well-traveledThings To Know Before You Go
The "Well-Traveled" version of the Mark Twain Trail traces the wanderings of the author's seminal five years in California and Nevada, during which time he progressed from an unknown, unemployed steamboat pilot to an internationally famous writer and raconteur. This makes for a concise journey, suitable for a week-long family drive through the mountains and foothills of the West, where Samuel Clemens became Mark Twain.
Getting there: This is a driving trip, but folks from outside the area should fly either to San Francisco or Oakland and drive east to Yosemite, as we are doing. Another option is to fly in to Sacramento, Calif., and begin the trip by driving Highway 50 across the Sierras to Carson City, Nev., or just fly into Reno, Nev., and drive down Highway 395 to Carson City. Air to these and any Mark Twain-touched city can be booked at Expedia.
Two main highways enfold the heart of the Sierra Nevada gold country. East of the mountains Highway 395 snakes through the stack landscapes of Inyo and Mono counties. The Department of Transportation has an interesting Web feature on this and other "scenic highways" in the system. Better known is Highway 49, through what is called the Mother Lode, with its plethora of Gold Rush attractions and other historic tourist spots. Visit Historic Highway 49 for details.
Where to stay: The prestige place to stay in Yosemite is the Ahwahnee Lodge, one of the classic national park lodges profiled in the recent PBS series Great Lodges. The Ahwahnee is quite popular and often needs to be booked well in advance, especially in the summer months and over public holidays. For accommodations within the park, visit Yosemite Park or call (559) 252-4848; for accommodations outside the park contact Yosemite Motels or call (888) 742-4371.
Around Bodie, Calif., choices are limited to a few motels in Bridgeport; there's not much south of the ghost town until Mono Lake. An exception is the Virginia Creek Settlement, a cluster of cabins that may have served as an overnight stopover for Clemens in his prospector days. Aurora, Nev., where Twain and his colleagues had a mine claim, is almost completely deserted, difficult to reach, and without accommodations.
Virginia City, Nev., and Carson City are not really twin cities, but they're close enough to be related, and both have ties with Twain. Virginia City in particular has traded on its historic pedigree, and its streets are lined with tourist-oriented shops and stops.
In California, in what's called the Mother Lode, there are more attractions than just gold panning, especially along State Highway 49. There's a thriving boutique wine industry in these Sierra foothills, from Amador County (near Placerville) south to Calaveras. A complete list is at Carpe Vino.
There are also underground tours in many of the limestone caves in the area, such as at Moaning Cavern. Finally, river rafting is a regional specialty, with trips of one to three days, from the North Fork of the American to the South Fork of the Kern; visit either All Outdoors or O.A.R.S. for information. For accommodations, the Gold Country has multiple B&Bs as well as vacation homes to choose from
In San Francisco, Mark Twain's hotel of choice—or convenience—was the Occidental at the corner of Sutter and Montgomery Streets, now in the heart of the financial district. A walking tour of this area is available at The Gold Rush Trail. Twain also spent time at the Palace Hotel, a luxury historic building with an original mural by Maxfield Parrish in the bar.
Books: Mark Twain's first collection of stories, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Sketches, was published in 1867. Roughing It, published in 1872, is his summary account of his wild and woolly mining days in California and Nevada.
Twain enthusiast George J. Williams III has self-published four books on Twain's early years, and all are available at Twain in the West.
A terrific comprehensive Web site put together by Jim Zwick is devoted to Twainiania.
Films: Mark Twain Tonight!, originally performed on Broadway in the 1960s, stars actor Hal Holbrook in the performance of a lifetime. Long out of circulation, the 1967 CBS taping of the show has recently been released on VHS and DVD.
Another video presentation that may be of interest is the 2002 documentary Mark Twain—A Film Directed by Ken Burns. Hard-core Twain buffs might want to find The Adventures of Mark Twain, a standard bio-pic from 1944 with Frederick March in white linen.
Many feature films have been made of Twain's books. One favorite is 1949's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, with Bing Crosby, one of several versions of the story. The Prince and the Pauper has also been filmed often, most recently in 2000 for TV with Aidan Quinn and Alan Bates.
Movie versions of the classics include 1973's Tom Sawyer, with Johnny Whitaker and a young Jodie Foster as Becky Thatcher, or the Technicolor-saturated Adventures of Tom Sawyer from 1938 (co-directed by George Cukor). Tom's rowdy buddy Huck has been played by many, including Mickey Rooney in the 1939 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; and by a pre-Shire Elijah Wood in 1993's Adventures of Huck Finn, with Robbie Coltrane, Jason Robards, and Courtney Vance.
Promotional considerations: Mark Twain bounced about by stagecoach. Our team glided down the narrow, winding, scenic roads of the Sierra Nevada behind the wheel of a Volvo V70, "where performance meets safety." The vehicle was provided by the good folks at Volvo.
Virginia Creek Settlement provided overnight accommodation and meals near the Bodie ghost town, in their rustic resort nestled in the natural beauty of the eastern slopes of the High Sierra. Phone (760) 932-7780.
In Carson City, our group was hosted by the Bliss Mansion Bed & Breakfast, a fully restored 1879 home in the heart of the historic district of Nevada's capital. Phone (775) 887-8988.
Placerville's historic Cary Hotel provided accommodations at its refurbished landmark building in downtown "Hangtown," in the heart of the California Gold Country. Phone (530) 622-4271. Helpful information about the region is available from the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce; phone (800) 457-6279.
In Calaveras County, two cottages were generously provided within walking distance of historic Murphys: the Parkside Cottage and the Little Yellow Cottage; learn about both online or phone (209) 736-9372. Other things to do in Calaveras include wine tasting, cave tours, and water sports; contact the Calaveras Visitor's Bureau at (800) 225-3764.
Our last night on the trail was hosted by the City Hotel in Columbia, an Old West-style town in a state historic park. Both the City Hotel and its sister establishment the Fallon House are authentically restored 19th-century country inns. Phone (209) 532-1479.
An unseasonable snowstorm prevented the scheduled visit to Yosemite, but had the team made it, accommodations were offered at the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal, at the river's edge on Yosemite's western boundary. Call (800) 321-5261 for reservations at this or other area motels, or (209) 379-2681 to reach the lodge directly. The Angels Hacienda in Angels Camp also offered accommodations that were not used because of scheduling.
Eagle Creek supplied travel bags and accessories for the team.
Travel clothing was provided by Ex Officio.
