Nice find! We’re running out of places nearby to check out, but this one was well worth the 4 hour drive. At an elevation of only around three thousand feet, it should be a reasonable destination, even in colder months. Yet, it has all the benefits of a high mountain lake. Our site was chosen late in the game, only a couple of weeks prior, and there weren’t many choices left. So we were on an exposed corner of a loop near the day use area. So there was a fair bit of car and foot traffic. The nice thing about Dory is that you can make any site private. We did check out some of the other sites and I noted nice ones for future visits.
The lake was walking distance, even with a 36 lb. kayak on my back, so I had my Saturday all planned out. Friday we got there just in time for a nice sunset and quick dinner. In the morning, Richard headed out on his bike and I just paddled for hours. There were a few speed boats on the water, enough to make fun waves, but not so many as to be annoying. The weather was perfect. Richard texted me in the afternoon saying the town of Nevada City was fun and that he’d gotten dinner reservations for a nice place in town.
Some time around 3, I pulled Squirt out of the water and Richard helped me carry it up to dry off at the site. That is definitely a bonus over having to pack it back up and put it in the car when still slightly wet. It was a short drive from the campground to Nevada City and the town is super cute. It’s got the feel of an old town, with lots of historically preserved gold rush buildings. But it also has some pretty upscale restaurants. Our dinner at New Moon Cafe was out of this world. I had the Halibut special, with cheddar mashed potatoes and grilled veggies, and Richard had the Rib Tips. After enjoying the exquisite meal, we walked the up and down, hilly little streets and enjoyed the scene. There were a couple of street musicians and the sound of live music could be heard coming from bars. Then it was back to Dory for the tail end of a sunset and a couple episodes of “The Sopranos.” Perfect day.
Sunday we didn’t get packed up and rolling until around noon. We stopped along the way at an Outdoor World, which turned out to be just as exciting as the Cabela’s we’d seen in Idaho. I admit to being tempted by the red and green holiday children’s rifles, but couldn’t even buy them as joke. Instead, we picked up a few little odds and ends before agreeing that we were in sensory overload. We pulled up to our driveway around 5.
We give this place a thumbs up, though it is a bit of a drive for a weekend trip. But it’s got a lake, good biking, and a cute town nearby. Great midday coffee at The Foxhound. Seems worth it.
Total miles: 144.0, 4 hours, 17.7 mpg. Site 241. Nice sites by the lake: 227, 228, 232, 234*, 238. The site across from us, 240, seemed to get some solar. None of the other sites, except 234, would have gotten much. Spotty and slow 4G for ATT, but ok LTE on the lake. Bad service for Verizon until you’re in town.
