No fog, no snow, a good on-airport restaurant, and a challenging golf course nearby — sounds like an ideal fly-in destination. If this description fits your picture of a dream airport, you're in luck because those items are just a few of the many attractions surrounding the Auburn Municipal Airport.
Auburn, located in the foothills northeast of Sacramento, is at the northern end of the chain of towns that quickly sprouted out of the Sierra Nevada foothills in the early days of the California gold rush of the late 1840s. From Mariposa in the south the towns string north along the Mother Lode belt. The well-known gold rush towns such as Sonoma, Angels Camp, Jackson, Placerville, Auburn, Grass Valley, and Nevada City are spaced out by smaller towns that sport less civilized but more lyrical names such as Dogtown, Mount Bullion, Mormon Bar, Drytown, Fair Play, and Bummerville.
Driving the two-lane roads of gold country is the best way to get a close-up look at these small towns, and see firsthand the many streams and rivers that the '49ers used to wash their gold clean. Most think there's still a lot of gold up in them thar hills.
The big nuggets in Auburn's historic courthouse
Phyllis Gernes edited The Daily Journal of Stephen Wing 1852-60. Wing bought passage on a steamer from South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod to San Francisco. He spent eight years in gold country. Wing didn't get rich in the gold fields around Auburn, although it wasn't from lack of trying. Wing recounted a big day when he set down the following: "March 2. Tuesday. Have been washing and cleaning up all day. I took out $26.60. Water bill $7. Leaving me the sum of $19.60 for three days work. I cannot remember when I have made such good pay before."
Wing's hard-luck story was a common one in the gold fields — especially by 1852 and later when the easy gold had already been found. However, some huge gold nuggets continued to be discovered in the later years.
In 1898, when the population of Auburn numbered no more than 2,000, the citizens voted to levy a 5-cent tax in the form of a bond issue to pay for a new courthouse. And build a courthouse they did. Erected on the former hilltop site of a graveyard and the hanging grounds, this imposing building was constructed of local marble, granite, and slate and featured gold-colored brickwork. The courthouse, which also houses one of the three museums in town, was restored in the 1980s at a cost of $6.8 million and is a sight to see.
In one corner of the gift shop located adjacent to the first-floor museum is an exhibit that helps modern-day travelers understand gold fever.
Displayed in a case is the famed Placer County gold collection. This collection, which now totals 194 troy ounces, had its beginnings when Placer County bought the five largest pieces from L.G. Garbe on November 7, 1921. In time the collection grew from five to 52 specimens and today includes rare crystalline gold specimens, gold in quartz, and smaller gold nuggets.
One restored office on the first floor of the courthouse has a page of the Placer County jail register on display. In November 1898 business was brisk with 14 vagrancies, two drunks, one insane person, one running away from jail, and one gentleman named Mr. George Miller from Auburn who is listed as having taken "night lodging." The other museums in town are the Bernhard House, which features a restored hotel that was built in 1851, and the Gold Country Museum, which provides a look at the tools and conditions of Auburn-area gold mining.
Where?
Auburn is one of California's earliest mining towns, situated in the heart of the gold country, located 30 miles northeast of Sacramento on Interstate 80. Auburn is the seat of Placer County.
Auburn airport
Auburn Municipal Airport has a single 3,700-by-60-foot runway aligned east and west. The airport is located three miles west of the city and is at 1,531-foot-msl elevation. According to Airport Manager Jerry Martin (530/888-8174) the airport is busy (operations average 188 a day) and parking is limited. Martin advises visitors to keep their radio on as they taxi in — progressive taxiing instructions are likely to be given based on each visitor's planned length of stay and destination.
Many fliers make the trip to tie down in front of the Wings Grill and Espresso Bar for breakfast or lunch. This restaurant has outside seating and gets pretty busy around lunchtime. Breakfast is served until 11:30 a.m. every day except Sunday, when the breakfast hour is extended to 12:30 p.m.
Left traffic is used. The noise-compliance program consists of turning left 20 degrees after takeoff from Runway 25. Pattern altitude is 2,500 feet.
Rental cars are available from Hertz and Enterprise. Many skiing families get up into the snow country by flying into Auburn and renting a car for the hour-and-a-half drive up Interstate 80 to the High Sierras.
Golf, white-water rafting, and other local attractions
Immediately east of the airport is The Ridge Golf Course. Laid out up, across, and down the gentle slopes of the foothills, this course promises to attract loads of fly-in golfers as soon as it becomes better known. In September 2004, the women professional golfers of the LPGA brought the Longs Drugs Challenge tournament to The Ridge. Fly-in golfers will be quickly picked up and whisked to the first tee in a golf cart-style limo — Director of Golf Greg French, a pilot, also pointed out that his staff will provide transportation to and from the golf course restaurant free of charge. Visit the Web site ( www.ridgegc.com) for more information or to book a tee time. Another golf course within 10 miles of Auburn is DarkHorse Golf Club, which has been listed on Golf Magazine's "Top 10 You Can Play"; visit the Web site ( www.darkhorsegolf.com).
Where '49ers toiled in rough sand, cold water, and tough conditions, Auburn visitors now cling to air-filled rafts as they splash down the rapids of the American River. The beauty of the gold-country rivers and the thrill of negotiating rapids with names such as Ruck-A-Chucky, Chunder, Murder's Row Rapids, Parallel Parking, and Last Chance create memories of fun in the hot summer sun. See the Web site ( www.whitewaterconnection.com) to book your river trip.
Auburn has been hosting its Wild West Stampede and Rodeo continu-ously since 1932. The weeklong celebration, which is wrapped up by a weekend rodeo, will take place this year from April 10 through 17. Visit the Web site ( www.auburnrodeo.com) for the whole story.
These are only a few of the local attractions — there's a feast of fun for fliers starting when they touch down at Auburn.
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