Wine Tasting and Whitewater
September 17th, 2009 by MalinaFall is a very civilized time to come visit the Gold Country–no summer mayhem, barges of screaming water-fighters, massive party boats…..
You get all the thrills of summer but with more peace and quiet in between. This is also a great time to check out other gems of this area: a delicious dinner at Cafe Mahjaic, a peaceful evening at the Eden Vale Inn, and an afternoon wine tasting the day after a fun trip down the American River. Local wineries include Venezio, Gold Hill Vineyards and David Girard–they’re all within 5 minutes of the South Fork American. Just a little further up the road are all the Apple Hill wineries
with favorite places like Boeger, Madrona, and Lava Cap. Pack a picnic, buy a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and relax in Boeger’s lovely grounds for a truly relaxing day…..
(Above: a lovely view of the Coloma Lotus Valley from Venezio Winery, Right: wine tasting on the South Fork!)











Looking for some last-minute plans this weekend or feeling like extending your gold country getaway? Don’t forget the
trips change quite a bit–gone are the massive crowds and bumper-boat mayhem of July and August. Trips are smaller and more intimate and you can feel like you have the whole river to yourself. The scenery is still beautiful as the bleached colors of summer deepen into fall…..
Festival
If you’re looking for a great end of summer hike, look no further than the
We took daypacks with sustenance for the day. Be aware that this can be an all day hike. We took our time and spent eight hours in the canyon, with an hour for lunch and a few breaks, but it could probably be done in 6 hours at a steady pace. A good way to add buoyancy to your pack when you’re floating is to put a small, air-filled dry bag inside. If you’re willing to sacrifice the bottom of your pack, I’d also recommend grommeting in a few holes for quick drainage–my pack had no holes and I was water logged and sloshing around after every pool…but the seclusion of the canyon and the escape from the heat made it worth the weight.
The road to Yankee Jim’s Bridge is just off I-80 East close to Colfax. A good place to meet up with your shuttle is at the Weimar Cross Rd Park and Ride on the right side of the Interstate just off the Weimar Cross Rd exit. Take Canyon Way east to Yankee Jims Rd and turn right. The road to Yankee Jims Bridge is pretty much dirt and parking is more secluded. Iowa Hill Rd is 3.5 miles east on I-80 from Weimar Cross Rd–the road is paved and there are more cars parked here typically. 
If you’ve ever rafted the South Fork of the American River you’ve floated right past–or just downstream of
With a few weeks to go of the “high season” for 