Early on aJanuary morning in 1848,James Marshall went to check on a sawmill he was building on a riverbank.As he looked into the water,he saw something SHINY in the sand on the river bottom. It was gole!

　　With that discovery, Marshall started the largest gold rush in history.By 1849 ,eager treasure hunters, known as"forty-niners,"were pouring into northem California`s mountains. Hundreds of mining towns SPRANG UP,filled with men eager to get rich quick.

　　The gole rush built Sacramento California`sstate capital and the GATEWAY to Gold Country.Men here discovered that selling supplies to the miners was going to make them rich. Visit Ole Sacramento,a four-block section of downtown. This was the business district during the gold rush years.

　　Walk down the wooden sidewalks and old-style streets.Try to picture what the town was like filled with miners from all over the world. Visit the museums,restaurants and shops in restored buildings that PRESERVE the area`s historical character.

　　Chances are you won`t get rich visiting California`s Gold Country.But you will learn about this great event that SHAPED the stare`s history.Imagine being a forty-niner as you drive along California Highway49 through the historic mining area.The road WINDS 518 km(324miles) through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

　　North of Sacramento lies Nevada City.Many say this is California's prettiest and bestpreserved gold-rush town.Take a horse-drawnd carriage tour of downtown with its historic brick buildings and beautiful old homes.

　　South of Nevada City lies Grass Valley.More than half of all the gold taken from the ground in California came from the mines around here.Visit the Empire Mine State Historic Park.Anestimated 163 metric tone (181 short tons)came from the 587 km(367 miles)of underground passages.

　　The park contains many of the mine buildings as well as the owner's house.BE sure you peer into the entrance to the mine.How would you like to work in that dark hole for 10 hours each day?

　　While in Gold Country.try your hand at panning gold.It takes practice and patience.People still find small flakes of gold in the streams and rivers!During the gold rush years from 1848 to 1859,men found US$50 billion in gold .Some say that 80 percent of the gold in the area is still in the ground!

　　Tired of history? Take a break and spend some time enjoying the natural beauty of this area.Go hiking or horseback riding through the hills .

　　Continue on down Highway 49 past more old mining towns.At Angesl Camp,near the south end of Highway 49,renowned writer Mark Twain got his start.Here,Twain got the idea for his famous story"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."If you visit during the third week of May,you can watch the frog-jumping contest.

　　Spending time in northern California is a "golden opportunity"to learn about the state's early history.While you may not get rich ,you'll certainly carry away a wealth of great memories!