Bring the family to this car-free historic town, which is slightly reminiscent of Disneyland, without the crowds, the high prices and well, the mouse. The former capital of the wild west has been saved from the modern mini-mall Starbucks craze by becoming a State Park. Wander through the old west imagining the working ladies, the bar brawls, and the dusty...

This here is the spot that started it all. In 1848, James Marshall shouted Gold!, or possibly something a little more expletive, and in rode the masses. Quite possibly one of the most important historic sites in California (though folks in LA might stay the Hollywood sign is more important), today you can visit traces of the Sutter sawmill along...