Nevada city , California.

I had the pleasure of doing a 2 week house sit in Nevada city , Ca. in Oct.  taking care of a sweet kitty named Mala .

I really enjoyed that house sit. So much to see and do in and around Nevada city .

Nevada City is among the most interesting of California Gold Rush towns, attracting visitors from far and wide. The entire downtown district is a national historic landmark where guests enjoy quality dining, lodging, and shops, all flavored with old-fashioned Nevada City hospitality. And there is the Yuba River !

The Beautiful Yuba River. Originating in a bowl-shaped valley in Moscove Meadow, the 55.4-mile-long (89.2 km) Middle Yuba River flows north into Jackson Meadows Reservoir, then turns west, descending steeply into a gorge, defining over almost its entire length the boundary of Sierra County in the north and Nevada County in the south. I did quite a few walks along the Yuba while I was there. Here are a few shots.

Nevada city

I also went to Malakoff Diggings state park which is not far from Nevada city.  Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park is the site of California’s largest “hydraulic” mine. Visitors can see huge cliffs carved by mighty streams of water, results of the gold mining technique of washing away entire mountains to find the precious metal. Legal battles between mine owners and downstream farmers ended this method. The park also contains a 7,847 foot bedrock tunnel that served as a drain. The visitor center offers a short video on hydraulic mining and exhibits on life in the old mining town of North Bloomfield. North Bloomfield experienced its heyday from the late 1860’s to 1884, with nearly 1,500 inhabitants. Here are some photos.

Some scenes from driving around in the hills of Nevada city area below.

Nevada city is a town for music lovers too !! There is live music every night of the week in one of the many bars or restaurants. Coopers ale works, Crazy Horse saloon, The Golden Era , Friar Tucks, Mateos public, Crazy how much music there is in such a small town. One of the other reasons I loved it so much. I am a huge music lover . Saw Reggae one night. Bluegrass one night. Old Jazz Harlem style one night. 70’s one night. yes, I went out a bit for music while there. Why not? It was all in the small town and easy to walk from place to place.  I did happen to be there on Halloween weekend too which was quite an event in Nevada city. Here are some photos of that.

Another thing I did which was a highlight was going to the  Pickers get together at the Grange Hall in Rough and Ready. Rough and Ready is another small town a few miles from Nevada city and every Sunday the pickers get together at the grange hall to do a little socializing and picking. Here is what that looks like. So fun. Nice folks too.

Another stop I made while driving the country roads around Nevada city was in a speck of a town called North San Juan. North San Juan is a town of about 300 people and I would say most of them are involved in the growing and distribution of Marijuana. It was a super hot day when I was passing thru North San Juan and I saw this bar. I thought how nice a cold beer would taste and might be fun to meet some of the locals. I was right about both. Great icy cold beer and colorful locals . I even had my future read by the local phsycic fortune teller. 

Nevada city is only about 60 miles from my hometown Truckee, CA. But I never really got to know it till I did this 2 week house sit. I sure enjoyed it and would go back again to house sit if the opportunity arrises.