Everyone drives Interstate 80 to Lake Tahoe, passing through the rolling foothills of the Sierra Nevada, but relatively few turn north from Auburn onto Highway 49 – the “Gold Rush Highway” – to go to the towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City. These charming towns are only 4 miles apart but closely linked by history.

These were gold rush towns, swiftly settled within the mid-Nineteenth century. They swarmed with prospectors from everywhere in the world and were soon filled with mines. Much of the mining was hard rock and a flood of miners experienced on this method arrived from Cornwall, England, to dig underground tunnels. The Cornish connection continues to be clearly evident, from the Cornish Christmas celebrations in Grass Valley to the Cornish pasties or hand pies sold throughout the town.

Not so obvious are the tons of of kilometers of mine shafts which were drilled beneath the region. But there’s a strategy to get a minimum of a small glimpse into the harrowing history: Empire Mine State Historic Parkjust outside Grass Valley, must be on every visitor's “must do” list. It is, in a word, spectacular, with 856 acres of landscaped gardens, 14 miles of climbing and biking trails, picnic areas,
historic buildings, gardens and exhibitions – and naturally the mine itself.

From 1869 to 1929, it was owned by San Francisco entrepreneur William Bowers Bourn, Sr. – the identical family that built Woodside’s spectacular Filoli property. The Empire Mine was the “oldest, deepest and richest,” say guides, explaining that 5.8 million ounces of gold were mined before it closed in 1956. An incredible 367 miles of tunnels were drilled beneath the surface, including mine shafts a mile deep (now flooded). Docent-led tours explore the history of the mine and property and are well definitely worth the time.

You may also visit the free visitor center to see the large model of the 1938 mine complex, long kept secret. Learn more concerning the era in North Star Mining Museumwhere you may see, amongst other things, a 30-foot-high Pelton wheel (the most important on this planet on the time) and a personnel bucket used to move miners underground.

But back to the cities. You should stay somewhere, and although there’s a large alternative, from motels and B&Bs to a glamping resort, Holbrook Hotel in Grass Valley and National exchange in Nevada City are essentially the most outstanding options.

These beautifully restored historic buildings feature high-ceilinged guest rooms decorated in period style, architectural highlights to encourage, and unforgettable bars and restaurants. Over the last century, they’ve hosted a protracted list of famous people, from US presidents – Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison – to Mark Twain.

Two women also left their mark. Emma NevadaBorn in 1859 in a mining camp near Nevada City, she began singing at age 5 and was sent to Oakland to check music and languages. Her growing fame took her to Europe, where she began singing within the operatic style and adopted “Nevada” as her stage name, after her hometown.

The internationally known singer and dancer Lola Montez was as famous for her quite a few amorous affairs as she was for her daring “spider dance,” which resembled the tarantella of southern Italy. Montez lived in Grass Valley for under two years, 1853-55, but left an enduring mark. She was known for the salons she hosted and for eccentricities resembling a bear tied to the porch of her cottage. That cottage, at 248 Mill Street, is now a historic landmark. And the attractive Lola restaurant within the National Exchange is, in fact, named after her.

These cities have more to supply than a wealthy gold rush history. Today they’re known for his or her cultural
Pages. A recent restoration of Nevada City's Nevada Theaterwhich opened in 1865, included beautiful floor-to-ceiling murals by artist Sarah Coleman. The venue, said to be the oldest repeatedly operating theater on the West Coast, supports the local arts with theater, comedy, music and other performances. Grass Valleys Center for the ArtsMeanwhile, it sponsors many well-known touring acts who stop here throughout the week on their strategy to San Francisco, Sacramento or beyond.

Both cities live from special events, farmers’ markets and Summer nights Events to holiday celebrations, including Nevada City’s five-day Victorian Christmas and Grass Valleys Christmas in Cornwalltakes place on Friday evenings from 24 November to 24 December as a tribute to the Cornish miners who helped found the town.

The Golden Gate Bar on the Holbrooke and the National Bar on the National repeatedly host wonderful free Celtic music sessions. The National also hosts Wild West Wednesdays, Music Mondays and the occasional Drag Brunch.

And there’s far more. A variety:

Stroll through the cities' historic districts, take a horse-drawn carriage ride and marvel on the historical costumes worn by locals on weekends and holidays, browse the boutiques and explore the restaurants, coffeehouses, tap rooms and tasting rooms.

Don't miss a meal at BrewHaus, a block from the National. It's a energetic spot with a always-busy outdoor patio, local beer, and a tasty menu.

If you enjoy being outdoors, the list of things to do is limitless. Start with a visit to South Yuba River State Park in nearby Bridgeport to see, photograph and cross the longest surviving single-span wood bridge within the country. Built in 1862, the recently renovated bridge is 226 feet long. It's also the gateway to climbing trails and a number of other idyllic swimming holes and beaches on the Yuba. (Wear a life jacket, because the water will be cold and rip-roaring.)

If you are available in spring, Tulip Gardens Crystal Hermitage at Ananda, a meditation and retreat center at the tip of a protracted and winding road, will encourage awe.

And if you happen to are available in the autumn, Nevada City is a primary destination for autumn colours. Get a Map for self-guided tourswith 15 chosen destinations, in a visitor center in the town.

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When you go

North Star Mining Museum: Open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. May through October and by appointment the remaining of the 12 months. 933 Allison Ranch Road, Grass Valley; https://nevadacountyhistory.org

Holbrook Hotel: Rooms from $170. 212 W. Main St., Grass Valley; https://holbrooke.com

National Hotel: Rooms from $211. 211 Broad St., Nevada City; www.thenationalexchangehotel.com.

Nevada Theatre: Check out the upcoming events and try the renovation and the attractive murals within the https://nevadatheatre.com/. The theater is positioned at 401 Broad St. in Nevada City.

Center for the Arts: The event calendar will be found at https://thecenterforthearts.org/. The theater is positioned at 314 W. Main St. in Grass Valley.

Brewery: 300 Spring St. in Nevada City; www.brewbiltbrewhaus.com/

“There is an old saying,” says longtime numismatic dealer Bob Campbell, “that gold brings people together like fire in a dark room.”

Unfortunately for Campbell, gold also attracts thieves.

That's why Campbell is now offering a $10,000 reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of the one that stuck his hand right into a broken display case on the Long Beach Expo on Thursday, June 6, and stole an unusually large, 27-ounce gold nugget that Campbell estimated was price $82,000.

The owner of the nugget says it was discovered within the Yolo River in 1849 in the course of the California Gold Rush. https://t.co/angG2qlMzK

— KCAL News (@kcalnews) June 9, 2024

Campbell, 66, owner of the All About Coins shop in Salt Lake City, said the nugget is price $64,000 based on its gold content alone, but he believes its history multiplies its true value. Campbell said the nugget was dug from the Yolo River in the course of the Gold Rush.

“We believe it goes back to the 49ers when they first found gold. Very few gold nuggets survive from that time because most people melted them down,” Campbell said in an interview shortly after returning to his shop on Saturday.

Collectors flock to the three-day show on the Long Beach Convention Center to purchase and sell coins, precious metals and trading cards.

Campbell's stand was busy with customers on Thursday when the person took advantage of a broken hinge on the locked display case, put his finger under a lip and opened the case. Surveillance images showed the person looking over his shoulder as he pocketed the nugget and walked away.

Other dealers told Campbell that they had seen the thief at previous shows. Campbell believes the person probably had accomplices.

Campbell filed a report with Long Beach police. He said it might be difficult to resell the nugget without attracting attention since it has turn out to be notorious. But Campbell said he hopes the thief will try it as a substitute of melting it down.

“Thieves get caught because they are stupid,” Campbell said.

Long Beach Police spokeswoman Hannah Ortiz confirmed that police are investigating the reported theft.

Campbell said he hopes to get one other opportunity to display the nugget in his display case.

“I love putting history in people's hands,” he said. “There's nothing better than holding it in your hand and imagining who held it before, all the way back to the miner who dug it out of the mine. That would have been talked about in the mining camps for years to come.”

There have been many attempts to land on the moon within the 2020s, although a few of them have crashed or overturnedWith all the joy surrounding the prospect of a human return to the Moon, each industrial interests and scientists have something to achieve.

The Moon is uniquely suited to researchers to construct telescopes that they can’t arrange on Earth, because there may be less satellite interference than on Earth and no magnetic field to dam radio waves. But only recently Astronomers like me began to think about possible conflicts between the will to expand knowledge in regards to the universe on the one hand and geopolitical rivalries and industrial gains on the opposite, and the way these interests might be reconciled.

As an astronomer and Co-Chairman of the International Astronomical Union Working Group on Astronomy of the MoonI’m obliged to analyze this query.

All to the South Pole

By 2035 – in nearly 10 years – American and Chinese missiles could carry people to long-term lunar bases.

Both bases are planned for a similar small areas near the South Pole, where solar energy is nearly continuously available. on this region and the wealthy source of water that scientists say could possibly be present in the darkest regions of the moon.

Unlike the Earth, the Moon is just not tilted relative to its orbit across the Sun. As a result, the Sun orbits the horizon near the poles and almost never sets on some crater rims. There, the never-setting Sun casts long shadows on nearby craters. to guard their floors from direct sunlight within the last 4 billion years, 90% of the age of the solar system.

These craters are principally pits of everlasting darkness. And it is just not only dark down there, it is usually Cold: below -418 degrees Fahrenheit (-250 degrees Celsius)It is so cold that scientists predict that the water in the shape of ice at the underside of those craters – probably led to by the collision of ancient asteroids with the lunar surface – won’t melt or evaporate for a really very long time.

Studies from the lunar orbit suggest that these craters, the so-called permanently shaded regionscould hold half a billion tons of water.

The constant sunlight for solar energy and proximity to frozen water make the Moon's poles attractive for human bases. The bases also need water for drinking, washing, and growing crops to feed hungry astronauts. Bringing long-term water supplies from Earth is hopelessly expensive, so an area watering hole is a giant deal.

Telescopes on the Moon

For a long time, astronomers had ignored the Moon as a possible location for telescopes since it was simply unimaginable to construct them there. But human bases open up recent possibilities.

The radio-shielded back of the Moon, which we never see from Earth, allows the recording of very low frequency radio waves. These signals probably contain signatures of the Universe's “Dark Ages“a time before stars or galaxies formed.”

Astronomers could also Gravitational wave detectors on the poles, since these detectors are extremely sensitive and the polar regions of the Moon aren’t disturbed by earthquakes as they’re on Earth.

A gravitational wave detector on the moon could enable scientists to gather data from Pairs of black holes orbit one another very closely just before they merge. Predicting where and when they may merge tells astronomers where and when to search for a flash of sunshine they might otherwise miss. With these additional clues, scientists could determine how these black holes form and the way they evolve.

The cold on the lunar poles makes infrared telescopes way more sensitive from Shift of the blackbody radiation of the telescopes to longer wavelengths. These telescopes could give astronomers recent tools to go looking for all times on Earth-like planets outside the solar system.

And an increasing number of ideas are coming. The first radio antennas are land on the opposite side next yr.

Conflicts of interest

But the frenzy to construct bases on the Moon could affect the very conditions that make the Moon so attractive for research in the primary place. Although the Moon surface larger than that of Africa, human researchers and astronomers need to visit the identical places just just a few kilometers in size.

But activities that help maintain human presence on the Moon, resembling water mining, will generate vibrations that could destroy a gravitational wave telescope.

In addition, most of the elements found on the Moon are extremely precious on Earth. Liquid hydrogen and oxygen make precious rocket fuel, and Helium-3 is a rare substance used to Improving quantum computers.

But certainly one of the few places on the Moon where helium-3 is wealthy is in certainly one of the most probably places to establish a medieval radio telescope on the back.

Finally, at the very least two Internet and GPS satellite constellations are planned to orbit the moon in just a few years. Unintended radio emissions from these satellites could render a medieval telescope unusable.

The time is now

But a compromise is just not out of the query. It could just a few alternative spots to position each telescope.

In 2024, the International Astronomical Union has put together the Astronomy from the Moon Working Group to define which websites astronomers would love to preserve for his or her work. This includes rating the sites in accordance with their importance for every form of telescope and holding discussions with a most significant committee of the United NationsThese steps could help astronomers, astronauts from many countries and personal interests share the Moon.