Another Day -cation adventure...Part Two

So yesterday we drove through the town of Rough and Ready , here in Northern California Sierra Foothills . After leaving the small town, we headed into Grass Valley. We found a parking spot, and walked up and down the streets and snapped off photos of this darling, historic town. If you go to the Visitors Center, you can get a guide book for Nevada County. Within the pages is a walking tour of Grass Valley, along with page after page of towns, museums, walking tours, wine tours , state parks and activities. These guides are usually available at most visitor centers and chamber offices where ever you may live or visit. We have a stack of them! 

In Grass Valley there is wonderful home stores filled to the brim with decor goodies, there is cute clothing stores, specialty stores and of course great places to eat. One note again about small towns if you want lunch, be sure to get into most places before 2:30 pm, after that many close for the day or are closed at least till dinner service. The other wonderful thing is the wine tasting rooms in Grass Valley, not all were open, but we were able to stop at two of them. It is a great way to get a sampling of the fine wines made in the area without driving all over the country side. There is five in down town Grass Valley, but two were closed ( one I had seen on the TV show Austin and Santino's Road Trip on Lifetime TV, Pilot Peak was part of a tasting room that was unfortunately was one that was closed ) . The five are Smith Vineyard, Avanguardia Wines, Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery, The Grass Valley Wine Co. (consists of four wineries, including Pilot Peak) and Sierra Starr.

We started with three free tastings at Lucchesi. There we met the wife( or so I believe she was) of the husband and wife team of wine makers, the Clough's. They have a wonderful tasting room, a little gem with purple grapes on the walls and of course bottles of wine and the tasting bar; we loved the 2007 Reserve Chardonnay and the Lucchesi 2006 Syrah. The wines at the moment are a bit out of our super tight budget, but well worth the prices of low 20.00 and up that they have as their price range. At least the ones we tasted.

After a bit of wine, we walked around and poked our head into a candy shop when I saw a sign that said "pumpkin Fudge" , I HAD to have that! Hubby was kind enough to buy me a small square to dole out. Then it was off to find a bite to eat. Most places were closed, closing or out of our budget, but finally we found Christopher's Deli.     We had the most wonderful sandwiches there, hubby had a pastrami and I a roast beef ....well worth the calories and messing up my make up. It will be a place we return to as I saw they had a Monte Cristo sandwich, and I tell you if I reach 120 pounds I am heading there right away for that fatty, sweet and savory sandwich! Even if I gain a pound from it! After, we headed to Smith Vineyard's tasting room...turns out we could have had our food delivered there and had it with our wine ! Hmmmm maybe next time!

 Anyway, for 5.00 a person you can sample all their wines they have open and that fee is waved if you buy a bottle of wine. They have a wonderful tasting room where you can do tastings, buy by the glass or buy a bottle and enjoy it there.Their prices are very moderate and affordable. And there was many wonderful wines that we tasted that day, was very hard to pick a favorite.  You can also buy gifts and there is a rotating art display as well.

Having decided it was time to return home, we walked around just a bit snapping photos to share of this town we will be sure to return to , before getting back in the car and making the ride back down back country roads and HWY 80 towards home. Next time I shall really have to search out the Cemetery ! You know me!

A Historic Main Street USA at it's finest

Click HERE for history of Grass Valley , CA.