Nevada County Gold Magazine | Page 17

017_15Favorites_NCG_2015_017_15 Favorites_2015 6/23/15 4:49 PM Page 17 MUST DO ! Do st Mu 15 GET FESTIVE Nevada County celebrates festively frequently, including the Celtic Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, Bluegrass Festival, Music in the Mountains’ Festival and the World Music Festival. Some of us even celebrate Festivus! 14 INDEPENDENCE WAYS Our county hosts good-old-fashioned, small-town 4th of July parades in both Grass Valley and Truckee. Or take a daytrip to Downieville for an even smaller small-town 4th of July parade. Any delightful Independence Day cliché you can think of will be thoroughly covered–Norman Rockwell has nothing on us! 13 GET DOWNIEVILLE Speaking of nice daytrips, Downieville is a classic for that little-changed, rural Sierra feeling. For fishing, leaf or wildlife watching, hiking, river-dipping and mountain relaxation, spend some time in the Downieville area in any season and you are bound to “get” it. FLOAT YOUR 12 CARES AWAY A float down the lazy Truckee River is a tradition for anyone spending some warm-weather time in the Truckee area. Professional raft trip companies are ready to show your group the ropes if you aren’t experienced enough to pull it off safely on your own. Fingers crossed for rain, snow and a little exciting whitewater! 11 MARCHING PRESIDENTS & HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS Experience some of the liveliest American history presentations you’ve ever seen during the Constitution Weekend Celebration, every September in glorious Nevada City. The weekend is packed with living history and when you see the famous Marching Presidents coming down Broad Street as part of the parade, you’ll know you’re in the best of company. 10 DIG INTO MALAKOFF DIGGINS Malakoff Diggins State Park is the site of California's largest "hydraulic" mine and the visually impressive cliffs carved by mighty streams of water that were used to wash away entire mountains to get the gold. The park is about a 50-minute drive north of Nevada City and features a visitor center, museum and town site F