Calaveras County: More Than Just Vineyards

Calaveras County is located in the pretty state of California USA. It is 3 hours away from San Francisco and 3 hours away from Lake Tahoe. Calaveras County is one hour away from the state capital of Sacramento. It is a country drive with serene farm fields, cattle drives, and of course the famous vineyards of Ironstone and Black Sheep. Once famous for the gold rush and now becoming popular for wineries.

But not all of Calaveras should be looked at just for it's wineries. There is more to this precious place of existence than that of a vineyard. Calaveras has magnificent caves to explore. Some of them you can go spelunking in if you like going through caves with a guide and rope. All over Calaveras County there are cute little Main Streets in each town you enter. They each have their own unique cafes, antique shops, and oddities. My favorite shop is Stories In Stones which is located in Angels Camp and Murphy's of Calaveras County.

There are wonderful trails to hike on around the local lakes. Some which give guided tours in the springtime and in the autumn. Melones Lake has fishing tournaments each year. When you travel through Calaveras County you will notice roadside monuments of certain landmarks. Each with their own special story from a historical point of view. When you travel eastward on Highway 4 toward Arnold, there is a campground that is awesome. It is located by Beaver Creek and is rarely overcrowded. The water is refreshing in the hot dry summers.

When you come to stay around Calaveras County, make sure you bring your camera for lots of great pictures. The autumn is the prettiest time of year here in Calaveras County, especially when you travel toward Arnold. The locals are friendly and great. The best place to eat in Calaveras County is a little place on Main Street Murphy's called The Smoke. There are tons of hotels and camp spots speckled throughout the county, so finding a place to stay the night wouldn't be a problem.

There is one small movie theater that is fun to go to, some say it is haunted. My experience there I would also say it may be haunted. It is located on Main Street Angels Camp. Other entertainment in Calaveras County would be at Ironstone Winery. Each summer they have concerts. Jewel, Huey Lewis and The News, Heart, and many other famous bands have played there. They also have old time movies called Silent Movie Night and sometimes they will hold dances. During the month of May there is the county fair called "Jumping Frog Jubilee". This is famous from the writer of Mark Twain.

Come and visit Calaveras County. Enjoy the good food, the warm and inviting locals, and all the fun besides the local wineries and vineyards. There is a lot more here than one can ever imagine.