Offers detailed descriptions of drives through California and the Southwest, with a flexible format allowing one to switch routes during a journey, and including information on where to eat and sleep, the best local radio stations, hundreds of roadside attractions, and more.

Step back into history to the vibrant era during the 1849 Gold Rush! A single Eureka! event changed history forever, early in January, 1848, at Sutter's Mill on the American River, the first gold discovery site. On a journey of circuitous backroads and museum-quality mining towns covering one-fifth of the Golden State's scenic geography, tour California Gold Country from the easily accessible points via Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite National Park. California's State green highway signs depict the silhouetted miner's shovel and handle firmly staked in the ground, recalling the pioneer paths of the 1849 Gold Rush. Whether exploring James Marshall's first gold strike on the American River South Fork or visiting a bounty of vintage mining towns along Highway 49's Golden Chain, explore the Golden State's regional charm on a 300-mile adventure to the once legendary tent camps, and surrounding lakes, rivers and streams. A path of history and frantic lust for gold drove miners and tradesmen into the goldfields seeking the precious mineral, generating the single largest migration recorded. Today's Gold Country offers a range of legendary lodging, handcrafted goods, delicious farm to fork foods, craft beer, wine and spirits, and unlimited choices for recreational opportunities. Begin the tour from Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, or Yosemite National Park and travel meandering highways leading to quaint village mining towns, museums, parks and trails, with the unforgettable landscapes, throughout California's Sierra Nevada mountains and foothills.

"2 story paths, 54 choices, 14 endings"--Cover.

Step back in history to the vibrant discovery era during the 1849 Gold Rush! California's Gold Country Highway 49 end to end, stretches 300 miles following hundreds to pioneers settlements along the Golden State's rolling countryside. A single Eureka! moment one early morning in January, 1848 changing the entire direction of the 19th Century at Sutter's Mill. First verified near Sacramento on the American River, the gold discovery created a frantic flurry with miners and tradesmen making ventures out West, prospecting the golden ore, and generating the largest single migration into California's vast frontier. Set out on a trip to 1/5 of California's Golden State foothills in the Sierra Nevada, visit the historical spots and mining towns during the gilded age. Choose any point from 15 suggested Golden Chain towns along Highway 49's stopovers, between Old Sacramento, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park, and see hundreds of Gold Rush locations. Meet the pioneers and the new generation of 49ers, and discover where there's gold. The legendary California Gold Country offers explorations of once in a lifetime adventures for all friends and family.

Explorer's Great Destinations puts the guide back into guidebook. Also covering California Gold Country and the Northern Sierra Nevada, this savvy guide for upscale travels covers world-class ski resorts, casinos, and sought-after destinations and adventurous activities.

Follows the development of the gold rush in California starting in the 1840's. Examines its effects on the economic, social, and political development of the area from early times through statehood and into the modern day.