Area Activities
Looking for things to do during your Lucinda’s Country Inn getaway? California Gold Country and Amador Wine Country offer an abundance of scenic, historic, indoor, and outdoor day-trip options for your entertainment. Fair Play also offers a variety of restaurants for a great lunch or dinner.
Lake Tahoe is the most beautiful alpine lake in the world, in our humble opinion. (The above photo, of the rainbow, was taken at Camp Richardson on a fall evening just after a downpour.) We frequently visit Lake Tahoe for overnight getaways or just drive up for the day to relax for a while and enjoy the vistas and all the wonders of nature. We are just over an hour’s drive to South Lake Tahoe.
Highway 88 is the first highway in America to be designated a Scenic Highway. Once you make your first drive on Highway 88 you’ll know why. There are scenic stops so you can gander at the snow covered mountains or wonder at views of all the valleys. Highway 88 goes from Stockton, down in the flat land, over Carson Pass to Gardnerville, NV. It junctions with Highway 89 that goes to Lake Tahoe.
Electra is an old spot in the Sierra foothills founded by the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in the late 1880’s. It was the site of a hydroelectric power plant which generated electricity for a large part of the Central Valley of California and the Sierra Foothills. The old power plant still stands today, small in size and operating at a much-reduced capacity, but it’s a great a place for a picnic and to enjoy an afternoon of swimming. (Pick-up information about Day Trip from Daryl’s Ponderings from May 2016).
Volcano is tucked into Gold Rush history rich country just outside Sutter Creek. At the wonderful Volcano Union Inn you can have a great lunch on their patio, then stroll the streets (there aren’t many). Its a picturesque adventure getting to Volcano. ((Pick-up (Pick-up information about Day Trip from Daryl’s Ponderings from September 2016).
Not only are we in the heart of the Fair Play Wine Country, we are in the center of lots of Gold Country history and attractions. Nature abounds in every direction in the Sierra Foothills.
El Dorado County is rich with history; Discovery of Gold, Pony Express, Wagon Train Routes, Kit Carson, Mining towns, Gold Mines, Indian Diggins, Miwok Indians. These are just a sampling of the history in our back yard.
Come see where it all began; visit Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, the site where James Marshall discovered Gold, in January 1848. (Visit the official Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park site or Coloma, California)
Highway 49 is the historic 182-mile route through the famous Gold Rush territory. The 49ers used the road for moving their gold, food and supplies along this narrow windy stretch of California. All of California’s Gold Country can be found along and near Highway 49. To plan your visit, go to Gold Country Ticket to Travel.
Just outside of Jackson, Amador County and off of Highway 49 12 miles, is the Indian Grinding Rocks State Park near the town of Volcano and the area known as Daffodil Hill.
Just outside of Old Hangtown, Placerville, CA, is a real gold mine with tours and lots of fun activities for the whole family named Gold Bug Park.
Enjoy hiking right here on Lucinda’s Country Inn’s 11 acres. We have a walking trail around part of the property that leads you through some woods to a picnic area and sitting spots to enjoy the serenity of the property. If you follow the path to Perry Creek, you can see evidence of mining! Look at the pond and then the narrow portion where the creek spills over the wall. Notice some pieces of metal sticking out of the rock. This is called a “miners dam.” A small wall of cement was poured. Then boards could be secured between the pieces of metal and stacked on top of each other to create a dam with a large pond of water for gold panning.
Just down the street from the Inn is Pioneer Park which has concrete sidewalks for walking, a disc golf course with its trails and a gravel driving area around the horse arena. There is a playground, baseball diamonds and lots of space to jog or run if that is your desire.
On Sly Park Rd. about 10 miles from the Inn is the Cedar Park Trail, a blacktopped path of about a mile long.
A little further down Sly Park Rd., about 5 miles, is Jenkinson Lake. A reservoir for the El Dorado Irrigation District with many hiking trails.
Fair Play has 30+ winery tasting rooms for you to taste wine. Only a few restrict their tastings to appointments only, most are open Friday, Saturday & Sunday and several are open either daily or Thursday thru Monday. The Fair Play Wine Association has information about their members and events. There are lots of winery information cards on our information center credenza in the foyer of the Great Room.
One notable winery here in Fair Play is home to the Best RED wine in California for its 2008 Primitivo, “Shady Lady.” In 2011 Windwalker Winery was presented the California Golden Bear, for the best red wine in California, meaning that of all the varieties of red wine in the state of California, Windwalker was voted to having the best red wine of all the varietals. That was the first time any Sierra Foothill wine won the Golden Bear for RED wines.
Sobon Estate winery, in Amador County, is only 10 minutes south of us. They are joined by 50+ wineries in Amador County. Those wineries are bigger and produce a lot more than the wineries in Fair Play. The Amador Vintner’s Association information pamphlet is loaded with winery, shopping and restaurant information for Amador county.
The El Dorado Winery Association has members all over El Dorado County. We are located just 5 miles north of Amador County, but El Dorado County goes to Lake Tahoe to the east, Sacramento to the west and Placer County to the north.
There are several Public Golf Courses within an hour’s drive of us:
Gambling is an activity more and more places are offering. California is not a “gaming” state but some Indian Reservations and their Rancherias have casinos.
In our area are:
Of course the world famous South Lake Tahoe Stateline has several major international gaming casinos.
There are several nearby eating establishments. They range from a sandwich shop to a pub to a cafe to restaurant to a roadhouse to an upscale restaurant. All are very good and reasonably priced. Below is how you make contact with them before you arrive. We can make reservations for you at any of these eateries, or Lucinda’s Country Inn can arrange for a catered picnic lunch or dinner (limited menu) for you, with advance notice.
The Gold Vine Grill is undergoing some major renovation but are shooting for a completion date of around May 1, 2020. You can make your own dinner reservation by calling the Gold Vine Grill directly at 530.626.4042.
Katie’s Country Cafe is open for breakfast & lunch Wednesday thru Sunday (Open until 2:00pm) for your enjoyment while out and about in Fair Play: wine tasting, playing with Alpacas, watching the Iris grow or just enjoying the day in paradise. Katie’s is on Mt. Aukum Rd. just 1/4 mile from Omo Ranch Rd. toward the Mt. Aukum Store and gas station. 530.620.0777
Bones Roadhouse is an excellent hamburger and BLT joint. They serve local wines, a good selection of beers and have a FULL bar. They are on Pleasant Valley Rd. Call 530.644.4301 if you can’t find them. No reservations are required.
At the deadend of Mt. Aukum Rd. at Pleasant Valley Rd/Sly Park Rd are the Wonderful Chinese and the Pizza Factory. (As we were told before we went there the first time by a 12 year old, the name is They’re Awesome, We Toss ‘Em)
Creekside Cork & Brew is located at the eastern end of Perry Creek Rd. and Fair Play Rd., next to E16. They have excellent service, great food and outside dining.
Taste is an upscale restaurant in Plymouth, just 20 minutes away featuring seasonal specialties and outstanding presentations. Their prices are a little higher than the others near Lucinda’s Country Inn, but the quality, presentation and service make you feel special. They are at 9402 Main Street Plymouth. Call them at 209.245.3463. Reservations are a MUST.
When you are staying at Lucinda’s, be sure to visit our Country Corners Alcove to pick up a memento of your visit. We have logo wine glasses, coffee mugs, and shirts; the Bed and Breakfast Inns of El Dorado County cookbook; a variety of seasonal items; and our microfiber sheets and robes.
All microfiber Sheet Sets (Deep Pocket Fitted, Flat and 2 Pillow Cases) are available in several colors and sizes. Order those soft, comfy sheets you love as you check out. Or, you can call the Inn to order your sheet sets. They are drop-shipped directly to you and shipping is included in the price. These microfiber sheets are extremely easy to clean. They DO NOT wrinkle, including the pillowcases. They are resistant to stains of any kind. They are very Eco-friendly — easy to wash and they dry faster, and make excellent gifts.
Our wonderful microfiber robes are available in a variety of colors and sizes for ordering. Try them on here at the Inn so you can order exactly the right size and color. For that special child, we have a selection of children’s hooded robes. You can also order a teddy bear dressed in an identical robe. This is a great birthday or holiday gift. Like the sheets, order the robes while you are at the Inn or call us with your order. Shipping is included in the price and the robes are drop-shipped directly to you.
There is plenty of opportunity for shopping in Fair Play and the surrounding towns. Of course, almost every winery has a variety of items, ranging from t-shirts to food items. One of our favorites is the gift area at Windwalker Winery, which has clothing, food items, serving dishes, and decorative items. In fact, we affectionately refer to the Windwalker gift shop as the “Fair Play Mall”. (While you are browsing “the mall,” taste some of their award-winning wines.)
If you want to enjoy a short drive, explore the many stores and specialty shops in Placerville, Sutter Creek, Amador City and Jackson. The oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi is on Main Street in Placerville. You can find unique kitchen supplies, decorative items, and souvenirs. Or, if you have been looking for a screw or fastener and can’t seem to find it at the “big box” store, you will probably find it at Placerville Hardware in one of the storage boxes in the “wall of stuff.” In each of the small towns you will find great antique stores and boutique shops of all kinds with great people and unique products. For your lunch there are some really nice eateries along your way.