My Recent Trip to Columbia State Park

 

Ah, Columbia, California. It's one of my favorite places to go! Located in the California Gold Country, Columbia State Park is actually a town that has been preserved and has restaurants, two hotels, a number of shops and even a theater with live performances! It also has a grocery store that is like a Trader Joe's in the guise of an old fashioned mercantile.

You can mine for gold in the park, watch candle makers, blacksmiths, and other artisans of the mid 1850s. Store employees dress in 1850s attire, and are as friendly as can be. Enjoy some lunch and tea at Columbia Kate's Tea House. You can even take a stage coach ride!

I've set books in Columbia and of course had to do the research of the town. Most of the town burned down twice! So if you go, you'll notice all the brick buildings. There are also a few Victorian homes in town and miner's cabins. After going through the park, you can toddle up the road to Sonora. A much bigger town that also retains many historic buildings and is full of fun shops and restaurants. Unlike the tiny town of Columbia, Sonora is a town with a population of almost five thousand people with many amenities. 

Columbia hosts a variety of events throughout the year like their Harvest Festival, Boo Boulevard, a Spooky Street Dance Party, Victorian Christmas Feast, a Christmas Equestrian Parade, Easter Parade and Egg Hunt, a Fourth of July celebration and more! 

Columbia was once known as the "Gem of the Southern Mines" and by 1853 was one of the largest cities in California. Many a gold rush settlement was destroyed due to fire or over time, but the heart of Columbia still stands. 

So the next time you're in Northern California, take a gander at the quaint little town of Columbia, you'll be glad you did!