If neighboring Amador City is small, then Drytown has to be tiny. Yet, it is one of the oldest towns in Amador County, and gold panning is believed to have started here.
A 1950’s style roadside motel and restaurant grill now occupy the site of the 1850’s Drytown Hotel...
...red- white- and- blue post office building that has to be one of the most colorful in Uncle Sam’s employment.
A 1950’s style roadside motel and restaurant grill now occupy the site of the 1850’s Drytown Hotel that has unfortunately passed on. Antiques galore are available next door. Then it’s the local red-white-and-blue post office building that has to be one of the most colorful in Uncle Sam’s employment.
One more relatively modern retail store and we’re out of town again.
Outdoor sporting activities are found in the high country an hour or more away. Unless, of course, you think of wine tasting and driving or pedaling through the outstanding wine country an outdoor activity. Over 25 wineries are only minutes away. This beautiful region in the Amador County foothills is often referred to as the “Tuscany of California.” Every – ok, almost all – of the little communities tucked along the road have a country store or deli. Mochas, lattes, and fresh baked goodies are favorites for visitors and locals alike.
Ride your road bike, take a picnic lunch, and the day definitely qualifies as an aerobic outdoor activity. The rolling foothills, spring wildflowers, or summer’s golden, grassy meadows and deep green oaks viewed from the many miles of paved, winding county roads offer a lovely setting. If you are pedaling, some of the hills will make you work for your wine; so pace your riding as well as your sipping.
There are numerous paved roads that can keep you away from the heavy traffic along Highway 49. Favorite destinations are Fiddletown, Volcano, Daffodill Hill, Fairplay, Mt Aukum, and Plymouth. And if you’re up to it – and up, and up – an uphill pedal to Cooks Station on Highway 89 via Omo Ranch will get your adrenaline going. So will the mostly-coasting ride back down. Then again, just relaxing in a day of quiet revelry celebrating yesterday’s adventure of mountain biking, motorcycling, hiking, or whitewater sport and you have the perfect weekend.
| Population: | 100 | Links: | Chamber of Commerce: amadorcountychamber.com Visitor Center: amadorcounty.com |
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From Sacramento follow Highway 50 east out of town for about 6 miles until you reach Highway 16, the “Jackson Highway.” Turn right (southeast) and follow it for 34 miles until you reach the Highway 49 intersection just east of Plymouth. Turn right (south) on Highway 49 and follow it for 2 miles. In 2004 a bypass was being built around the mining communities of Drytown, Amador City, and Sutter Creek to relieve traffic congestion of big rigs and tourists in the heart of each town. Watch for signs indicating changing directions.
You can also reach the community via Highway 49 either south out of Placerville or north from Sonora and numerous highway links in between.