankenstein A brilliant coming together of some of the most famous classic horror stories ever written creating a frightening blend of laughter and mock horror. Volcano Theatre Co. Cobblestone Stage

11/15-12/22 The Game’s Afoot Twas the night before Christmas and all thought with dread, Just who was the killer and who would be dead?! Stage 3 Theatre 11/15-12/22 It’s a Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play George Bailey famously learns that “no man is a failure who has friends.” Inspired by the classic film, this holiday treat brings the spirit of the season to captivating life on stage right before your eyes (and ears). SRT East Sonora Theatre 11/29-12/13 A Christmas Carol Radio-on-stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Volcano Theatre Co. Cobblestone Stage 11/29-12/22 The Adventures of Robin Hood, a British Panto British Panto is an art form borne out of 19th century England that begins with a wellknown story and roasts it. Panto is full of comics and cross dressers, locals and laughs. Hilarious holiday entertainment. Murphys Creek Theatre Company Black Bart Theater

Main Street Theatre Works Jackson, 295-4499, www.mstw.org Murphys Creek Theatre Company 728-8422, www.murphyscreektheatre.org Sierra Repertory Theatre Fallon House, Columbia • SRT, Sonora 532-3120, www.sierrarep.org Stage 3 Theatre Company 536-1778, www.stage3.org Volcano Theatre Company 296-2525, www.volcanotheatre.org 45

L O D G I N G ------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 120 GROVELAND • LAKE TULLOCH • OAKDALE

------------------------------------------------ALL SEASONS GROVELAND INN 18656 Main Street, Groveland. 962-0232, www.allseasongvrovelandinn.com 23 miles from Yosemite gate. Each of five suites offers upscale amenities: jacuzzi, steam room, fireplacws, fresh ground coffee stations. BIG CREEK MEADOWS GUEST RANCH 962-1942, 10551 Smith Station Road at Highway 120, www.bigcreekmeadow ranch.com. Originally a stage stop in the 1800s, this site is now a beautiful working guest ranch between Groveland and Yosemite. Two rooms available plus room for events, gatherings, retreats and weddings. EVERGREEN LODGE 33160 Evergreen Rd. Groveland, Bordering Yosemite off Highway 120, 800-93-LODGE or 379-2606, www.evergreenlodge.com, info@evergreenlodge.com. Frommer’s Guide describes the Evergreen as “the classic Yosemite experience.” Sunset Magazine calls it “The West at its Best a Hidden Gem.” The historic mountain lodge, newly expanded & renovated, features spacious, furnished cabins with private decks, a restaurant, tavern, general store & recreation/activity center. An idyllic destination hideaway for those seeking a rich, natureoriented experience in a warm and relaxed mountain setting. 1 mile from the park border, so you can explore all of Yosemite’s natural wonders. $99-299; (satellite TV in tavern), R, M, W; AE, D, DC, MC & V. GROVELAND HOTEL AT YOSEMITE 18767 Main Street, Groveland. 962-4000. Located 23 miles to the Highway 120 entrance to Yosemite National Park. A 17-room country inn, with full service fine dining restaurant. 1849 adobe and 1914 Queen Ann buildings provide old-world comfort with down comforters, featherbeds, fine linens and amenities; flat screen TVs and in-room coffee service. Three two-room suites with fireplace and spa tub. Free parking, wi-fi, full hot breakfast. Members of CA Assoc. B&B Inns, Unique Inns, Select Registry and AAA. HOTEL CHARLOTTE 18736 Main Street, Groveland, 962-6455. www.hotelcharlotte.com. Located in downtown Groveland on the way to Yosemite. Enjoy the rustic quirks of this charming historic bed and breakfast coupled with a wonderfully inviting ambience and stellar service that will leave you wanting ore. Hotel Charlotte is nostalgic Old West with contemporary sensibilities. Also the home of the Charlotte Bistro & Bar featuring modern American cuisine. $99 to $199. 10 units; G, TV, TVm, Ph, R, P; AE, MC, V.

LODGING ABBREVIATIONS TV– television; TVm– w/movie channel L– laundry services or facilities K– kitchen units available R– restaurant in walking distance M– meeting or banquet facilities S– swimming pool

HT– hot tub or sauna T– tennis G– golf Ph– direct-dial phones W– wheelchair access P– pets okay

YOSEMITE LAKES RV CAMPING & CABINS 31191 Hardin Flat Road, Groveland, 962-0121 or 800-533-1001. Located 5 miles from Yosemite National Park. Full hookups, tent sites & rental accommodations. Open all year. 74 units; $35-99; G, TV, L, K, W, P; D, MC, V. YOSEMITE WEST RESERVATIONS in Yosemite National Park, (559)-642-2211. www.yosemite westreservations.com. Between Yosemite Valley & Wawona, near Badger Pass/Glacier Point turn. Rooms, condos, cottages, & vacation homes, fully furnished. Complete kitchen, fireplace, private baths, TV/VCR & deck in every unit. Units to accommodate 2-8 people; $95-$475; TV, K; AE, D, MC, V.

-----------------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 49/108 JAMESTOWN • SONORA • COLUMBIA -----------------------------------------------------------49er RV RANCH 23223 Italian Bar Road.

serving Columbia State Historic Park, 53249RV, www. 49RV.com. Old ranch hospitality since 1852. Full hookups, showers, store, cable TV, propane; Good Sam & AAA approved. Seniors & clubs welcome. 45 sites; WIFI, TV, L, R, M, P, MC, V. BARRETTA GARDENS INN 700 S. Barretta Street, Sonora, 532-6039. Within walking distance to downtown Sonora and antique stores and restaurants. An elegantly restored 1904 Victorian farmhouse, fully central air-conditioned. Known for its special, warm atmosphere and Gold Country views, it is handicap accessible and pet friendly. Surrounded by old-fashioned gardens, we offer seven tastefully decorated non-smoking bedrooms with private baths. Morning coffee or tea to your door and a full breakfast served in the living room or porch. $140-$225. MC, V. Golf nearby, TV, meeting room, W. BLACK OAK CASINO RESORT 19400 Tuolumne Rd. North, Tuolumne, 928-9300. Brand new five story hotel with 140 luxury rooms and 16 suites. 100% smoke-free. Coffee brewers, microwaves and mini-friges in rooms. Event space and onsite catering. Workout room, bistro, free wi-fi, complimentary valet parking. 24 hours, 7 days, year round. TV, Ph, R, W, MMC, V, D, AE. blackkoakcasino.com HISTORIC NATIONAL HOTEL Main Street, Jamestown, 984-3446 or 800-894-3446. Boutique Bed & Breakfast Hotel with full service fine-dining restaurant and saloon. Romantic rooms restored to the elegance of a bygone era. Enjoy our complimentary gourmet buffet breakfast, including a morning paper and freshly ground coffee. All rooms have private baths with hand-tiled showers and pull-

CREDIT CARDS: AE–American Express D–Discover DC–Diners Club MC–MasterCard V–Visa

chain toilets, air conditioning and free wireless internet. Check www.national-hotel.com for Specials, Theatre Packages and Murder Mystery Weekends. $140-170; G, TV, P, M, R; MC & V. MARBLE QUARRY RV PARK 11551 Yankee Hill Road in Columbia, (866) 6778464, www.marblequarry.com, ¼ mile East of Columbia State Historic Park. 68 RV sites with full hook-ups, 10 tent sites with water and electric, and 5 cabins in a beautiful park setting that includes a sports lawn, swimming pool, playground, WiFi, convenience store and gift shop. TVm, L, K, M, S, W, P; D, MC, V. ROYAL CARRIAGE INN 18239 Main St. Jamestown, royalcarriageinn.com, info@royalcarriageinn. 984-5271. $105-195; 11 Victorianstyle rooms in the main building and 5 private, secluded cottages (some with full kitchens). Romantic porch with two swings overlooks our lovely gardens. All rooms are fully air-conditioned with private baths and wireless internet. Spa services, dinner and theater packages, meeting room, in-house wedding coordinator. We do conferences, family reunions and group getaways. Full gourmet breakfast for all of our guests. G,TV, TVm, K, R, P; MC, V, AE, D.

------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 108 TWAIN HARTE • PINECREST • STRAWBERRY

------------------------------------------------CABINS AT STRAWBERRY 31888 Highway 108, Strawberry, 888-965-0885, strawberrycabins.com. Year-round cabins on the South Fork of the Stanislaus River. Clean, comfortable cabins are 2-3 bedrooms and sleep 4-8 people with all amenities including central heat, gas fireplaces, fully furnished kitchens and all linens. All cabins non-smoking and some pet-friendly. Just 5 miles to Dodge Ridge and Leland Snow Play and 2 miles to Pinecrest. Spring /Fall Specials $129 for two. $129 to $229, TV, K, P. MC, V. KENNEDY MEADOWS RESORT Kennedy Meadows Road off of Highway 108, 965-3900, 58 miles east of Sonora. High country cabins at the pack station resort. Call for availability. May-Oct., Ph, L, K, R, M, P; MC & V. PINECREST LAKE RESORT Pinecrest, 965-3411. Closest lodging to the lake, restaurant & store. Motel–2 queen beds, daily maid service, sleeps 4; Cabins–2 & 3 bedrooms, sleeps 4 & 6; Town Houses–2 & 3 bedrooms, fireplaces, sleeps 6 & 8; $75-275; T, TV, K, R, M, W; MC & V.

G U I D E PINECREST CHALET 500 Dodge Ridge Road, Pinecrest. alumni.berkeley.edu/chalet. 965-3276. Pinecrest Chalet offers a variety of accommodations to meet the lodging needs of any size family or group. Mini-chalets promise quaint lodging in one-room cabin suites complete with fully stocked kitchens, fireplaces, full baths and two queen sized beds. Intimate chalets feature a king sized bed and Jacuzzi tub. Spacious townhouses and deluxe cabins offer two to four bedrooms, fully stocked kitchens, and large living rooms with fireplaces. Nonkitchen cottages offer lodging amenities at a very modest price. One room bungalows sleep two to four and include shower baths and basic cooking conveniences. WiFi, complementary coffee; $75-375; S, G, TV, K, R, W, P; MC, V.

------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 49/4 ANGELS CAMP • MURPHYS • ARNOLD COPPEROPOLIS • BEAR VALLEY

------------------------------------------------ANGELS INN TRAVELODGE 600 N. Main St. Highway 49, Angels Camp. 736-4242 or 888-753-0226. Angels Camp’s largest motel boasts a 3 Diamond AAA rating with country charm and city convenience. Continental breakfast delivered to your room, complimentary espresso & cappuccino in the lobby. Take advantage of our computer, free DSL internet, Xbox systems and video rentals. Refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, hair dryer, iron with board, data ports. 15 room types including suites. We offer adventure, golf and pamper packages. $65 to 220; S, G, TVm, Ph, L, K, R, M, W, P; AE, D, MC & V. ARNOLD MEADOWMONT LODGE 2011 Highway 4, Arnold, 795-1394. A 19room motel with newly remodeled rooms and upgraded furnishings. In-room coffee, satelite TV, WIFI. Our location makes us convenient to all the wonders of the Ebbetts Pass area: Big Trees State Park, Sierra Nevada Logging Museum, Bear Valley Ski Resort and many beautiful lakes and streams. $59-$125: G, TVm, Ph, R, W, P; AE, D, MC & V. BEST WESTERN CEDAR INN & SUITES 444 S. Main St. (Highway 49) Angels Camp, 736-4000, 800-767-1127, www.bestwesternangelscamp.com. Angels Camp’s most luxurious inn. Scrumptious continental breakfast. Room amenities: microwaves, refrigerators, coffee makers, hair dryers, irons, two-line phones, data ports, voicemail. Also available: fireplace, whirlpools & two-room suites, honeymoon suite. AAA (3 diamond rated) corporate and senior discounts. $89-279; S, HT, G, TV, Ph, L, R, W, P; AE, D, M & V. BLACK BEAR INN 343 Oak Circle, Arnold, 795-8999. Experience the extraordinary! Our 5,200 square-foot timber frame inn is on 1.3 acres in a park-like setting. All five guest suites have king size beds with down comforters, gas fireplaces, private baths with jacuzzi tubs and separate showers, and private french-door entrances. A chef’s breakfast is

served daily, and wine & cheese are served every afternoon. $218 - $265, TV, L, R, M, HT, Ph, W; AE, D, MC, V. CADDY SHACK AT GREENHORN CREEK GOLF RESORT 1-877-465-3490, 711 McCauley Ranch Road, Angels Camp. A new, fun & affordable courtside lodging retreat geared for golf groups of up to 12. Friends, family, teams, business groups. A Golf Retret like no other! CEDAR CREEK REALTY 1332 Oak Court, P.O. Box 818, Arnold, 795-4663, 866-7465050, www.cedarcreekrealty.com (for photos). Your top choice for a wide variety of beautiful vacation cabins in Blue Lake Springs, Lakemont Pines and Big Trees. $366-$565 per weekend; G, TV, Ph, M & V. COYOTE CREEK Country Store and Recreational Rentals at Salt Springs Valley Reservoir and Campground. 7422 Rock Creek Road, Copperopolis, 785-7787, 60 Campsites. The best kept secret in the area. Opened under new management last summer. A family friendly campground, for day use, overnight camping by the day or week, and featuring newly remodeled restrooms with hot showers, a swim area, and a fishing pond stocked with fish for the kids. The county store carries snacks, ice, wood, and fishing gear. Rent kayaks, small fishing boats and canoes; tents and camping gear set-up in a site and ready for you when you arrive. Open all year. LAKE ALPINE RESORT 4000 Highway 4, Bear Valley. 753-6350, lakealpineresort.com. Unique mountain lake experience. Features 9 rustic cabins, campgrounds and activities like boating, fishing, hiking and biking. Visit the General Store, dine at the Restaurant & Bar. Open mid-May through October. Reservations taken year-round by phone. MURPHYS HISTORIC HOTEL 457 Main St. Murphys, 728-3444, 800-532-7684. Opened in the summer of 1856, the hotel was a stop over for the stagecoach going up to Big Trees. Famous guests include Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant and Susan B. Anthony. Nine historic rooms and 20 modern rooms. Your choice of suites or rooms with the bathrooms down the hall. Fine restaurant and saloon open 7 days a week. Conveniently located in the middle of Murphys surrounded by 21 wine tasting rooms and a wide array of shops and activities. www.murphyshotel.com G, TV, Ph, R, M, W; AE, D, MC, V. MURPHYS INN MOTEL 76 Main St. Murphys, 728-1818, 888-796-1800. Walking distance to downtown Murphys (3 Diamond AAA rating). We offer rooms with two queen beds & suites. Our two story interior access motel is entirely smoke-free and includes inroom coffee, hair dryers, iron with board, video rentals, fitness room, seasonal pool & computer with free internet access. We offer adventure, golf and pamper packages. $75 - 220.; S, G, Tvm, Ph, L, R, W; AE, D, MC & V.

MURPHYS SUITES 134 Highway 4, Murphys, 877-728-2121, www.centralsierralodging.com. Enjoy Murphys in luxury, grand comfort in the ‘Queen of the Sierra’. Our elegant 70-room non-smoking facility provides a comfortable stay, one or two room suite (rated 3 Diamond by AAA). Continental breakfast delivered to your room. In-room coffee, iron, hair dryer, make-up mirror, Oxygenics shower head, refrigerator, microwave, data ports and premium satellite channels. Relax poolside, in our spa, sauna, fitness room, conference room. Computer available and Free DSL internet; $75-250; S, HT, G, TVm, Ph, L, K, R, M, W; AE, D, MC & V. SADDLE CREEK BUNGALOWS 1001 Saddle Creek Dr. Copperopolis, 7857415, saddlecreekbungalows@castlecooke.com, 800-611-7722. Bungalows offer 2 bedrooms 2 baths, a full kitchen, a great room with fireplace and media center. French doors open to patio and fairway views. Steps away from lodge dining, and golf shop. Meeting facilities available. 16 units, $120-$360; S, HT, T, G, TV, K, R, M, W. THE VICTORIA INN 402 H Main St., Murphys, 728-8933, From cozy to luxurious, all rooms have private baths. Most with balconies, fireplaces & spa tubs. Bountiful expanded continental breakfast; 14 units $125 -$300, HT, L, K, R, W; AI, MC & V. THE DUNBAR HOUSE, 1880 271 Jones Street, Murphys, 728-2897, www.dunbarhouse.com. Come and be pampered at our Inn. We specialize in offering our guests total relaxation, comfort and ease. Our AAA 4-Diamond B&B has 5 King or Queen guest rooms, each w/private bath/showers, Norwegian gas burning stoves, free wireless, DirecTV, personal amenities and fresh baked cookies. In-room refrigerator is stocked with complimentary local bottle of wine, appetizer plate, and bottled beer and water. Enjoy a full country breakfast in the morning. $200-$300, TV, R, AE, D, MC & V. TIMBERLINE LODGE Arnold, 795ROOM, Timberline is a building rich in history yet modern and convenient. Centrally located in Arnold, you’ll enjoy easy access to all the food and fun! Rooms at Timberline Lodge are delightfully different. Many have rocking chairs, free-standing gas fireplaces and vaulted ceilings. Rustic decor with beautiful wood and log accents exceptionally clean and comfortable. Rooms available for one person or for a family or group of eight. $79 to $179. arnoldtimberlinelodge.com.

-----------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 12/49 MOKELUMNE HILL

------------------------------------------------HOTEL LEGER–8304 Main Street, Mokelumne Hill, hotelleger@aol.com, 286-1401. 14 suites and rooms with feather beds and lovely antiques. Prices from $75 to $200 per night. Many rooms have balconies with views. Pool and courtyard. Available for weddings and events.

D I N I N G ------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 49/108 JAMESTOWN • SONORA • COLUMBIA

------------------------------------------------------BLACK OAK CASINO RESORT 19400 Tuolumne Rd. North, Tuolumne, 877-7478777. 24 hours, 7 days, year round. MC, V, D, AE. BLACK OAK CAFE Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, including weekly buffets. Weekend buffets feature prime rib carving station, desserts and beverages. Breakfast ($), lunch ($), dinner ($$) KINGPINS Located on our first floor family entertainment area. A perfect area to bring the family to enjoy our 24-lane bowling center, unique arcade. Breakfast ($), lunch ($), dinner ($); Call ahead for parties THE MILL SPORTS BAR Full service bar and a 15 foot big screen TV w/8 satellites. Full line up of sporty menu items for you to enjoy while watching your favorite game. Breakfast ($), lunch ($), dinner ($$) SEVEN SISTERS RESTAURANT Located atop of the Black Oak Casino, nestled in the Sierra foothills. Our unique menu features a selection of fine American Cuisine paired with our nightly chef’s signature dishes. Also featuring a private lounge and an extensive upscale wine selection. Dinner ($$$); R. BROWN’S COFFEE HOUSE Columbia, next to the City Hotel. 532-1850. Coffee drinks; hot, iced & blended. Shave ice and ice cream. Homemade cookies, brownies and home of the famous sarsparilla soda. Open daily 9am5pm. CHICKEN RANCH BINGO & CASINO 6929 Chicken Ranch Road, Jamestown, 80075-BINGO. American Diner fare, burgers & deli sandwiches, breakfast specials, soups, salads & a wide range of snacks. Open 9am - 1am. Breakfast 9-11am ($), Lunch/Dinner ($), MC, V, D, AE. COVER’S APPLE RANCH 19200 Cherokee Road, Tuolumne, 928-4689. Near Tuolumne City off Tuolumne Road. Rustic atmosphere, geared towards families. A full line of bakery items including pies, pastries, cookies, and breads. Sandwiches, soups, & fresh garden vegetables in season, and, of course, apples. 6:30am-6pm. Lunch ($); MC & V. DIAMONDBACK GRILL 93 South Washington Street, Sonora, 532-6661. thediamondbackgrill.com. Great hand-crafted food, fine wine and attentive service in our dramatic Gold Rush era building. Best burgers in town and wonderful salads. Homemade soup. Daily specials. Wine bar next door. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Monday thru Thursday-11am to 9pm; Friday thru Saturday 11am to 9:30pm; Sunday 11am to 8:00pm $-$$, MC, V.

PRICE INDICATOR (average per person, + beverages) $- under $8; $$- $9-18; $$$- $18 and up OPTIONS American Express- AE; Discover- D; Diners Club- DC; MasterCard- MC; Visa- V; Reservations (accepted/recommended)- R All area codes are 209

EUROPA DELI, SPORTS BAR & GRILL 275 S. Washington Street, Sonora, 536-4670. Come enjoy lunch and dinner at a histoic restaurant with wonderful food. Great burgers and salads, home made soups and desserts. An eclectic menu features steaks and prawns and many vegetarian specialties. Full liquor sports bar. Open Monday - Saturday, 11am to finis. Lunch ($), Dinner ($$); AE, D, MC & V; R for groups.

MIA’S Highway 108, Cold Springs, 965-4591, We focus on using the freshest ingredients possible and we prepare everything to order. Our unique menu includes pastas, fresh seafood, chicken, ribs, steaks, gourmet pizzas from our brick oven, salads & desserts. We have over 35 beers & an eclectic wine list featuring local wines as well as wine from around the world at affordable prices. Lunch & dinner daily - closed Tuesdays. ($, $$, $$$) MC, V.

HERE’S THE SCOOP 18242 Main St. Jamestown, 984-4583. Ice cream parlor. Oldfashioned soups, salads, sandwiches, espresso. Pies and desserts made from scratch. Premium quality ice creams. Open at 7am, 7 days a week. Lunch ($); AE, V, MC, V.

STANDARD POUR 19040 Standard Road off of Highway 108. East Sonora. 532-7687 standardpour.com. In the historic Pickering Lumber building. Great sandwiches and creative grilled food. Large variety of beers on tap. Open Tuesday-Thursday 11am-9pm. Friday and Saturday 11am-9:30pm. Sunday 11am-8pm. Lunch, dinner ($-$$); MC, V.

HISTORIC NATIONAL HOTEL (1859) Main St., Jamestown, 984-3446, nationalhotel.com. Area favorite for fine dining. Acclaimed continental cuisine and award winning wines. Fresh seafood and pastas, choice prime rib and steaks, decadent homemade desserts. Enjoy patio dining, weather permitting. Full bar and espresso saloon. Open daily. Sunday brunch. Lunch ($-$$), Dinner ($$$$$); AE, D, MC & V; R. JACK DOUGLASS SALOON 22718 Main Street in Columbia, 533-4176, The best sandwiches in town are at this 150-year-old historic saloon. Open for lunch every day. Friday night tri-tip suppers from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Salads, chili dogs, tacos and the reknowned humongous nachos are also available. Coldest beer in the Mother Lode and the No. 1 venue for local musicians. Lunch ($) Dinner ($$). THE GARDEN CAFE at Sonora Regional Medical Center 1000 Greenley Road, Sonora. 536-3677. Vegetarian cuisine with an emphasis on Mexican, Mediterrnean, Indian, Italian and Chinese dishes. The cafe supports locals vendors with its fresh fruits and vegetables, six flavors of coffee and desserts. Chiles rellenos is the most popular meal. Breakfast 7-10am, lunch and dinner 10:45 to 5pm Monday - Friday. Dinner not served weekends. Weekend hours: 8:15am to 10am and 10:45 am to 2pm for lunch. THE WILLOW STEAKHOUSE & SEAFOOD GRILLE Main Street at Willow, Jamestown, 984-3998. Family owned and operated since 1972. Burgers, ribs, sandwiches and petite menu daily. Family dining. $-$$; MC & V; R. --------------------------------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 108 TWAIN HARTE • PINECREST • STRAWBERRY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

KENNEDY MEADOWS RESORT Kennedy Meadows Road off of Highway 108, 965-3900, 58 miles east of Sonora. Pack station resort restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. May-Oct., MC & V.

STEAM DONKEY Pinecrest Lake Resort, 965-3117. Located near the General Store. Great decor, excellent food. Menu includes choice BBQ steaks, fish, chicken as well as specialties like Teriyaki Sirloin and Rack of Lamb. Lunch ($), Dinner ($$); MC & V; R. --------------------------------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 49/4 COPPEROPOLIS • MURPHYS • ARNOLD ANGELS CAMP • BEAR VALLEY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALCHEMY WINE BAR & CAFE 191 Main St., Murphys, CA 728-0700, alchemymarket. blogspot.com, Enjoy “Comfort food with a twist,” seafood, steaks, famous soup, and “overthe-top” desserts in our dining room, patio, or by the fireplace in the bar. Over 30 local wines by the glass and the largest selection of beer in the Sierra Foothills, featuring “extreme,” Belgian, and other hard to find beers from around the world. Kid’s menu includes drink and dessert! We can accommodate large parties. Live music every Tuesday and Friday nights (check website for schedule and current menus). Lunch 11-4, dinner 4-8, closed Wednesdays. AE, MC, and V. BIG TREES DELI Meadowmont Center in the Big Trees Market, Highway 4, Arnold. 7953868. A great place for a quick, nutritious meal for the person on the go. Pick up a delicious deli sandwich or some super moist Chester Fried Chicken. Be sure to check out all the other “deli-casies” while you’re there. Open 7 days. Breakfast($) lunch($) dinner ($$). MC; V; R. CAMPS AT GREENHORN CREEK Angels Camp, 736-8181. Dining with us includes fresh, local ingredients. The food is comfortable, yet artistic with innovative flair along with regional classics. Hand-cut steaks and fresh fish prevail, salads are hand tossed and slow-roasted prime-rib is served Friday and Saturday nights. Great lunches. Sunday brunch from 10am-2pm includes the best Eggs Benedict around. Lunch Wednesday-Saturday 11:30am-5pm, Dinner 58pm.

D I R E C T O R Y COPPER GRILLE AT SADDLE CREEK GOLF CLUB– 1001 Saddle Creek Drive, Copperopolis, 785-7400. Perfect for a casual night out or a special event. Overlooking the 9th hole lake, The Copper Grille boasts a charming dining room and bar area, as well as a patio for outdoor dining with panoramic views of the Sierra foothills. Great selection of California and Calaveras wines. The menus are elegant but affordable and feature fresh seasonal items througout the year. Specializing in fresh seafood and beef butchered in-house daily. Prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights. Breakfast ($$), Lunch ($$), Dinner ($$$); AE, MC, V; R. CRUISERS ICE CREAM PARLOR 631 McCarty Street, Copperopolis Town Square, 785-CONE, a ‘50s themed ice cream parlor serving 16 flavors of premium ice cream in glass dishes. Cruisers also serves milkshakes, sundaes, banana splits, root beer floats and fruit smoothies. the menu includes gourmet all-beef and polish hot dogs, chili, soups, candies, no-sugar added ice cream, low-fat and non-dairy selections as well. Join our birthday club and receive free offers. Cruisers is available for remote birthday parties, weddings and events. Open 11am, 7 days. ($) V, MC, D. GRIFF’S BBQ & GRILL 304 Town Square Road in Copperopolis, 785-4745. Serving up slow smoked BBQ, steaks, ribs, sandwiches, salads and more. Using fresh ingredients and prepared on-site every day. Enjoy tender ribs, 14hour pulled pork and the best barbeque sauce in town! Beer on tap. Open for lunch and dinner starting at 11:30am Wednesday through Sunday. Open 5pm Monday for Monday Night Football. Lunch ($$), Dinner ($$, $$$). AE D, MC, V. IRONSTONE VINEYARDS GOURMET DELICATESSEN 1894 Six Mile Road, Murphys, 728-1251, ironstonevineyards.com. Our gourmet delicatessen provides a selection of culinary delights. Stop in for a glass of our Award winning wines and enjoy our deli with gourmet sandwiches and housemade soup. Enjoy the great food and friendly ambience on the patio overlooking the gardens or dine inside next to our magnificent fireplace. Be sure to take a stroll through our magnificent gardens and don’t forget to stop at our gift shop for a variety of apparel and gifts. Open 7 days a week from 10 am to 5 pm. $-$$ MC, V, D, AE. LAKE ALPINE RESORT 753-6350, Bear Valley. Offering a unique dining experience overlooking Scenic Lake Alpine on Highway 4. The menu changes every season with new and fun choices always being added. Enjoy the great food and friendly ambience on the deck overlooking the lake, or dine inside next to the fireplace built by Monte Wolfe. Open Monday Friday 11am to 3pm for lunch; Saturday and Sunday 8am to 3pm for breakfast and lunch; and daily 5pm to 9pm for dinner. Open thru mid-October.

MURPHYS HISTORIC HOTEL RESTAURANT 457 Main St. Murphys, 728-3444, 800532-7684, www.murphyshotel.com. Serving delicacies from grilled crab cakes to slow-roasted prime rib; from fried chicken to pan-seared duck. An old time saloon with an extraordinary top shelf. Proudly serving home made dressings, yummy sauces and house made desserts. Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. SARAFINA’S ITALIAN KITCHEN 794 Highway 4, Arnold. 795-9858. Featuring classic Italian dishes from Grandma’s spaghetti and meatballs or chicken Parmesan to the Mediterranean scampi or rich New York steak with red wine-gorgonzola sauce. Cozy log cabin interior and fireplace perfect for a couple’s night out or large families enjoying summer dining on the patio. Extensive local wine list, as well as local microbrews on tap. Open Wednesday Sunday 5-8pm. Take out available R. V, MC, AE. SEQUOIA WOODS COUNTRY CLUB 1000 Cypress Point Road in Blue Lake Springs, Arnold. 795-1000. Open to the public, in a beautiful mountain setting. The seasonal deli offers open seating on the deck or take-out for your own picnic destination. Restaurant serves excellent, fresh California cuisine; wines from several California regions; kid’s menu, too. Bar and lounge serves pub food and cocktails, with dancing every Saturday. Call for info and reservations. Lunch ($) Dinner ($$$); MC & V; R. V RESTAURANT AND BISTRO 402 H Main Street, Murphys, 728-0107. Please join us for Mediterranean inspired cuisine, featuring small plates with big tastes, freshest ingredients prepared with great care and respect. Innovative wine list and full bar with amazing cocktails. Bistro open seven days a week. Lunch 11:30am ($$) and dinner beginning 5pm ($$$$$) Wednesday-Sunday. AE, D. MC & V; R. --------------------------------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 120 GROVELAND • OAKDALE • YOSEMITE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHARLOTTE BISTRO & BAR 18736 Main Street, Groveland, 962-6455, Located in the Hotel Charlotte in downtown Groveland. We are focused on clean, healthy food that features local organic ingredients. Modern American cuisine with a casual rustic ambiance. We also highlight local Sierra Foothills wines. Dinner ($$$) AE, MC, V. R. EVERGREEN LODGE 33160 Evergreen Road Groveland, 379-2606 or 800-93-LODGE. Bordering Yosemite off Highway 120. A historic mountain lodge and Frommer’s Guide favorite located in an idyllic forested setting. Newly renovated & expanded. Serving 3 meals a day in a variety of settings. Dinner in the main restaurant includes fresh seafood,wild game, BBQs, pasta favorites, &and hearty salads. Casual dining is offered at lunch & dinner in Evergreen’s vaulted ceiling outdoor patio & classic 1920s tavern. Backpacker & picnic lunches are available. Breakfast/Lunch($-$$), and Dinner ($$$$$); AE, D, DC, MC & V; R.

GROVELAND HOTEL’S CELLAR DOOR RESTAURANT 18767 Main Street, Groveland, 962-4000, California seasonal fresh, fine dining with a full service saloon and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence wine list. Our gourmet menu includes a selection of appetizers, salads, soups, entrees and desserts. Our new ‘Trios of Tastes’ menu features three different items from each of our various menu categories. A great way to try everything! You’ll also want to try our special Chocolates Menu, with 13 different chocolates. Our Courtyard is open for warm weather dining, under the lighted umbrellas – very romantic! We welcome special events; groups and families celebrating special times. Open 7 nights, 5:30pm to close. Breakfast buffet from 8 - 10am. Breakfast ($$), Dinner ($$$) IRON DOOR GRILL 962-6244, 18761 Main Street, Groveland. Th Iron Door Grill features fresh California cuisine including fresh homemade pasta dishes, steaks, ribs, fish, vegetarian items, soups, salads and of course our delicious habmurgers and bufalo burgers. All of our food is made fresh daily. Choose our dining room or historic saloon to enjoy a meal with a shot of history! Lunch ($$), Dinner ($$); MC, V; R.

-------------------------------------------------HIGHWAY 12/4 SAN ANDREAS • VALLEY SPRINGS

-------------------------------------------------HOTEL LEGER 8304 Main Street, Mokelumne Hill, hotelleger@aol.com, 2861401. Our restaurant serves fresh California cuisine with a French / Mediterranean flair. The Hotel Leger is the perfect spot for large parties as well as romantic, candlelit dinners. Balcony dining is available when weather cooperates.Lunch is available Saturday and Sunday, Noon - 4pm. Dinner is available Thursday - Sunday, 5:30 until 9pm.($-$$$) VISTA GRILLE AT LA CONTENTA GOLF & EVENT CENTER 1653 Highway 26, Valley Springs, 772-1082. Restaurant overlooks beautiful La Contenta Golf Course. Offers both outside deck dining and inside dining with views sure to please. The delicious and well rounded menu offers California cuisine embracing a casual ambiance with that country club feel. “The Place to Be” in Valley Springs. Open daily for breakfast, featuring a mouth watering “Country Special”, and lunch with yummy burgers and sandwiches and oh those sweet potato fries! Friday night dinners are a treat and seasonally Wednesday night famiy friendly buffets give you that mid-week break. Come enjoy! ($-$$) R.

BILL FOX

PRETTY BOLD FOR A MEXICAN GIRL Growing Up Chicana In a Hick Town By Michelle Cruz Gonzales

FINDING MY WAY OUT I didn’t run away. I left. I left the long dusty driveway, the creaky front door, Mom and her lines on the kitchen table, my flunking-out-of-school brother, my blonde, eight year old sister, and April – the baby who came to live with us. I left and my mom cheated on her boyfriend, my brother dropped out of school; my sister started hanging out with boys, and April went to live with another family. April would go on to live with yet another family, my brother would wake up hungover every day, and my sister would get pregnant at twelve. Two weeks after graduation and I was gone. I was only seventeen.

MEXICAN GIRL I wasn’t the only Mexican in town, but I was the only one like me. The Maria sisters, they were real Mexicans– each with long straight sandy brown hair, each sister a different shade of brown. There were four of them. Each named Maria something. If you saw them they were usually together, or in pairs wearing roomy, button down blouses and boxy skirts worn below the knee. They lived in very small, splintery, unpainted, clapboard houses behind the baseball field. I often passed by their casita on my way to town with my brother or alone on my yellow Schwinn bike – a gift from my blonde sister’s grandparents. I guess it was easy to assume I was Me-wuk. I had dark skin; I wore my dark hair in long braids, and my clothes were second-hand. I even played an Indian in my first Mother Lode Parade – Sammie, one of my first friends in Tuolumne, did too. Our gymnastics troupe marched in the parade, a row of little Indians and a row of sailors. The girls with shorter hair wore sailor hats and red and white striped leotards. The girls with long hair wore red leotards with a strip of white fringe around our waists and our braids 50

TOP: Michelle Criz Gonzales with her first Tuolumne City friend, Sue Ann Carny, at the Turnback Inn.

wrapped at the ends and tied off with white ribbon – my mom’s idea. All of us wore white ballet flats which we attempted not to soil as we cartwheeled around fresh piles of horse manure from the contingents in front of us, most of which, it seemed, were on horseback. Mostly, I understood that I was not Me-wuk, that I was Mexican even though I didn’t really know what that meant other than tacos and a language neither my mother nor I could speak, and even though I was in Indian Club at school. In second grade, the school’s janitor knew I was Mexican, and she gave me the business about it too. Like many other mornings in school, I raised my hand and asked permission to go to the bathroom. Small for my age with a tiny bladder, like most children, I had been holding it for a long time already. It wasn’t until I was out of my seat that I realized how badly I needed to go. I made an easy decision to walk through the cafeteria rather than around on the sidewalk under the breezeway. I saw that the doors were open as I walked toward the cafeteria, behind which were the closest bathrooms. My bladder was so full that it was difficult to walk. I concentrated hard on making it

to the bathroom before wetting myself, which I knew I couldn’t do because I was in second grade and not kindergarten. But as I neared the cafeteria, I noticed that the lights were off, the room only lit by the lights coming through the high windows. I could see blue sky and a couple of cumulus clouds – we had learned about those in Mrs. Plescia’s class. Once I got to the middle of the now quiet and empty cafeteria, I realized that I was treading on a freshly mopped floor. Mrs. Fulcher, the school custodian, appeared in front of me, her hands on the handle of an industrialsized mop, a large bucket on wheels nearby. I didn’t know why, but she had a hard look on her face. I stopped, my wet footprints on the damp linoleum trailing behind me. I looked at Mrs. Fulcher. She was eyeing me hard, still leaning on the mop handle. I really had to go pee bad. “You’re pretty bold for a Mexican girl,” Mrs. Fulcher said, gripping the mop handle, readying herself to wipe clean the tracks behind me. I wanted to turn back, but I knew I wouldn’t make it. So I set my eyes straight ahead, focusing only on the far door. The bathrooms were just on the other side them. I could feel Mrs. Fulcher’s frozen stare and her grip on the mop handle, as I walked by. I picked up my pace, nearly releasing a hot stream down my leg. In the bathroom, it all came pouring out of me almost before I was able to lift my dress and wriggle out of my tights. You’re pretty bold for a Mexican continued on page 54