Why You Want to Visit Sonora, CA

I love the California Gold Country and Sonora is right in the middle of it. About an hour from Merced and a little less from Modesto, this is a great town to stay in while you visit nearby attractions. It's close to several golf courses, rivers and lakes for water sports, has an interesting downtown area, many historic buildings and a large variety of motels, hotels and B & B to stay in. You can also enjoy hiking, mountain biking, gold panning, visiting cavern and horseback riding.

There is a weekly Farmer's Market in the summer, a flea market at the fairgrounds every Saturday and Sunday year round and a four day county fair every July. There is a film festival every year along with a large popular Christmas craft fair every Thanksgiving Weekend. And plenty of other annual events all year long.

Sonora is only at about 2000 foot elevation but it can get pretty cold in the wintertime and I remember getting there about midnight one night when my crafting partner and I had to get out to leave our trailer at the fairgrounds - it was about 29 degrees. I also recall a winter morning when I glanced out the motel window to see snow falling. I quickly packed up and left - I enjoyed my Sunday brunch that day in Merced instead of in Sonora. The summers are beautiful - hot, yes but the nights cool down pretty well and you only have to head east of town a bit to find cooler places to spend the hot summer days. On a cool summer evening, just a few miles above Sonora, we lit a fire in the cabin we were renting for the week-end - it was mid July aand it was cold.

The downtown area is fun to walk around in - you'll find interesting shops, some excellent eateries, a couple of bars, along with a couple of hotels and motels nearby. One of the shops I always visit when I go to Sonora is the Christmas shop located about 3 or 4 blocks from downtown. You make a left at the stoplight (you need to get off of the freeway first) - I think it's Washington Street and the shop is about 4-5 blocks down to the right. It's before you get to the red church and it's on the left side of the street. It's open all year long and has wonderful hand crafted gift items, ornaments and lots of Christmas related merchandise. It might be called Dorothea's but I'm not certain.

You'll want to drive down to Jamestown while you're in the area. It's only three miles from Sonora, on Hwy. 108. If you came from southern California, you drove by the little community on your way to Sonora. It's a tiny little gem of a town, also known as "Jimtown," and has wonderful antique shops, gift shops, eateries and art galleries. There are also a few B & B's in town. Take time to enjoy a meal in one of the many dining spots and enjoy browsing through the shops.

The other "not to be missed" attraction is just three miles the other way from Sonora. When you get to downtown Sonora (again, getting off the freeway), you'll turn left at the light and head out of town on that road. Look for the sign which reads "Columbia" or "Columbia State Park," and follow that road to Columbia. The entire town is a reconstruction of a California mining town of about 1849. Docents in period costumes are available to answer questions about the 49er's and the California Gold Rush. Take the stage coach ride - there is a surprise on every ride, check out the old fashion candy store - the very best real licorice (black, of course!) in the state, maybe even the whole country and enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants.

The historic Sonora Inn in the middle of downtown, is now a Days Inn, but it still has an excellent restaurant and sometimes live entertainment in their lounge. It's right downtown, close to shops and restaurants and convenient to the fairgrounds. When I last stayed there, the rooms were not air conditioned so I would not stay there in the summer months. The rooms were small because this is a very old hotel, but were very nicely decorated with small sofas in many of the rooms. I've not been stayed there lately and I've heard the rooms need some TLC. (Visitsonoradaysinn.com for details.)

Another charming inn near downtown Sonora is the Gunn House. Originally built in the mid 1800's as an adobe style home, it served as a hospital in the later part of that century. It later went back to being a hotel and was named the Rose Italia Hotel. Some time after that it was sold again, renovated and became known as the Gunn House Motor Hotel. I've stayed there and while the rooms are small, they are very nicely decorated. (Some include adorable teddy bears.) At that time there was an excellent restaurant on the premises, Josephine's, which has since closed. There is a swimming pool on the property and there are lovely balconies and lots of flowering plants on the property. (See gunnhousehotel.com for more information.)

There are other motels in Sonora and two of them are the Aladdin and the Best Western Sonora Oaks. Both of these are located a couple of miles east of downtown on Hwy. 108. There are also several charming B & B's in the area. Camping grounds are nearby and there are dozens of cabins for rent in the mountains around Sonora. They are all very unique and a lot of fun to rent for a large group on weekends.