Nevada County Life

There are so many people who have chosen their dream town here in Nevada City or Grass Valley and then made their jobs work around it. People say it’s been great and they would never look back since moving here from the Bay Area or other places!

As cost of living and traffic have risen in cities around the country while technology is advancing, more and more people have been looking at working at home as a great option for a healthy work and home life. Many people are enjoying the quiet life here in Nevada County while still making their big-city money from their home office!

You find telecommuters – professionals who have moved here, but kept their jobs by traveling or by working remotely from a home office.

But even better, you find entrepreneurs! It’s amazing the range of small businesses we have here in Nevada County – retailers, web designers, inventors, writers, artists, ranchers, and the list goes on. It makes for great diversity.

In the past, young professionals would look for the the right job and assume they might have to move around the country to find it. These days that’s changing. Many young adults are feeling that where they live and their quality of life is the first priority, and then they’ll worry about a job.

In Nevada County, we have quality of life – one of the best school systems in California, amazing Sierra foothill scenery, a cultural scene including art, wine, and good restaurants, and most of all, friendly people!

This week my son and I went to the Imaginarium in Nevada City for their monthly preschool play day. It was a really fun outing that I highly recommend! It was set up for preschoolers, and we explored magnets, bubbles, gravity exhibits, and did some painting.

The Imaginarium has over 20 different hands on science exhibits, and it’s good for all ages – kids and adults. They have a generator to raise your hair, a Distorted Room where you can shrink, and my personal favorite – a skeleton riding a bicycle. Through June 2009, they are hosting a special exhibit titled “Simple Machines”. 

The preschool play day is once a month, but if you don’t have a preschooler, the Imaginarium is open to the public one Friday or Saturday a month from September to June and for special events. Visit to view the schedule. You’ll find the Imaginarium at the corner of Ridge Road and Nevada City Highway in Nevada City. Phone: 478-6415.

Taking the Bowman Lake Road off Highway 20 eventually takes one up to Grouse Lakes, but in the winter the road is not plowed past the PG & E facility, but this allows people to get into a short but very nice loop trail maintained by PG & E themselves.

An enjoyable trail in summer, due to the gurgling Bear river that runs next to the trail for a while, it’s also an excellent location for a short snow shoe or cross country skiing excursion.  Look out for wildlife footprints in the snow, and on the far side of the trail, walk out into the alpine meadows bordered by the Bear River on one side and the South Yuba Canal on the other.  Also watch out for the informative interpretive signs that dot the trail as these contain an introduction to the plant and animal life of the Sierra Nevada.

For those wanting a little more action the area across Bowman Lake road from the Sierra Discovery trail is often frequented by kids and sleds and many small sledding runs can be found here.  One caveat being that it does get rather cold at this elevation and the icy snow makes an unforgiving surface to land on.

Driving around Grass Valley and Nevada City a few days ago I could not help but feel that the building outline lights in downtown Nevada City were so much brighter and more festive than those in Grass Valley, which seemed dim and uninspired in comparison.  I’d first noticed this during the Cornish Christmas evenings but it was really apparent the other night when things were a little quieter in the streets.  Is it just me?

Looking for a great location to do some snow shoeing or some cross country skiing?  Well take a short drive up Highway 20 from Nevada City to the White Cloud day use and camping area (part of the Tahoe National Forest) where the snow is thick on the ground.  

The campsite is closed for the season which means that all the loops are essentially snow covered trails ideal for cross country snow sports.  Other trails lead off from the campsite and the area is crossed by a powerline that some people have followed to make a winter trail.

For the less adventurous there’s plenty of snow close to the parking area allowing snowmen and igloos to be constructed, and there are some gentle slopes that can be used for snow saucers and plastic sledges!