The annual Nevada City B.E.A.R. (Be Excited About Reading) Storybook Character Parade is another fabulous reason why I love our community.  School children marched proudly down Broad Street dressed as their favorite book character to the cheers of supportive fans.  ”We are so lucky to live in a town/community where they will close down the street for an hour for our kids to be able to show off their love of reading,” said Kathryn Boswell.  ”I am so proud to be one of those parents and I know my boys were grinning from ear to ear the entire walk down Broad Street today.”  Thank you to Joe Limov,  Julie Bryan and the Nevada City School District PTA for continuing such a fabulous local tradition.  Kudos to the Nevada City City Council for kicking off the parade, we loved … Read More »

Looking for a fun family friendly activity?  Go check out Hirschman’s Pond in downtown Nevada City. The trail head starts at the bottom of Cement Hill Road, a mere mile from downtown Nevada City.  The first 1/2 mile of the trail is wheelchair accessible and perfect for an easy family bike ride or walk.  Stop and check out the interactive signs to learn about the mining history and wildlife, or sit by the pond and check out the views.  For those of you who are looking for a little bit more, continue down the trail to either the Woods Ravine Trail or the end of the Hirschman Trail and enjoy an outdoor adventure in the heart of downtown Nevada City.

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Step back in time and check out the Inpendence Trail, the walk, located 5 miles out of town off Highway 49, follows the ditches and flumes from the Excelsior Canal, built back in the 1850′s.  The 1 1/2 mile section wheel chair accessible trail is suitable for all ages, with more difficult options down to Jones Bar for those who want a challenge.  Can you and your crew spot a newt?  Photos from the Independence Trail West provided by Val Camp.

If you’ve hiked to the waterfall on the west bound section of the Independence Trail and want to try something different head back to the trail head and take the 2 mile walk up the east section of the trail and check out the rock arch.  Photos by Katie White.

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The Artist Workshop in downtown Grass Valley is a great place to take the kids and get creative.  I’ve talked about them on the Outside Inn blog before (here, here,  here and here), but today I had the pleasure of teaching a Kids Valentine’s Day Workshop.  The kids did a great job of creating some unique handmade Valentine’s Day cards for their classmates.  Click here for Margo’s schedule of upcoming classes and workshops.

Victorian Christmas has begun.  If you missed last night’s event, come join us for the next one, either Wednesday (December 12th or 19th) or the Sunday afternoon event (December 16th or 23rd).  For additional information on the event visit the Nevada City Chamber’s website, click  here for a list of entertainment.  I love the community feel to the event, you can’t go anywhere without bumping into someone you know.  Grab your hot beverage (mulled wine, hot toddy or hot coco available), listen to some live music and stock up on gifts.  What’s your favorite part about Victorian Christmas?

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Looking for a Christmas tree?  Check out McBurney’s Christmas Tree Farm off Highway 174 in Cedar Ridge.  Walk the farm and choose between  Douglas Fir,  White Fir and Red Fir and once you’ve selected your perfect tree you can either cut it down yourself, or ask the friendly staff to help you.  It’s a great family friendly activity, with free juice and coffee to enjoy around the fire pit.  Support your local farmers and pick a tree that’s Nevada County Grown.  And if you missed some of our giveaways this week there’s still time to comment here for a gift certificate to Yuba Blue and here for a chance to win a free Outside Inn coffee mug.

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Neva Co Artisan Boutique in downtown Nevada City Sugar Skull making class was so successful that they’ve recently added additional classes.  Limited space available, but RSVP online and save $3 on the $15 class.  My research assistants loved getting messy and learning a bit of history about the Day of the Dead Altars.  Thanks Cynthia for a great class, our Sugar Skulls are going into the infamous Nevada City haunted house to be enjoyed by the masses.  If you missed our pre-ski season giveaway, click here.

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Want to get 365 degree views of downtown Nevada City?  Take a short walk up to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain.  Bring a picnic and sit and enjoy the views.  The trail starts at the top of Coyote Street on the left hand side and takes approximately 10-15 minutes to walk to the top.

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The weather in Nevada City is fabulous, why not take a hike?  Independence Trail is 5.5 miles from downtown Nevada City off Highway 49.  The trail twists and turns along the Excelsior Canal, where the gold rush era wooden flumes now provide the wheelchair accesible trail.  Walk the mile to the waterfall, or take the steep trail down to Jones Bar and take a dip in the South Yuba River, options for all ages and levels.

© 2012 InnSide Nevada City

Looking for casual, family friendly dining in Nevada City, check out the Northridge Restaurant at the top of Nevada Street.  While pizza is always our first choice, you can have a burger, fish ‘n chips, salad or a sandwich.  Stop by to watch a sporting event on the big screen while the kids lose quarters in the game room or check out their to go menu and take it home.