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DRIVE TOUR NAVIGATING A TOUR through the Gold Country couldn't be easier: HIGHWAY 49—named for the original 49ers—traverses the entire region. It stretches nearly 300 miles through the Sierra foothills, from DOWNIEVILLE in the north to OAKHURST in the south, linking all the Gold Country's major towns and sights. Allow at least two days for the journey. Start with a mountainbiking excursion in DOWNIEVILLE, poke around the galleries and antique shops of NEVADA CITY and drop by the site where Marshall and Sutter found those first sparkling nuggets in COLOMA. SUTTER CREEK, with a bounty of inviting B&Bs and restaurants serving the local wine, is a good place to spend the night. On your second day, explore ANGELS CAMP— perhaps pausing to wager on a frog if it's jumping season (the third week in May)—try your hand at panning for gold at COLUMBIA STATE HISTORIC PARK and take a ride on the historic steam train in JAMESTOWN'S RAILTOWN 1897 STATE HISTORIC PARK. CALIFORNIA BEGAN WITH THE GOLD RUSH Fortunately, there's still plenty of gold in Sacramento. California's cosmopolitan Capital City is bustling with great restaurants, shopping and cultural arts. Follow the history of the Gold Rush. Go adventuring on our rivers and bike trails. Go wine tasting at one of 200 local wineries. Experience California cuisine, made from the freshest ingredients straight from local farms. And learn something new at one of our world-class museums. D I S COV E R G O L D.O RG 2 0 1 3 t r av e l g u i d e to c a l i fo rnia 1 67