The Queen of the Sierra

New Melones Lake between Murphys and Colombia State Historic Park. Just gorgeous!

Murphy’s CA. Population 1,944, has a rich history as a gold rush era settlement established in 1848 by brothers Dan and John Murphy. It was soon a bustling tent town with its own court of law run out of the casino tent. Jurors reportedly got liquored up by both sides before giving their verdict!

Dan knew how to work the Indians

The rivers ran gold in Murphys. Dan won the unwavering devotion of the Northern Sierra Miwok tribe who lived in the area by marrying the daughter of the chief, and enlisted their help to cart out as much gold as 6 mules could carry. He then absconded with the riches and was never heard from again. Typical Dan.

There was enough gold in Murphys for everyone, as long as you were not Chinese or Mexican, as they were singularly taxed on their findings, and regularly run out of town. So I guess not much has changed in this country in the last 175 years.

Trust the locals, though some things go unsaid…

Murphys sits 2 hours from Yosemite and is known for its limestone caverns and countless wineries and tasting rooms that dominate their quaint main street. At breakfast I met some friendly locals who recommended I visit the local caverns for a crystal cave tour and Columbia Historic District for a taste of the original gold rush era buildings.

First stop was a very cool tour of Mercer Caverns at 51 degrees and at least 16 stories below ground, a welcome break from the smothering heat. It’s the longest running “show cave” with public tours beginning in 1885 by a system of rope ladders, and lit with candles staked to a board and held in the mouth of each guest as they climbed. Today, narrow, steep, winding staircases took us down down down to see what Walter J. Mercer discovered by chance while resting at the base of a shady tree in gold country. While lots of fascinating history was given, they did not mention that it was an old burial cave for the Yokuts tribe, and Mercer found human remains upon first exploring its crystalline depths.

Next up was Historic Columbia and great pickle pizza (yes, pickles!) in St. Charles Saloon, one of the oldest in the area. There I met two salty dogs, Gerry and Larry, who took care of my every need from the end of the bar, and even watched my beer as I ran out to catch the historic candy shoppe (they insisted!) before it closed for the day. I sped around and looked at the old black smith, and the gold panning for kids, and a shop with a doll collection that reminded me of my great grandmothers. But soon, the heat just GOT TO ME and I had to go back and hide in my cool vintage Airstream.