7 Reasons to Stop in Placerville that No One Knows About
This post is about Placerville.
Placerville is a small town in El Dorado County that was founded during the Gold Rush. Its original name, Hangtown, came from it being the largest town in the area. Due to the town being a large hub for living and trade, it was also where trials were held. Meaning, if you committed a crime that sentenced you to death, you would face trial and punishment in Hangtown.
Placerville Hangtown
This was a perfect stopping point between my trip around Lake Tahoe and LA. Plus, it’s in the middle of wine country! After almost two months working on a gig, I knew I needed to treat myself to a little trip, and this pit stop was exactly what I needed. Wherever you are traveling from, I highly recommend planning your drive through El Dorado National Forest. Especially in winter with the snow-capped trees lining the road, you won’t want to miss this scenic route.
Here are the things you absolutely can’t miss!
Boa Vista Orchard
This was my first stop in town, and it did not disappoint! Of course, I was there in winter, but the orchard was still beautiful just seeing it stretch on for miles. They have a stand open year-round selling produce and seasonal goodies. I couldn’t help myself and bought just a few things. I had the Dutch caramel apple pie with some ice cream on top, an apple dumpling, and of course a hot apple cider.
If you read about my road trip to Maine last year, you know the origin of this obsession. I grabbed my treats and parked myself on one of their picnic benches to enjoy the break from driving.
They also have a tasting bar where you can taste their alcoholic beverages by glass or by flight. Unfortunately, I was saving my alcohol consumption for the wine. Make sure to also check their website for when they open for apple picking and tours of their orchard! I definitely would have loved to explore more.
A Winery!
You’re in wine country! You cannot possibly drive through this beautiful countryside and not stop for a glass. There are quite a few wineries, but I doubt any selection is a bad one!
I chose Boegar Winery which was absolutely stunning. It is one of the oldest wineries in the area with beautiful history. They even still have the original barn that the winery started in.
Definitely make sure that wherever you choose, you call ahead to make a reservation. It was winter, and there were still people huddled around fire pits in their winter jackets enjoying their wine. I ended up ordering a flight of both reds and whites (I prefer red), and I will honestly say the whites surprised me! So much that I left with two bottles!
Why is Placerville Called Hangtown?
You can’t miss a walk down main street. It’ll take you back in time with the western architecture of the store fronts. Here you will also find so many unique little shops that are perfect for a day of window shopping.
Placerville Hardware
Welcome to the oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi! It’s a very cool little shop! Half of the store being hardware of course and the other being a souvenir shop. You’ll definitely need a post card!
Derrick’s Cheese
Here is where I stocked up on my snacks for the winery. I’ve never seen so many different cheeses in one place! I grabbed a few blocks for home too. I can never resist a good block of cheese.
The Bookery
Did I even go on a trip if I didn’t visit a bookstore? This was the cutest little shop filled with every genre you’ll need and then some.
The Bell Tower
Grab yourself some lunch and watch the cars drive by as the bell tower chimes the hour.
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