GEORGETOWN — Founded in 1849, Georgetown is one of the original Gold Rush towns. Within five years, some 3,000 people were living in this city on The Divide, the region between the Middle and South Forks of the roiling American River, and gold fever was at its height. And the town’s nickname, Growlersburg, is a nod to the gold nuggets that “growled” in the pan — or in miners’ pants pockets, depending upon who’s telling the story.
Like most Gold Rush cities, Georgetown was often threatened by fire, but it took just one conflagration — in 1852 — for the townspeople to move their city to upper Main Street and widen the roads to prevent flames from jumping from roof to roof. The result is a main drag 100 feet wide with parking right down the middle.
And whether you’re planning a white-water ride down the American River or an apple-picking foray in Camino, Georgetown makes a cozy home base. Here are five ways to eat, drink and play in this tiny Gold Rush town, from a historic saloon with slushy bourbon cocktails to an art gallery with an explosive past.
1. Georgetown Hotel and Saloon
Talk about a labor of love. After massive renovations, this century-old saloon and hotel has reopened and it’s about as Wild West as they come. The official grand opening party is slated for Oct. 1 and 2, with live music, barbecue and corn hole games. But you don’t need to wait. The saloon and restaurant are already open, and they began accepting room reservations last month.
Grab a seat at the grand old bar, and admire the red-flocked wallpaper — a 21st century wall treatment with plenty of vintage appeal — and pressed tin ceiling. Don’t miss the scores of whimsical details, including displays of mining picks, lanterns and — why, yes, that is a miner’s leg up there. There’s a full bar, wine by the glass and beer on tap, so order up a few noshes and a Georgetown Gold Rush ($7), a frozen bourbon, lemonade and lime cocktail, or a Rubicon IPA ($4 for a 10-ounce shorty, $6 for a pint).
Details: The saloon is open daily from 11 a.m.; the kitchen opens at 11:30 a.m. at 6260 Main St. Find menus at georgetownhotelandsaloon.com, and opening party details at www.facebook.com/georgetownhotelandsaloon/.
2. The Rubicon Trail
That Rubicon IPA is particularly appropriate, given Georgetown’s status as gateway to the famous — and infamous — Rubicon Trail, an off-road adventure of such extreme magnitude, Jeep films ads here. Don’t confuse this Rubicon with Lake Tahoe’s hiking trail of the same name (the hiking trail connects Emerald Bay and D.L. Bliss state parks). One of the world’s most extreme four-wheel drive trails, this Rubicon starts at Loon Lake, 40 miles from Georgetown and this town is ground zero for the Jeepers Jamboree (www.jeepersjamboree.com), a four-day trek staffed by guides, mechanics and rock rollers (yes, really).
Whether you’re doing the hard-core trek on your own, or with an off-roading club or by joining the jamboree, check out the Rubicon Trail Foundation website, www.rubicontrail.org, which offers helpful tips on vehicle requirements and equipment — from onboard welders to “extrication hardware” — as well as maps and camping information.
Wondering what the jeep experience is like? Check out the video:
3. Art and antiques
Prefer shopping to off-roading? Virtually every Gold Country town has an antique store. It’s a thing. But Frog Pond Antiques and Gifts offers room after room (after room after room) of goods, from books of ghost stories about Placerville, Coloma and Georgetown, to vintage vinyl, comic books and discounted Fiestaware in every color of the Fiesta rainbow, but particularly heavy on the turquoise and orange.
Just down the street, you’ll find the light-filled gallery of Art on the Divide, a 6-year-old art cooperative. When you enter the street-level historic brick building, you’re actually coming in on the second floor. Local historians say the townspeople, hoping to avoid an accidental town-destroying blast, built an embankment to block off the first floor, where mining explosives were stored.
We’re not sure how any portion of that last sentence could be construed as a good idea. Today, though, it’s a great story. And the whitewashed-brick gallery is filled with more than a dozen local artists’ work, from leather sculptures to photographs, watercolors, handmade jewelry and greeting cards.
Details: Frog Pond Antiques is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays, at 6271 Main St. Art on the Divide Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday at 6295 Main St.; www.artonthedivide.com.
4. The Divide
Open less than a year, this gastropub in the Buffalo Hill Center offers both tasty fare and plenty of visual appeal. Most new restaurants these days sport Edison light bulbs and faux distressed wood — this, too, is a thing — but the Divide’s timbers were salvaged from the King Fire, which scorched 97,000 acres of El Dorado terrain in 2014. The plasterwork on the walls was inspired by local topography — Rubicon Trail, Loon Lake and all — and the dining room evokes a sense of Gold Rush mines, as well.
Be sure to try the Not Your Momma’s Tots ($9.50) a diet-devastating, completely-worth-it riff on the potato tot theme: crispy mashed potato croquettes with bacon, scallions and cheddar, topped with two poached eggs and a dollop of spicy chipotle aioli. If you go that extremely filling route, best split an entree, such as the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese ($12.25) with gouda, heirloom tomatoes, avocado and bacon.
The Mother Lode Burger ($13.25) boasts such epic proportions — there is mac and cheese inside the burger — a knife and fork are required. Also, pants with an elastic waistband.
Details: Open daily for lunch, and Friday-Monday for dinner at 6037 Front St.; https://www.facebook.com/thedividerestaurant/.
5. Buffalo Hill Outdoor Museum
Walk off those NYM Tots with a stroll around the shopping center, which houses an unexpectedly great collection of antique vehicles. Don’t stop with the stuff in the middle of the parking lot. You’ll want to explore
the two upper lots, as well, where you’ll find a 1921 Russell Steam Tractor and a splendid Rubicon Flyer — an 1880 mountain coach used to carry passengers, mineral water and mail between Rubicon Springs and McKinney’s at Tahoe. There’s even a stamp mill — the giant stamping machine used to pound ore to smithereens.
Details: Buffalo Hill Center, just off Georgetown Road/Highway 193, in Georgetown.
