Romantic Weekend Getaway: A Guide to Visiting Murphys, California, the Queen of the Sierra

When I was a child, I was lucky to spend a year living in the small town of Murphys, California. Back in the mid 1970s, the town had a population of less than 1,000, and the five mile stretch of road we lived on had only a handful of houses built on it.

Though the town has almost tripled in size in the last forty years, it has not lost its charm, and it makes for the perfect romantic destination for a weekend, or an extended vacation. In fact, Budget Travel named Murphys one of the "coolest small towns in the U.S."

Murphys is located about two and a half hours northeast of San Francisco, in the Sierra foothills of California, and in the heart of gold country. Downtown Murphys exudes charm. Not only can you get a feel for its historic past, but on Main Street you'll find great shopping, restaurants and even wine tasting.

My favorite place to stay, is truly unsurpassed. The Murphys Historic Hotel is known as the "crown jewel" of the Mother Lode. It's been in operation since 1856. The hotel's rooms are decorated in Victorian period furnishings, and they've been frequented by some famed historical figures of the past. Some of its guests have included Mark Twain, Susan B. Anthony, Ulysses S. Grant, and John Wayne.

The hotel's old fashioned saloon is a great place to dance, listen to some great live music, or hang out with the locals. Hotel rates are quite reasonable, starting at $89 per night.

The adjoining restaurant is a traditional dinner house offering award-winning meals that include prime rib, rack of lamb and filet mignon. If you're fascinated by the paranormal, you might be interested to know that the dining room is said to be the home of a ghost they call Eleanor. She is known to rearrange the tables and slam things around in the kitchen a bit.

The Murphys area offers lots of fun things for couples to do. There are many great antique shops and art galleries on Main Street, and the town offers wineries, with several tasting rooms located right downtown.

Bring your bikes, and wonder around the back roads. The rolling hills provide a perfect opportunity for exploring the beautiful scenery on bicycle.

If you enjoy outdoor adventures, Moaning Caverns is located just a few minutes outside downtown Murphys, This spectacular cave is known as one of the best in the entire country. You can take a walking tour or the more adventurous can rappel 165 feet down into the cavern.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park is located just 15 minutes up highway 4 in Arnold. Here you can hike among the world famous beautiful groves of Giant Sequoias. These ancient trees are 250 to 300 feet high and 25 to 30 feet across, and said to be up to 3,000 years old.

Murphys has also been the setting for several Hollywood films and television shows. Take a short drive up Pennsylvania Gulch Road off highway 4 near the elementary school. On the left you'll see a large white Victorian style farmhouse. The home was used in the 1972 psychological thriller, The Other. The same property was used as the setting for the television show, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", that aired in the early 1980s.

After spending a weekend in the heart of gold country, you'll soon realize why I love to return to this charming town whenever I'm in northern California.