From the organizer, Bill Brandt:
The First Sunday Drive on February 6, 2022 will take us from Auburn to Grass Valley, California.
Meeting Place
We'll meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Chevron Station and Starbucks facility at 10021 Combie Road in Auburn, CA 95602.
As you are driving up Highway 49, be aware that this intersection will sneak up on you. You will see a sign pointing to the left – Wolf Road and to the right – Combie Road. It’s a good 10-15 minutes up from Auburn.
Restaurant Destination
Wild Eye Pub
535 Mill Street, Grass Valley
This is a drive I had done in the past with a twist – a new restaurant in Grass Valley. As I discovered, during these times finding a restaurant that is open during our hours, with parking, is a challenge. But this is a gem.
We’ll stop at Bridgeport, to see a covered bridge. I know that it holds some record for length, but don’t know the details. A passer-by told me that it is the “longest in the world” but I’m not sure about that – there are plenty in New England. The state of CA just refurbished it.
It was built in 1862 as a means of greatly reducing transit times across the south fork of the Yuba River. Please have $5 with you as it is a state park and they ask that you pay on the honor system.
Since the Restaurant doesn’t open until 1:00 we’ll stay here 30-45 minutes. There are several exhibits to keep you occupied.
This has been a favorite drive of mine -as we leave Bridgeport and go through the booming metropolis of French Corral, notice the Wells Fargo stage stop that looks like they just closed yesterday.
Shortly after French Corral we hit the intersection of Hwy 49. While we won’t be stopping at the following 2 destinations I’ll mention, you may want to either backtrack after lunch or make it on another trip.
To the left on 49, up another 30 miles, is the picture postcard town of Downieville. We’ll be turning towards the right and Grass Valley. But along the way, you will see a turn-off for the Malakoff Diggins. I’ve thought of leading a drive here, but as I recall, there are some dirt roads, which has always been a deal breaker for a FSD. It takes a good 30-45 minutes just to get to the recreated company mining town of Brookfield. And another 30-45 minutes to get back to Nevada City. But it is the site of a mining town that was historic for being the first Environmental Court Cases. It was the miners vs the ranchers in 1884, and the ranchers were objecting to the polluted streams caused by the miners hydraulic mining. As you drive in there, you can see the remnants of all that hydraulic mining. And because of COVID, all of the historic buildings are closed.
But these 2 places are something to think about later on your own.
After a lot of searching, I found a restaurant that is open during the hours we need, and has ambiance. I told the owner, Beth, that if I lived in Grass Valley I would become a regular. A number of car clubs meet there. There should be plenty of parking in the back.
Beth is a former Special Eds teacher and now pub owner and bartender. She also takes out the trash in the evenings as owners do these days!
Finally, a few rules. Beth asks us to wear a mask going in, but once you sit down you can take it off.
When we are caravanning, please keep a reasonable tight group. If you are ¼ mile behind the car in front of you, you are possibly losing the route for yourself and those behind you, and you are letting all of those pesky Hyundais and pick up trucks get in between our smart Mercedes caravan.
Please keep it tight!
We leave, as usual, at 10AM. I found, from the Greenhaven area of South Sacramento, to allow an hour’s transit time to the meeting place.
See you February 6!
Bill Brandt