COLUMN: Trip of the week, Margo Bartlett Pesek

      Of all the charming, quaint little towns dotting the Sierra foothills in California, old Auburn is one of the most accessible. Located along Interstate 80, just 35 miles from Sacramento and 110 miles from Reno, Auburn is central to the part of the state where the earliest strikes were made, starting the famous California gold rush of 1849.
      Auburn sits at the junction of state Highway 49, the Gold Country Highway and the interstate. South on Highway 49, it is just 20 miles to the site near Coloma where a man named James Marshall found the first traces of one of the richest gold strikes in history. The site is distinguished today as the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park.
      The little town is located in lovely rolling foothills covered in forests, fields, and fruit and nut orchards. It is very near the beautiful American River Canyon, now containing a rush stream carrying melt-off from the snow in the Sierras. There is still gold in the hills and the spring runoff annually creates a surge in hopeful prospecting and gold panning in all the Sierra streams.
      When visitors exit the freeway, they find themselves right on the streets of Old Town, the original part of the city. There are many gold rush-era buildings still in use, although the original part of Auburn has suffered over the years, repeatedly losing buildings to fire, rebuilding them and having it happen again. Regrettably, a portion of the town had fallen on hard times and slipped into becoming very seedy before the town's attraction as a tourist center reclaimed it.
      Today, several streets of the old city center have been restored with the buildings now housing many shops, antiques stores and eateries.
      The newer portion of the town, called Upper Town, is no youngster, either. But it is very well-kept and attractive. Most of the modern business district, which serves locals' needs, is located there, a few blocks away from old Auburn. Take time out to cruise the residential streets near the old city center. Tree-lined and pleasant, this area houses some fine examples of Victorian homes.
      You may park on the streets of old Auburn, but there are also some areas for off-street parking within easy reach of the shops and stores. Pick up a walking-tour map of Old Town, which has been named a California historical landmark, and a map listing the shops. These brochures are available at local businesses and at the Placer County museum and visitor center housed near the Placer County Courthouse overlooking Old Town Auburn. Among the many attractions of the old downtown area is the huge statue of a 49er panning for nuggets and the nearby firehouse. The firehouse is said to be the oldest volunteer fire department west of Boston, as it was organized in 1852, three years after Auburn became a town.
      California's oldest operating post office occupies the spot it has in a downtown "island" of buildings since 1852. Nearby buildings housed a variety of concerns, including the Wells Fargo Express office. Not far from the post office was Auburn's Chinese merchants' section and red-light district. A disastrous fire in 1920 started here, destroying those establishments and several more reputable businesses nearby. Gift shops, antiques stores and restaurants now lend legitimacy to that part of Old Town Auburn.
      If you continue on Sacramento Street from near the post office, you will make a turn and be on High Street where two museums are located next to the county fairgrounds. The Gold Country Museum features equipment from early mining operations and transportation. Visitors will see early Placer County life in displays and exhibits, including a stamp mill, a saloon and a small stream for panning gold. Nearby is the Bernhard Museum housed in a fine old restored home from the early days. The house and grounds have displays of furnishings, artifacts and old skills such as coopering, blacksmithing and winemaking. Both museums charge modest entry fees. They have slightly different hours, but are open at least a half-day every day except Monday. You could easily spend a couple of hours there, so allow enough time in your plans.
      Now a town of some 10,000 people, Auburn has plenty of tourist facilities. If you want to stay overnight, you will have a choice of several motels, at least one old hotel from the early days, and a bed and breakfast in an old house with a view of the American River Canyon. For complete listings and information on lodgings, contact the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce, 601 Lincoln Way, Auburn, Calif. 95603, or call them at (916) 855-5616.
      Auburn's Old Town merchants annually plan several events designed to keep the visitors coming. May 18 will be a very lively day in the old community with its 30th annual spring street fair. This event features 250 booths of antiques and collectibles in every price range. The fair will have the usual hoopla associated with such events, including extra entertainment and food booths. Parking will be at a premium during the daylong fair, so plan an early arrival. The fair opens at 8 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m.