Perfect American River Getaway: Hike and Raft
Posted May 5, 2008 by Malina
Here’s a cool opportunity if you want to spend more than one day enjoying the Coloma Lotus Valley while the grass is still green, flowers are splashed on the hillsides, and the temperatures are still pretending they won’t get fierce as the Sahara in July…..
I digress. Here’s the idea: Come up to the Gold Country on the Mother’s Day holiday weekend…. On Saturday the 10th the American River Conservancy is hosting a free guided hike exploring the Serpantine Habitat at Traverse Creek. Naturalist Robert is going to guide the hike, which is mellow and easy. (For more info on this event and other cool stuff the Conservancy is up to, visit their website.) Then, the next day, Raft the South Fork American for an adventerous wrap up of a nature filled weekend.
What to do in between you ask? What, you want even more to do? Well ok, if it was me, I’d go wine tasting at a local winery (Venezio, Gold Hill, and David Girard are all really close) after the hike, and then have dinner at Cafe Mahjaic in Lotus. If you stay at the Lotus Inn, which is right next door to the Cafe, you just could not get any more convenient. If you feel like camping check out Camp Lotus–they’re about a mile away from Cafe Mahjaic.