3.5 Stars I have to…read morerevisit this place as our first time visit didn't satisfy my curiosity. After reading more about it there was more to this historic place than the old buildings and ruins on Main Street! Hubby and I enjoy visiting ghost towns and seeing ruins. This is a semi ghost town as is the town of Goldfield in Nevada (along U.S. Route 95) with a population of 268. Chinese Camp has a population of 150 on the town sign but 2010 census showed a population of 126 and not a single Chinese person or person of Asian descent for that matter living in town. We walked along Main Street, the part of the street where old unoccupied buildings remain standing. Clearly they look like buildings not fit for living space but many of them say Private Property or No Trespassing so I'm not sure if we were invading people's privacy. We walked up to the State Historical Marker No. 423 located on Highway 120 and read the inscription. The old ruins were fascinating to see (if you're into this stuff). My favorite ghost town thus far was Bodie! Interesting history. It's obvious how the town came by its name as it is estimated as many as five thousand Chinese populated the town at one time. In 1856 a disagreement among Chinese miners ended up in a battle challenge between two local secret Chinese-American societies (these are called tongs). 2,500 Chinese fought using just knives and pitchforks, four were killed before one side retreated. No Chinese person has lived in this city since 1930. This semi ghost town is a remnant of the California Gold Rush mining town and located at the junction of Highway 49 north and Highway 120 west. Review #0596

Mark Twain Bret Harte Trail California Landmark 423…read moreChinese Camp "Reportedly founded about 1849 by group of Englishmen who employed Chinese as miners. Much surface gold found on hills and flats. Headquarters for stage lines in early 1850's, and for several California Chinese Mining Companies. First Chinese Tong War in state fought near here between Sam yap and Yan Woo Tongs. Present stone and brick post office built 1854, still standing. St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church built 1855, restored 1949, First Pastor, Father Henry Aleric."

Vintage Western Clothing, Frontier Classics, Antiques and Photography in an old time settings.read more

"HOP SUEY".....championship frog that didn't jump very far...LOL…read more.. Frog Jumping Jubilee, "i like it"....what a cool tradition, so glad the family venture out to Calaveras County to check out. -very educational: pick up a ton of frog knowledge at the Frog Spa and in line talking to the staffs.. everyone was cool and welcoming... -Fair food: probably best corn dog i ever had. So good i ate it before taking a picture. Should have gotten another one. And the funnel cake- kid love it.. -Rodeo and entertainment was plenty full. Livestock is always a cool experience for "city slickers"...lol -Conclusion: i will bring chopsticks and a wok to scar my frog to hop....awesome county fair, go check it out. I will begin to look for a champion jumping frog and chase that $20 racks..... -Oh yeah, let your frog kiss your buddha for an auspicious spring...

My friend has talked about the Jumping Frog Jubilee for years and this year I finally got to check…read moreit out for myself. She's a local to Angel's Camp, so we let her be our guide. We parked at there ($6 cash) and walked the short way to the entrance. Adult tickets were $15 each and they had separate lines for cash only or card/cash to keep things moving. Once we were in we headed straight to the frog jump line and for $5 each we could jump our own frogs in the "for fun" group. The line gets pretty long and it was hot in the sun, but there's a tent that provides some shade to those waiting in line. The emcee was great at keeping things moving and engaging the crowd and participants. As part of getting to jump you can name your frog- although they choose the frog for you from a group of frogs that they rotate out throughout the day. Everyone who participates also gets a ribbon and certificate that has your distance on it which is a cute keepsake. The festival also has plenty of food stations- mostly fried fair food. We wish they had water stations, but you can bring full waters in and the food stands sell waters ($2-$4 from what we saw). You can also watch the events with animals and visit/ pet animals there and there's even a pony ride area for the kiddos. Other areas are live music/dancing, art showings, crafts and baked goods that were judged as well as merchants that sell various things. They also have arm wrestling competitions and tractor pulls if you're interested in something participatory. Many people brought tents and set up blankets to hang out at and enjoy their food. It was a smart move, with the heat shade was a hot commodity. I had a lot of fun, but this wouldn't be an every year festival for me, you want to have the right group with you so you can have the most fun. Although, I also live in Sacramento so it's a trek. For those local I can totally understand it being a fun family event every year.

I am not from the city of Sonora, but I have had the pleasure of visiting this city because my wife…read morewas raised here. Sonora is a small town with a rich gold mining history. Small town mentality with bloodlines that run deep. We visited this place not to long ago and my wife was disappointed to see how it has taken a beating over the years. You can thank the big cities for making it unaffordable for certain types of people who have slowly moved and ruined certain areas. The new prison they just built I am sure is meant to help the problem. Also in the summer you have your typical, "city folks" coming in with their trailers and just completely trashing the nearby wooded areas and camp grounds. So I give the city of Sonora five stars for it's history and what it was and one star to the people ruining this place. Just like the moron, Dean J who supports those type of people who ruin everything.

The people of Sonora don't want you there. I didn't see a sign that said "Welcome to Sonora, now…read moreget the hell out." but I would not have been surprised to see one. I visited this last weekend, and I was the only one in town wearing a mask, and received glares from my trouble. If you want a pleasant time visiting a lovely area, drive through and don't stop. In addition, the town clearly leans to the right so hard they want outsiders to know. You will see several Pro Trump signs, "State of Jefferson" , "buck fiden" and other signs that show a solidarity to the extreem right. That's fine, it's a free country, but it's not a user friendly town for outsiders. Not a lot to see here, anyway. There was not a lot of businesses that you might want to visit. The restraunts looked more local friendly and not for visitors. Parking is hard to find and there are no public restrooms anywhere. We visited a Christmas Fair, and it was so small, I could have held it in my garage. I would say that the town is boring and a bit trashy. Sonora is a lovely area, and there are some impressive sights to see from your car. Outside of that, it's a conservative enclave, and it's not worth your stop even if you subscribe to that mindset, cause you will still be an outsider. If you are on a country trip, pass it by and go somewhere else. It's not somewhere you want to break down, or need help. If you are someone that they might see as a threat, they can run the risk of running afoul of the locals.

All things RC! We were in from Seattle and needed a battery for my RC car. Didn't really expect to…read morefind an RC PLAYGROUND! Two RC tracks. One oval and one with jumps. Also a rock climb for the low gear crowd... The owner was very friendly and VERY knowledgeable (I'm not) and hooked us up us with a battery that will give us an extra 15 mph... Very enjoyable experience...

My mom & I were visiting around town & we noticed their sign for wine tasting & decided to drop by…read more& we were so happy we did! Kari was very sweet & welcoming. We tasted delicious wine and had a relaxing time chatting. The price for a bottle was definitely reasonable. We also explored the ranch as we exited & it had a beautiful pond and wedding ceremony area. Definitely check it out if you are in the area (Jamestown, CA). Thanks Kari!!

Aside from the wine which was excellent especially the petite Syrah, the host Kari was a hoot. It…read morewas the most enjoyable experience at a wine tasting room. I will be back.

I came up for work and I don't get to Pinocchio's very often. It was delicious in their new…read morelocation! Cricket add lettuce, tomato and pickle. Delicious. Service was great. Bigger location was clean, packed with happy customers.

Friendly decent counter service but the food was horrible…read more Old lettuce and who puts olives in a Caesar salad Pesto chicken pasta - not even a two year old with no taste buds could come up with a recipe so bad. No basil flavor No pine nut flavor (heard it's cashews), no cheese. Just. Green doesn't make it pesto. Preboiled pasta that's lost all its starch. Pretty much unsalted water used to cook. Dry ass chicken as if opened from a sysco bag. F grade food.

Did their wine-tasting, listen to some great music and ended up buying all the wine and champagne…read morefor our wedding. Had a wonderful experience. The staff was amazing.

Definitely one of the gems in the area! Cozy atmosphere,…read moreattentive staff, and the friendliest poster cat, Otis! She's such a pretty girl who charms every customer that walks in！

Compliments to the chef. I enjoyed the Salmon with lemon caper sauce, mashed potatoes, and…read morezucchini. I was thoroughly impressed. The price point per meal is very reasonable, and the atmosphere is very relaxed. The young gentleman who sat us was extremely informative and welcoming. I have been a restaurant manager and an industry professional for over 20 years. Based on what I observed this evening, the young gentleman working has great potential, and I would recommend that he be cross trained as a server. Give him the proper recourses and he will exceed your expectations. If you do so, I will happily make the 2 hour drive to Toscano's restaurant to see his progress first hand. Cheers and congratulations on a job well done. With Gratitude, Vanessa

Stop by this nice restaurant while visiting Murphys. The server was so kind and friendly. It did…read moreseem like they were the only customer-viewing employee at the time. Which makes sense as it was the morning. He did take our order, serve us, and was the bartender. He did every thing with a smile and truly embodies customer service. Great job, bro! We ordered the Philly cheesesteak and the cheeseburger. The meals were delicious and yummy. The spot was a little cold but after a while the staff turned the heater on. Great place, with great people, and good food. Can't wait to come back!