Calaveras County is known for its
rolling foothills in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, its gold diggings
and mines during the California gold rush days, and growing tourism as
travelers seek to connect with the past.
With only two cities in Calaveras
County, Murphys and Angeles Camp, and a new development in an old gold
town, Copperopolis, you can just see where this rush is going to occur
in years to come. With scenic hills, lots of land to grow and build
homes, and newcomers flocking to the region to get away from the big
cities, it is possible that Calaveras County will become one of the new
California places to live in future decades..
For now, Calaveras County is best
known as an escape for the L.A. and Bay Area crowd who come to places
such as charming Murphys with Ironstone Vineyards featuring expansive
grounds, a gift shop, museum, tours, and events such as top name acts in
summer concerts.
Angels Camp is the biggest city in
the county, and the trend toward young and contemporary is coming...you
can just feel it when you stop by a Starbucks or Rite-Aid store at a new
strip shopping mall. While old-timers grit their teeth and sigh, the
gold rush towns that run through several counties along Highway 49 in
California, are all heading the same direction.
Copperopolis is an example of a
Calaveras County destination that's looking quite upscale. While some of
the crumbling buildings of the gold rush have been shored up with new
materials, Copperopolis's newest development, Town Square with Saddle
Creek Resort, was decades in the planning and building, according to
investors who have worked for years to see the project to fruition.
Opened during a several year period, there's a golf course, luxury town
homes, and some suites you can rent on the property. A far cry from the
crumbling hotels the gold country once knew, these new granite
countertop properties are exactly what tourists seek and are willing to
pay a few hundred dollars per night to enjoy.
Absolutely beautiful, the downside
for the majority of Californians looking to invest in country living is
the weather in the foothills. Very warm summers give way to cool
winters, with both air conditioning and heating in order. While the
communities and few cities of Calaveras County cope with weekend and
summer traffic on their small roads as tourists flock to get away from
the city, the interest in this region will create a renaissance of
development and influx of residents in decades to come. Growth has been
relatively slow and controlled, but the success of upscale projects with
golf courses (two now--Greenhorn and Saddle Creek), show that tasteful
projects offer more options for tourists and locals. The one thing that
has kept California Gold Country from yielding higher revenues are the
accommodations. There aren't many, and those that exist are of varying
quality. But that's all changing, as seen in Calaveras County cities and
towns such as Murphys with several recently-built mid-range hotels,
Angels Camp with a golf resort, and Copperopolis, also with a golf
resort.
