Travel Ideas

Sometimes the most fascinating tourist attractions aren't the most obvious. But if
you "dig" a little deeper, you can find rewarding discoveries just under the surface
- the earth's surface that is. That's where you'll find Underground California.

With the state's rich mining history and plenty of natural caverns to explore, there
does lurk below California a number of attractions that will take you out of the
California sunshine just long enough to see there is much more to the Golden State
than meets the eye.

Empire Mine Historical Park

Just on the outskirts of the charming historical village of Grass Valley - between
Sacramento and Lake Tahoe - we came across the former Empire Mine, now
made into a totally captivating state historical park. Set amongst the rolling hills and
pine forests of California's Gold Country, the park includes the buildings and mine
shafts once used for the state's oldest, largest and richest gold mine.

From 1850 until 1956, when it closed, the Empire Mine produced 5.8 million
ounces of gold - surprisingly only about 20 percent of the gold available, with the
other 80 percent still there. Also still there are more than 367 miles of abandoned
and flooded shafts and tunnels, as well as most of the buildings used during the
operation of the mine.

While we couldn't actually go into the mine shafts, we could peer into the entrance
of the main tunnel that took miners down a steep incline leading to the web of
tunnels underneath. This cold, damp area gives visitors just a hint of the dark,
claustrophobic conditions awaiting the miners each day as they traveled beneath
ground just to earn a living.

Altogether the park has 847 acres to explore, including buildings, grounds, hiking
trails and historical equipment displays that will be sure to enthrall the fix-it person
in your household. Elaborate story boards and enlarged photographs are well
organized in the park's entrance area where visitors can learn the history of gold
mining and understand the importance of the Empire Mine.

The best part is that you'll find the mine in Grass Valley, a fun, historic town liked
with Gold Rush-era buildings. We settled in at the Best Western Gold Country Inn
- which by the way has a great pool and free breakfast -- and spent the day
exploring the area. In many ways the town, although much larger, reminded us of
the little mountain town of Julian, California, because Grass Valley seems to be
every bit as popular with weekend motorcycle clubs and couples and families just
looking for a fun family outing.

Crystal Cave

Next time you visit Sequoia National Park, stop in at the Foothills Visitor Center,
near the entrance. When we stopped by, we noticed there was a line at the counter
so we figured something was worth waiting for. The visitors in line were signing up
for the Crystal Cave, a guided tour that cost $11 for each adult, less for kids, and
that was still another several miles' drive into the park. OK, we told the
ticket-seller, we're game.

Next came a long, windy drive -- first up into the park, and then down several
miles into a canyon to a parking area. At that point we still had a half-mile to walk
down the steep pathway, almost to the river below. And then there it was: the
entrance to Crystal Cave, mother of all Sequoia caves, or at least the one the
public is most invited to explore.

Now this is not just any cave. The entrance is about the size of a railroad tunnel
and you'll need a park escort. The guide will take groups of 70 persons or fewer
into the cave and through the maze of many adjacent caves and chambers until,
quite honestly, we probably never could have found our own way out. I guess this
is why, when a little boy had to go to the bathroom, he was escorted back to the
entrance by a second tour guide.

Aside from the spookiness that naturally comes from burrowing so far into the
earth and its dark inner chambers, the real pay-off on this tour is the natural beauty.
All along the way, from "room" to room, we saw gorgeous stalactites and
"curtains," as well as ornate marble and all kinds of crystal formations that made
this look like some sort of Hollywood movie set. Fortunately, there are paved,
lighted pathways that we followed - our guide never far away - and the rooms had
just enough illumination to showcase the formations and their brilliance.

On this hot summer day, the 48-degree temperature of the caves was refreshing.
Our 45-minute tour was fascinating every step of the way, and climaxed when our
tour guide turned off the lights to show us what total darkness was all about:
nothing but black and not a thing visible, even an inch in front of your face. Our
guide told us there have been times when the power generator has failed so, at this
point, we were just about ready to return to the entrance. While many of the rooms
are huge, this tour definitely is not for the claustrophobic.

Once the tour was over, it was a relatively steep hike back up to the parking lot.
But what an experience -- well worth the price of admission.

Moaning Cavern

We love to explore the many historical attractions near Sonora, Angels Camp and
other small towns along Highway 49. Between Angels Camp and the Columbia
State Historical Park we came across a unique diversion for those who want an
unforgettable experience. We visited Moaning Cavern, just four miles east of
Angels Camp, where visitors can walk 100 feet down a spiral staircase to a large
cavern. At one time, it was just a hole in the ground that was first discovered by
local Indians who would hear a moaning sound coming from the opening. Some
would accidentally step into the hole and plunge to their deaths.

When Moaning Cavern was later discovered to be a giant underground cave, many
human remains were found. A new opening was cut to allow for the insertion of
the staircase and, today, visitors have the choice of taking the staircase or a more
adventurous 165-foot rope rappel. If that's still not enough for you, guided tours
are offered into the undeveloped and unlighted portions of the cave using lighted
helmets and ropes. We chose Option A - the staircase - but there is still something
unsettling about being underground in a natural cavern that would be big enough to
place the Statue of Liberty inside.

The steep descent and climb back out of the Moaning Cavern have not deterred
the thousands of visitors who are only too anxious to explore the mysteries
underneath Calaveras County. In fact, there are several other opportunities in the
area to go underground, including the California Cavern near Mountain Ranch and
Mercer Caverns near Murphys.

While at Moaning Cavern, you might want to check out the new 1,500-foot zip
lines. These twin zip lines allow visitors to "race" each other at speeds up to 40
miles per hour over the treetops. It's similar to canopy tours offered in Costa Rica
and other exotic locales.

Visitors cross a 60-foot long sky bridge to get to the launch tower, and then they
are strapped into a full-body climbing harness and rigged to the cable. You just
step off the platform and you're speeding to the landing tour a quarter mile away.
The operators say this thrill ride is available to anyone in good health and between
70 and 260 pounds. All you need -- in addition to the price of admission -- is
courage.

About The Author
Cary Ordway publishes getaway travel websites including
http://www.californiaweekend.com and http://www.northwesttraveladvisor.com