300 Main St.
Placerville, CA 95667
Ph: 530.622.4271
Email: hchh@cwnet.com
If you have children, love history, or would like a very
different hotel experience, a stay at The Historic Cary House Hotel in Placerville just an hour from Sacramento is a must. This is the heart of Gold Rush country, and
the four-story, 38-room hotel is a centerpiece of that heritage.
The Cary House was built by William M. Cary, a local
hotelier who lost his first hotel to fire. It opened its doors in August of 1857 and offered unusual luxury for
those days, like hot and cold water and excellent food. No wonder its guests included celebrities
like editor and politician Horace Greeley, author Mark Twain, General Ulysses
S. Grant and outlaw Black Bart.
Today, the accommodations are even better with air
conditioning, television and other touches we expect in the 21st century. Of special interest is the complimentary
breakfast area, where you can eat your cornflakes or yogurt as you study
marvelous art depicting wild moments in the lives of hardscrabble ‘49’ers who
sought their fortune in gold here. One
painting includes the Cary House in the backdrop, harking back to the days when
Wells. Fargo & Co. had their headquarters here, and bags of gold dust were
dropped on the Cary House porch for stage coaches to deliver to the San Francisco mint. The cavernous hotel lobby is also a treat,
with its stained glass, antique grand piano, comfy chairs and Tiffany lamps.
Just outside the hotel door, history waits to walk with
you up Main St. Across the way, the Hangman’s Tavern marks
the site of the hanging tree that swung many an outlaw. The Placerville History Museum is a short walk,
as are 15 restaurants and some charming older shops (visit the General
Store!).
For wine lovers, The Cary House is only a 20 minute drive
from the Apple Hill Wine Trail, where from Labor Day until Christmas, you can
sample the bounty of small farmers and wineries (like CWC alumnus Madrona
Vineyards). If it’s gold you crave, it’s
in them thar’ hills—just ask The Cary House staff where to find a real El Dorado County gold mine. Enjoy!
300 Main St.
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