TUOLUMNE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, USA -- If you enjoy wandering down the streets of quaint tourist towns, exploring unique gift shops, antique stores and perhaps taking a break at a local watering hole or café, don't miss downtown Sonora and/or Jamestown. Both towns bring back childhood memories of visiting "old west" tourist attractions like Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA (back in the day before this family amusement park was bought out by corporate giants), or Calico Ghost Town.

But Jamestown and Sonora are not amusement parks, they're the real deal -- actual towns where people live, work and play that have somehow managed to retain the look and feel of yesteryear.

The buildings are old. Some are occupied by modern chain businesses which can break the character of the old west town, but others -- like the many historic hotels -- serve more or less the same purpose today as they did in the gold rush days, albeit in a more civilized manner.

There's a lot of history on the streets and in the buildings of Sonora and Jamestown. For instance the Gunn House was a hospital back in the days of the gold rush. Today it's a charming historic hotel right in the middle of downtown Sonora. The Jamestown Hotel was first built an 1858 as a boarding house, became a hospital in the late 30s and early 40s before one again becoming a hotel in the 1950's.

While it might not be the national obsession it was back in the mid 1800's, gold fever is still a common affliction in these parts. According to Brent Shock, proprietor of Jamestown's Gold Rush Adventures, only about 15% of the mother lode's gold has been found. In Jamestown you can still join a gold panning expedition (for an afternoon or for multi-day trips), learn everything you need to be a modern day prospector, as well as sell any gold nuggets you might find.

Groveland, a bit smaller than Jamestown and Sonora (if you only have time to see one of the towns, make it Jamestown), still has its fair share of historic hotels, quaint shops and the oldest continually operating saloon in the state of California. Guests must still pass through the same iron doors at the Iron Door Saloon, that have protected this mining town watering hole from the countless fires that have ravaged Groveland's historic buildings since its 1852 opening day.

Also known as the "Gateway to Yosemite," you can explore the history of this favorite national park through exhibits and an educational film at the Groveland Museum.

All three of these towns would make a great base while exploring the sites of California's "Mother Lode" country and/or Yosemite National Park. Lodging is generally more affordable than hotels in the park, and it's nice to escape the hoards of tourists that clog this natural wonder (especially in the peak summer season).

Practicalities:

You can learn more about visiting all the attractions in Tuolumne County by calling the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-446-1333 or 209-533-4420 or visit their website: www.tcvb.com.

Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day and The Low Carb Restaurant Guide, and the co-author of US Citizenship for Dummies. To learn more about Cheri, click here.