One of our very favorite wineries is just a few minutes away from the inn.  Make sure and tell Maggie and Paul we said hello if you stop in.  Their port is a special treat!

MADROÑA: 

Open daily, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Whether you are learning about wine or pride yourself on recognizing quality, we know you will enjoy the premium, estate-grown wines of Madroña. The Bush family has been here working these singular vineyards since 1973, and our care and traditional winemaking produces wines that are precise, balanced, and perfect for any occasion.

2560 High Hill Road (P.O. Box 454) • Camino, CA 95709
(530) 644-5948 or (800) 230-7662
Winery@MadronaVineyards.com
www.MadronaVineyards.com

June is just jumping with stuff to do in town.

JUNE through OCTOBER 2014
Saturdays, Music in the Courtyard, 1PM-4PM
at the Fountain Plaza Courtyard on Historic Main Street. Come tap your toes to some great jazz or blues music. This year's dates will be announced soon! Admission is free. Refreshments available from Fountain Courtyard merchants. For more info call (530) 622-4900.

JUNE 7th, 2014: Wagon Train & BBQ Rib Cook Off
12PM-2:30PM –Main Street will welcome the Highway 50 Association's 65th Annual Wagon Train with a host of fun activities including Server's Races, the Beard Contest, gold-panning, country music, western style shoot-outs, refreshments & more. The Wagon Train will come down Historic Main Street at about 2pm on its way from the Broadway Village area and proceed on to the "End of the Trail" celebration and dinner on Placerville Drive.  Events on Main Street are scheduled for 12pm-2pm. For more information please contact (530) 672-3436.

JUNE 7th – OCTOBER 13th, 2014: Banners on Parade
This is our 10th Anniversary of Art on Parade! Download the 2014 Invitation and Application package here. This community art project will feature over 30 artistically decorated banners on light poles along Main Street in Placerville. This is a collaborative effort of artists, businesses, organizations, individuals and city government that promotes the arts in historic downtown Placerville. These beautiful banners are on Main Street and will be for sale at a Silent Auction at the October 18th, 2014, Art & Wine Festival, as well. or more info contact (530) 672-3436. Find out how you can help with this effort!Read the history of this project here!

MID-JUNE through MID-OCTOBER 2014
Wednesday Main Street Farmers Market, 4PM-Dusk
This event will feature fresh produce, flowers and other items from local farmers on Historic Main Street around the Bell Tower.  For info call (415) 250-5337.

JUNE 21st, 2014: "Main Street Matters" Reveal Celebration
4PM to 7PM. The "Reveal" will celebrate the buildings on Main Street that were painted as part of Benjamin Moore's "Paint What Matters" Contest that Placerville won (one of 20 cities in North America) by voting for the makeover! Other supplemental activities are being coordinated to give Main Street an even grander "reveal."  Entertainment, refreshments, cake, speeches and more will be featured at this very special event that proves that Placerville's Main Street Matters! Thank you to Benjamin Moore and our dedicated community!  More details to follow!

JUNE 28th, 2014: Bell Tower Brewfest
6PM to 9PM.This popular Placerville event will be hosted by downtown merchants and will include a street closure for the enjoyment and safety for all patrons. If you are interested in sampling over 35 different craft brews, tickets will need to be purchased for patrons over 21 years of age. Entertainment will feature several bands performing live during the festival. TICKETS ARE LIMITED for the brew-tasting and expected to sell out, so plan on getting them early. Tickets for the 2014 Brewfest are are available now online here. Tickets will be available locally in May in Placerville at River City Bank, Kelsey's Needle Krafts and The Wine Smith. Help support Main Street at this big fundraiser! Sponsored by the Placerville Downtown Association. For info contact (530) 672-3436.

We have L for Latcham and Lava Cap!

So this one is a twofer!

LATCHAM VINEYARDS: 

Open Thurs. - Mon., 11:00 am - 5:00 pm or by appointment Tues. - Wed.
Our vineyards lie on the slopes above small, beautiful valleys around Fair Play, and they produce wines with unique depth and flavor. We've won hundreds of awards over the years, blending modern and traditional techniques that showcase the mountain-grown grapes in our Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvingnon and more.

2860 Omo Ranch Road (P.O. Box 80) • Mt. Aukum, CA 95656
(530) 620-6642 or (800) 750-5591
info@latcham.com
www.latcham.com

LAVA CAP WINERY: 

Open daily, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Celebrate with us the magic of our high elevation wines and the special beauty that surrounds our premium winery. We produce a select list of wines, including an enticing Chardonnay and estate bottled Zinfandel, Barbera, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Our wines are rich in flavors, vibrant fruit, and a tantalizing depth. Bring a picnic or enjoy food from our deli on the comfortable deck looking over our vineyards.

2221 Fruitridge Road • Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 621-0175
info@lavacap.com
www.lavacap.com

Anytime is a good time to visit Apple Hill and Boa Vista

Yep, that is right, Boa Vista is open all year!

   Open daily in the heart of beautiful Apple Hill, this family farm is nestled next to picturesque Carson Road.  The Apple Barn, Bakery, Picnic Grounds, and Wine Tasting is Open Every Day!

     Boa Vista fruit is highlighted during the Summer and Fall Apple Hill harvest seasons; Apples, Asian Pears, Berries, Peaches, Pears, and Plums to name a few!

     If you are unable to make the trip to Apple Hill in person, the Online Barn offers almost all of our non-perishable items as well as award winning Apple, Red, and Dessert wines!

J is for Jodar

JODAR VINEYARDS & WINERY: C

Open daily, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
The careful winemaking creates a balance of bold fruit framed with graceful oak. Enjoy our estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Barbera, Chardonnay, and world-class Port in the warmth of our country tasting room and wooded setting. Taste thier weekend food-and-wine pairings. Limos and buses are welcome by appointment.

3405 Carson Court • Camino, CA 95667
(530) 644-3474
jodartastingroom@foothill.net
www.jodarwinery.com

Car show and Farmers Market is back!

MAY 18th, 2014: Hangtown Car Show
9AM to 3PM on Historic Main Street, Placerville. Sponsored by the Placerville Lions Club. Participation is limited by the number of spaces available. Admission and parking are free for spectators. For info and pre-registration to show a car please call Mike at (530) 622-1731.

MID-MAY through OCTOBER 2014
Saturday Farmers Market, 8AM-Noon 
This event will feature fresh produce, flowers and other items from local farmers. On Historic Main Street in the Ivy House lot near Cedar Ravine. For info call (530) 622-1900.

Okei Memorial

This is a very cool spot in El Dorado County...and most people don't even know it exists....but we do.  And now you know too!

From our friends at Coloma.com... "For a few years, Gold Hill was the site of a small Japanese settlement. Encouraged by a German soldier of fortune named John Henry Schnell and a samurai named Lord Matsudaira, up to 26 Japanese — apparently the first Japanese group to settle in California — arrived here in 1869 to establish the Wakamatsu Tea Colony. Grandly, Schnell planned for extensive production of silk and tea. However, the relatively dry climate and investor difficulties doomed these crops, and the colony faded away. Schnell ran out of money, selling his land to Francis Veerkamp. A young Japanese girl, Okei, had arrived with the Schnell family as a nursemaid. She stayed on, working for the Veerkamp family until she died at the age of 19. She is buried on a lonely hill on private Veerkamp property close to Gold Trail School. Her story became the subject of a best-selling novel in Japan. A shrine next to the school honoring Okei was dedicated years ago by Ronald Reagan, then governor of California. Today the shrine remains a favorite California destination for visitors from Japan."

If you happen to be out tasting this way, or visiting Coloma State Park, stop by here and take a moment to enjoy this peaceful spot.