Our three-day getaway to Sutter Creek and Plymouth, in Amador County, was a visual and gastronomic feast. Based in a pet-friendly bungalow in Sutter Creek, we donned our masks to explore the rural area on bike, on foot, and by car.
Stunning Visuals
Old mining equipment and building supplies have been repurposed in creative ways. Small rail cars are now planters with pumpkin displays.
On rural routes, mailboxes sprout from old plumbing equipment and miscellaneous ironwork.
Wine barrels morph into outdoor tables, and wood pallets become fences to keep patrons safely apart from one another. In our bungalow, the headboards were old doors (complete with knobs).
Homes and shops all over Amador County are decked out with Fall and Halloween banners, flags, and mock tombstones.
Our bungalow had room for Ed to work. Since he’s coaching students in two classes this quarter, he had a lot of work to do so he brought his large monitor and set up at the table.
And Sydney enjoyed lounging around (and supervising Ed while he worked.)
Biking Around Sutter Creek
While Ed worked, I could play! (I am only coaching one class this quarter, and my assignments were due on Monday, so I had time to complete them prior to the trip.)
I biked from Sutter Creek to Amador City and beyond. The guide for the route mentioned that the ride would be “hilly”. This was an understatement. Several of the grades reached over 9.5% in certain areas. I saw two other cyclists on this route — they both were riding e-bikes! (Note to self: might not be a bad idea next time!) One e-bike rider sailed by me on an uphill. She grinned, “I’m cheating…bye bye!” I was also pretty used to riding in a mask, since I’ve been doing it during the pandemic.
I biked up a tiny lane, named “StringBean Alley”, which was quite apropos. The pavement left a bit to be desired in certain segments. Not too many cars can travel this road, even though it’s listed as county road 34! Herbertville was long gone.
Tiny Towns Among the Oaks
A casual ride through the area presents wide vistas of beautiful oak trees, nestled among the golden hills. Little towns are sprinkled throughout the region.
Amador City, founded in 1848, boasts that they are the smallest incorporated city in California, with an area of only .31 miles. It’s a charming town with one intersection. You could buy an antique arch or gazebo and other garden art in this shop.
The city council members of larger towns would grin at this posted agenda:
But the artists here are creative and thoughtful.
And, the buildings look well-preserved.
We also enjoyed exploring the tiny town of Volcano. We learned that it had over 10,000 residents during the boom of the gold mining era. Now, the town sign boasts only 85 residents. It’s hard to imagine that this town was competing with Benicia to be the original capital of the State of California in the 1850s.
Volcano was the site of the state’s first Law School and first Observatory. Now it boasts the oldest continuously operating General Store.
And, during non-pandemic times, there is an outdoor theater which looks very cool.
Wine Tasting in Amador County
The Amador valley is known for lush red wines. According to the wine pamphlet, “Amador Wine Country vineyards experience long warm days and cooler nights — creating a temperature differential of 30 degrees — allowing grapes to mature slowly while developing deep, complex flavors in elevations varying from 300 to 3,000 feet.” Who knew? We found the tasting culture to be warm and welcoming and the wines to be delicious. We enjoyed the Barbera wine at the Jeff Runquist winery.
Our favorite winery was Yorba, whose tasting room is located in Sutter Creek, right next to our bungalow. We spent a lovely hour on their patio, sampling their delicious reds under a beautiful incense Cedar tree.
Kelsey, our lovely Yorba host, grew up in the area and was able to share many details about the wine, the winery, and local history.
We learned that the Yorba family got their start in Southern California, when Jose Antonio Yorba came to California in 1769 from Spain and was “given a large chunk of Orange County as an incentive to stay in the New World.” Not a bad start! After generations of successful citrus farming in Orange County, the current family winemaker, Ann Kraemer, graduated from UC Davis in the mid 70’s (sound familiar?) and started the winery in Amador County after working at several premium wineries in Napa. She exhibits a particular passion for the unique characteristics of the soil and micro-climates. Yorba bottles 10% of their 150 acre vineyard and sells the rest of the grapes to other premium wineries. They even custom blend and bottle wine for restaurants like The French Laundry.
We were honored to be their first guests of the season, as their tasting room had been closed due to the Pandemic.
Delicious Dining
Sydney was able to join us for a prix-fix 3-course meal at Taste in nearby Plymouth. We had reserved a table in the public park across from the restaurant. This was a creative use of a socially-distanced space.
Other restaurants in Sutter Creek have set up in the parking spaces along Main Street so they can serve guests outside with social distancing.
Our quick Amador County getaway was a treat. People were doing their best to maintain social distancing, wear masks and stay safe. We will definitely return to this area once things get back to normal. We’d love to catch an amateur production at the amphitheater in Volcano and attend some intimate tastings at more wineries. Until then, mask on!
