Placerville is a hip little town but as I said earlier it was hot and crowded with tourists and while I was glad I stopped I was equally glad to head out of town and back onto the solitude of Hwy 49. It was amazing; just two or three miles out of town I was again virtually all alone cruising down Hwy 49 south. I did pass an occasional car or motorcycle but they were few and far between.
I was surrounded by lush green rolling hills, running creeks and neon blue sky. This is why I took this road. Here’s a view of the scenery I enjoyed for the next few hours:
About 20 miles south of Placerville I came across the turn offs for Amador City then Sutter Creek. Amador City was about four miles off of Hwy 49 and Sutter City was about two miles off the main road. I didn’t stop at either of these towns. I was having too much fun simply cruising down 49. Plus I wasn’t sure where I was going to spend the night. Initially I thought I’d end my day in Jackson which I estimated was about another hour down the road. I took these quick shots as I rolled past the turn offs and continued on to Jackson.
Jackson, CaliforniaJackson was amazing. The town is a whopping 3.5 square miles and was founded in 1848 during the gold rush. Jackson had two distinct sections. The old historic section which is pictured below and the newer modern section which I chose not to photograph.
Here’s an fact that I found quite telling. In 1850 the population of Jackson was 1500. In 2000 the population was 4000. Talk about a well kept secret, Jackson really is one. I ended up spending almost two hours there. First I hit a brand new Von’s market that had air conditioning and a Starbucks. I had a big cup of coffee and a banana. Then I headed over to the historic district, walked the streets and took some pictures. I really fell in love with this town. It now ranks high on my list of places that when and if the time comes I’ll disappear to.
The first shot below is a view of the cemetery and historic district as seen from a small side road just off of Hwy 49. The rest of the shots are from inside the historic district.
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About 20 miles south of Placerville I came across the turn offs for Amador City then Sutter Creek. Amador City was about four miles off of Hwy 49 and Sutter City was about two miles off the main road. I didn’t stop at either of these towns. I was having too much fun simply cruising down 49. Plus I wasn’t sure where I was going to spend the night. Initially I thought I’d end my day in Jackson which I estimated was about another hour down the road. I took these quick shots as I rolled past the turn offs and continued on to Jackson.
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Jackson, CaliforniaJackson was amazing. The town is a whopping 3.5 square miles and was founded in 1848 during the gold rush. Jackson had two distinct sections. The old historic section which is pictured below and the newer modern section which I chose not to photograph.
Here’s an fact that I found quite telling. In 1850 the population of Jackson was 1500. In 2000 the population was 4000. Talk about a well kept secret, Jackson really is one. I ended up spending almost two hours there. First I hit a brand new Von’s market that had air conditioning and a Starbucks. I had a big cup of coffee and a banana. Then I headed over to the historic district, walked the streets and took some pictures. I really fell in love with this town. It now ranks high on my list of places that when and if the time comes I’ll disappear to.
The first shot below is a view of the cemetery and historic district as seen from a small side road just off of Hwy 49. The rest of the shots are from inside the historic district.
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It was a tough decision and as much as I loved Jackson I decided to keep rolling and set my sites on Sonora as my final destination for the day. I’m glad I did because along the way I was treated to even more incredible sites. More about those in my next post.
The Route
Placerville through Plymouth, Amador City, Sutter Creek to Jackson, California
