Part of the allure of moving to Tahoe was that it offered us a whole new 100 mile radius of historic and fun towns to explore. For a pre-Valentine getaway, we chose the quaint mining town of Nevada City.

I fell in love, almost instantly, with this little town, which in its heyday (1849), was the largest and most prosperous mining town in our state.
After exploring, I have to agree with this description:

Nevada City is set among the tall pines, Victorian houses, and the many historical buildings.  The historic district includes 93 buildings that are listed with the National Register of Historic Places, and there are 18 landmarks that are also registered.  There are many quaint shops, an abundance of artistic pursuits, and so many superb restaurants, that Nevada City has been given the nickname of "Carmel of the Sierra Foothills".

Lunch was at the South Pine Cafe, with its unique dishes and cozy atmosphere. What I really thought was cool is that they serve Gratitude Bowls. This project, to feed the poor and hungry, has cooks using ingredients they have in abundance to create these meals.  Depending on seating availability and individual restaurant policies, gratitude bowls may be served to-go or with restaurant seating included.

The goal: "We hope to create a program that can both end hunger in our community today and serve as a model worldwide to lead towards the end of world hunger and a larger sense of family for all." We were thoroughly impressed!
I receive the Nevada City Chamber's Event email and it was the announcement of this play that actually brought us to town.

There is absolutely no way I can give this incredible production enough accolades. The Off Broadstreet Theater, itself, is worth visiting and to see such an exceptional show... wow! Talent, unique story line and intimacy that all came together and just blew us away. We will be back often.

For us, no trip to a historic town is complete without a visit to the cemetery. Meandering here at the Pioneer Cemetery (1851), during a downpour, seemed somehow appropriate.

One famous resident was Aaron A. Sargent (1827–1887), an American journalist, lawyer, politician and diplomat. He settled in Nevada City in 1850 and accomplished many things, including being elected to the United States Senate. In 1878, Senator Sargent introduced the 29 words that would later become the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, allowing women the right to vote. Super cool history!
Our home for the evening was the delightful Broad Street Inn, a contemporary, eco-friendly, family run hotel nestled in an 1870 Victorian House.
This was my review: "This was our first trip to Nevada City and we found the Broad Street Inn to be an ideal place to stay. It was raining like crazy so we grabbed a bottle of wine, some take-away food and delighted in the downpour from the coziness of the well appointed Sun Room. Perfect!

The attention to detail is something we thoroughly appreciated, from the umbrellas to borrow to the luxurious showering supplies. Oh and the comfy pillows. 

We just returned home and we have already booked a return stay!" We loved this place!
While the weather was less than ideal, our visit to Nevada City was all that we had hoped: educational, welcoming, entertaining and really pretty perfect. We have booked a return for a date in the Summer. We look forward to enjoying patios and parks. This was a great introduction to a new town only 94.3 miles away.