Murphy's is a quaint tourist town.
This is one of my favorite gold mining towns because it has not lost its
small town flavor. It has not been inundated with great numbers of
tourists like some of the other mining towns such as Jamestown and
Sonora. Main street Murphys is fairly small but there are a number of
nice galleries and other assorted shops. Large trees keep Murphys
relatively cool during the heat of the summer months.
One very interesting note about Murphys is some trivia information about
the Murphys school. The Murphys school used to be the oldest
continuously operating school in the state until it closed down in 1973.
It used to be known as the "Pine Tree College". It first
opened in 1860. One of its more famous graduates, Albert Michelson, won
a Nobel prize in 1907 for Physics.
Among some of the stores that I recommend are the
art galleries.
One has a great selection of paintings. Another has paintings and Shona
African sculptures, imported from Zimbabwe. There is also a good ice
cream parlor located near the turn off for the Mercer Caverns in
downtown Murphys.
The
Stevenot Winery is located 3 miles north on Sheep Ranch Road.
Then take a left 0.2 miles on San Domingo Road. Follow the signs. This
winery offers tours, wine tasting, and picnic areas. They are open daily
from 10 to 5. Admission is FREE. For more information call Phone Number
(209) 728-2101. Website:
www.stevenotwinery.com
The
Mercer Caverns
are well worth the money. These caverns have been open to the public
since 1885 when George Mercer accidentally discovered the opening to the
cave. He was sitting in the shade of an oak tree on a hot summer day
when he felt a cool breeze emanating from a crack in the rock next to
where he was sitting.
He then proceeded to get a shovel and
clear out a large enough entrance to the cave. He brought a rope and
candles to the site and then entered the cavern and explored the inside.
Using his business sense he decided to start giving tours of the cavern.
Today the tour takes one hour but back then a fast tour took 5 hours.
The people he took on the tours had to carry a wooden paddle in their
mouths. This paddle held several candles and each person had to hold the
paddle steady as they were climbing in the cave otherwise hot wax would
fall on them or the people in front of them.
When Mr. Mercer first entered the cave he discovered four skeletons of
Native Americans. Apparently this cave was a sacred burial ground for a
local tribe. These skeletons are now in the Natural History Smithsonian Museum
in Washington D.C. The tour descends 161 feet below the surface. There
are many steep stairs but the hike is not a grueling one. The guide
stops quite often in order to point out attractions and these can be
good breather stops. There are many different types of cave formations
in the Mercer Cave. Some of the deposits look like coral and these won
Mr. Mercer the grand prize at the 1900 World's Fair held in Paris. The
angel hair formations are particularly intriguing. These are sheets of
sediments that have formed a thin sheet. When the guide shines the
flashlight on them they look iridescent.
The cave is open from 9 to 6:30 daily. This cave unlike most of the
caves in California is under private ownership. At last check it is
owned by the same person who owns the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.
Admission for adults is $12. Those under 12 years of age are $7. Tours
are limited to under 25 people, leaving every 20 minutes. When I
went I was with a very small group. It is easier to take any
tours with a smaller group as its more conducive to asking questions. For more information call
Phone Number
(209) 728-2101.
www.mercercaverns.com
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