Sutter Creek Attractions Directory

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Historic=20 = Sites

Black=20 Chasm, Nat'l Natural = Landmark
Black Chasm Cavern, = named a=20 National Landmark in 1976, is an = extraordinarily=20 beautiful cave. 45-minute guided walking = tours=20 showcase a variety of calcite formations = including arrays of rare helictite = crystals.=20 Above ground, try mining gemstones, = picnic and=20 visit our new Visitor Center. Open daily = year=20 round.

Kennedy=20 Mine Foundation
The=20 Kennedy Gold Mine, in conjunction with = their=20 much-heralded surface tours of this = historic=20 mine, once the deepest and richest gold = mine in=20 the United States, maintains a small but = surprisingly complete gift shop with a = fine=20 selection of books, jewelry and unique = items for=20 both young and old.

Knight=20 Foundry Corporation
Knight Foundry Corp. is = dedicated=20 to the preservation, restoration and = operation=20 of Knight Foundry, a historic = water-powered iron=20 works. The foundry began operation in = the late=20 1880s to manufacture machinery for = Mother Lode=20 gold mines.

Monteverde=20 Store Museum
The=20 Monteverde Store Museum, which opened as = a=20 country store in 1896, still displays = all the=20 paraphernalia of the past on its = shelves. Dry=20 goods, hardware, bulk products, apparel, = patterns, even penny candy were on hand = for=20 local shoppers. It is preserved as it = was in=20 1970 when the last owner closed the = doors for a=20 few days and never reopened. It can be = viewed=20 most days from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and = volunteer=20 docents are eager to share the history = of the=20 Monteverde family.

Sutter=20 Creek United Methodist = Church
Church service in = historic church=20 on Sundays in summer from 9 to 10 a.m. = until=20 September when hours = change.

City=20 of Sutter Creek
Full=20 service City Government with Sutter = Creek Fire=20 Department handling fire and safety=20 issues.

Sutter=20 Gold Mine Tours
Sutter Gold Mine = provides, at a=20 moderate charge, one-hour guided tours = into this=20 authentic, modern gold mine. Learn about = mining=20 techniques through the ages and about = Mother=20 Lode geology. Visit the Gold Store, = theater and=20 try panning and gemstone mining. Open=20 daily.

Gold=20 = Mining

Caves

Wineries

Avio=20 Vineyards & The Carriage House =
Avio, located just 5 = minutes from=20 downtown Sutter Creek, is a destination = that=20 embodies the spirit of northern Italy. = The=20 estate features Italian-style varietal = wines and=20 a charming B&B (bed and bottle). The = setting, reminiscent of a traditional = Tuscan=20 farmstead, is ideal for weddings and = special=20 occasions. Open Friday through Sunday, = 11:30=20 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Bella=20 Piazza Winery
Nestled=20 elegantly within the hillside vineyards = of the=20 Shenandoah Valley of California lies a = winery=20 called Bella Piazza. Open daily 10 a.m. = to 5=20 p.m.

Charles=20 Spinetta Winery and Wildlife Art=20 Gallery
Our = family=20 has lived in Amador County for five = generations.=20 We offer Barbera, Chenin Blanc, = Zinfandel, and=20 rare, aged Amador County wines. We = proudly=20 showcase over 450 framed pieces of art = in our=20 wildlife gallery. Open Saturday and = Sunday, 9=20 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Thursday and = Friday, 8=20 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Tuesday and=20 Wednesday.

Susan's=20 Place - Wine Bar & = Eatery
This restaurant provides = fresh=20 Mediterranean fare, wine tasting and = sales of=20 Sierra Foothill wines. Enjoy casual, = fine dining=20 on inviting year-round patio with water = features=20 or indoors with wine-themed decor. Open = Thursday=20 through Sunday for lunch and=20 = dinner.

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History

Calaveras=20 Big Tree State Park
Calaveras became a State = Park in=20 1931 to preserve the North Grove of giant=20 sequoias. This grove includes the = "Discovery=20 Tree", the first Sierra redwood noted by = Augustus=20 T. Dowd in 1852. This area has been a = major=20 tourist attraction ever since, and is = considered=20 the longest continuously operated tourist = facility=20 in California.

Chaw'se=20 Indian Grinding Rock State = Park
Indian Grinding Rock State = Historic=20 Park is located in the Sierra Nevada = foothills=20 eight miles east of Sutter Creek. The park = nestles=20 in a little valley 2,400 feet above sea = level with=20 open meadows and large valley oaks that = once=20 provided the native Americans of this area = with an=20 ample supply of acorns. The 135-acre park = was=20 created in 1968 and preserves a great = outcropping=20 of marbleized limestone with some 1,185 = mortar=20 holes -- the largest collection of bedrock = mortars=20 in North America.

Sutter=20 Creek Tours
Bus and=20 walking tours. Walking tours Saturdays at = 1:30PM.=20 Bus tours of historic farms, wines, gold = mines and=20 mystery Saturdays at 10:30AM. Each tour is = lead by=20 a local historian and author. Contact:=20 800/892-2276 American Exchane = Hotel

Black=20 Bart Hold-Up Days
The=20 third weekend in June. Historic = re-inactments with=20 horse-drawn stagechoach, 1880's costumes=20 encouraged for all and period activities=20 throughout the weekend.

Historic=20 Kennedy Gold Mine Surface = Tours
Take a fascinating tour of = one of=20 the most famous mines of the Mother Lode, = the=20 historic Kennedy Gold Mine!

Knight=20 Foundry
This = is one of=20 the earliest US foundry-machine shops = remaining in=20 operation and one fo the few water = powered. It was=20 founded by Samuel N. Knight (1838-1913) to = manufacture machinery for the gold mines = of the=20 Mother Lode region. Knight was one fo = several=20 inventors experimenting with impulse = turbines to=20 exploit the area's abundant high-head = water power=20 for driving hoists, ore stamps, and other = mining=20 machinery. He patented an efficient water = wheel=20 that came to dominate the field prior to = the=20 introduction of the Pelton turbine in the=20 mid-1880s. Knight turbines drive some of = the=20 machinery of the works. Today the foundry=20 continues to operate, producing gray iron = castings=20 for industry and tourism. The machine shop = is=20 still powered by water falling more than = 400 feet=20 from the ridge above Sutter Creek. Knight = Foundry=20 is also listed on the National Register of = Historic Places and has been designated a=20 California Historical Landmark. =

Monteverde=20 Store Museum
J.=20 Monteverde General Store Museum 3 Randolph = Street=20 Sutter Creek, CA 95685 Admission: Free = Take a step=20 back in time at the Monteverde General = Store=20 Museum and experience a little slice of = =93frontier=20 life.=94 John Monteverde and members of = his family=20 ran the emporium from 1898 to 1971 and you = can see=20 the authentic hardware, groceries, = clothing,=20 pharmaceuticals, candy, and miner supplies = such as=20 boots, flashlights, and tools that the=20 Monteverde=92s sold to Sutter Creek = locals. Walk=20 into a Time Capsule John Monteverde and = his son=20 John opened their general store in August = 1898 and=20 it changed little from its early days = until Rose=20 Monteverde, the youngest of seven = children, put a=20 hand written sign in the window on 27 = October 1971=20 stating, =93This store will be closed for = a few=20 days.=94 Rose never returned to the store = and=20 bequeathed it to the town of Sutter Creek = in 1978,=20 on the condition that it be converted to a = museum=20 or a library. As an homage to the frontier = spirit=20 of the Sutter Creek community, town = members=20 decided to preserve the store almost = exactly as=20 Rose Monteverde had left it. The J. = Monteverde=20 General Store Museum is typical of old = country=20 stores at the turn of the century. Over = its=20 counters and from its shed =96 now the = home to the=20 Sutter Creek Visitor=92s Center and Amador = Arts=20 Council =96 the Monteverde family offered = for sale=20 all manner and description of merchandise = and came=20 to serve as a meeting place for miners, = housewives=20 and the town children. What Waits in Store = for You=20 =B7 Original grocery items still extant in = their=20 original packaging and boxes, when = possible. =B7=20 Authentic miners supplies, including hob = nail=20 boots, miner hats, tools, and lunch boxes. = =B7 All=20 the existing original ledgers, written in = spidery=20 script, attesting to the good and bad = times that=20 befell the citizenry. =B7 A variety of = 19th and=20 early 20th century book titles in the = =93reading=20 library=94 section. =B7 Shelves full of = hose and long=20 underwear sold to gentlemen as well as = shoes,=20 hose, bolts of materials, and patterns for = the=20 ladies. Also on display is a box of = vintage Chux=20 disposable diapers. =B7 And Much, Much = More!=20

Recreation

Castle=20 Oaks Golf Course

Black=20 Chasm
Black = Chasm,=20 National Natural Landmark, has been known = for its=20 outstanding geological significance since = at least=20 1976 when it was designated a National = Natural=20 Landmark by the National Park Serivce. = Rare and=20 beautiful formations abound in this = spectacular=20 cave. Black Chasm is open every day of the = year -=20 providing 45-minute guided tours to the = general=20 public, and is located off Hwy 88 in Pine = Grove,=20 just outside the little Gold Rush town of = Volcano.=20 Check their web site at http://www.caverntours.com/ or=20 call 209-736-2708 or toll free = 866-762-2837 for=20 more information.

Kirkwood=20 Ski Area
Kirkwood Ski=20 Area approximately 55 miles East of Sutter = Creek=20 on Highway 88. Best ski area in Amador=20 County.

Local=20 Wine Map
Map = to local=20 wineries

Amador=20 County Recreation Agency Picnic Area on = the=20 Creek
Picnic = area four=20 miles out of Sutter Creek on Church Street = - Suter=20 Creek-Volcano Road. Area has ample picnic = Picnic=20 Area ample, Gold Panning, Place for Kids = to Play.=20 Four miles up Volcano road.

Sutter=20 Gold Mine Tours
SUTTER=20 GOLD MINE Located just 15 minutes away on = Hwy 49=20 just north of historic Sutter Creek, = Sutter Gold=20 Mine is a fascinating and fun place to = visit. Tag=20 in, don a hard hat, board the Boss Buggy = Shuttle=20 and journey deep underground for a lesson = on gold=20 mining from the Gold Rush to the present = day. Walk=20 through a tunnel created by mining the = quartz of=20 the Comet Zone for gold by real miners = just a=20 decade ago. See mining equipment and learn = how it=20 works! Discover the difference between = real gold=20 and fool=B9s gold! Above ground, try your = hand at=20 gemstone mining (pictured at left) and = gold=20 panning, or browse the Gold Store for = mining=20 equipment, gold jewelry, rocks and fun = souvenirs.=20 Next door, pop in to the Gold Theatre to = see a=20 movie on hard rock mining or the = California Gold=20 Rush.

1-hour family tours are offered every day, = year=20 round from 9 am - 5 pm May through August = and from=20 10 am to 4 pm September through April. = Every=20 participant must wear a provided hardhat = for the=20 entire tour underground. Hardhats come in = sizes=20 appropriate for toddlers through adults. = Discount=20 coupons are available for your entire = family from=20 their website at=20

Sutter Gold Mine http://www.suttergold.com/=20

Jackson=20 Hole, Wyoming
Jackson=20 Hole, Wyoming Bed & Breakfast=20 Accommodations

Attractions