HISTORIC HWY 49

Took historic highway 49, known as "the gold miners route" on the first leg of trip to Yosemite and beyond. Went through Sutter Creek--enjoyed the atmosphere and the preserved buildings. Sutter's sawmill was the site of the gold strike of 1848. And the rest is history.



The Imperial Hotel was built in 1879 as a mercantile establishment and was later turned into a hotel and boarding house. It operated as a hotel until 1927.


Crossed the Tuolumne River for free...but a roadside marker notes that in 1845 Robinson's Ferry charged for each passenger, horse, jenny, or other animal. It doesn't say what the original fees were, but by 1911 when it stopped operating, they were up to 50 cents.

On to Yosemite....