TOURISM out
of
TROUBLED TIMES
BY Scott Thomas Anderson PHOTOS BY Fred Greaves
How lockdowns helped Californians discover local treasures of the past and present
Strolling under a starry sky in the foothills , a group of music fans pass through the brick doorway of Sutter Creek Provisions and drift into a cavern of aged stone , timeless wood and the fleecy glitter of scattered fairy lights .
For seven years , this Civil War-era hall has offered the kind of artisan meat market that generations of Italian Americans in Amador County once prided themselves on operating . But the market isn ’ t the reason that Americana lovers are crowding into Provisions on this evening . Its owners have channeled the antique ambiance into a dynamic tap house that hosts live musical acts , especially bands whose songs complement the rustic renaissance happening along these hillsides . While Sutter Creek has long been a destination for those wanting to shop in a western Victorian setting , Provisions and a handful of other businesses have recently made it a hotspot for beer and wine tasting , foodie indulgence , live entertainment and weddings at historic hotels .
On this luminous sundown in Sutter Creek , members of the band Forever Goldrush — all of whom grew up in Amador County — are tasked with bringing visitors on a sonic ride into this frontier region , the Mother Lode . Looking on as she pours some Galactic
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