An ‘Amador’able small town in Gold Country

A photo snapped from the luxurious king bed was meant to showcase the timeless red brick walls of our Golden Suite of the Imperial Hotel, which were complemented with velvet yellow sitting chairs and framed white double doors leading to the balcony outside.

However, a closer look beyond also revealed a tavern at the end of a short main street that makes up Amador City. Both buildings — plus a brewery — are all part of a dream-for-sale.

Perhaps a Hallmark TV movie dream? If only a rich city girl wanting to start over in a small rural town stumbled this direction (and preferably befriended me on the way).

Amador City, affectionately and confidently self-proclaimed “Amadorable,” is also known for being the smallest incorporated city in California, with just 200 people and measuring a mere .3 square miles.

What lends to its uniqueness, and gives a bit of an optical illusion, is the immediate surrounding foothills; outside of the main street there is no other flatland and homes are casually stacked upward.

Steep, narrow and tightly-wound roads suggest that cars, and Amazon delivery drivers, were an afterthought in its formation. Depending on the time of year you visit, these hills might be rolling green, poppy orange or toasted gold. A color palette for your “daily inspo,” as the trendsetters would say.

Many visits over many years have taught one lesson for certain: like its hills, Amador City is in a constant state of change. Each season brings new shops, new boutiques and new owners looking to strike gold like the founders did over 100 years ago.

Which is good news for travelers and weekend adventurers alike; there is always something worth discovering for the first time, every time, including the recent modernization of the (now for sale) Imperial Hotel, where we stayed for this recent weekend getaway.

Shopping the small strip of buildings that make up its town center was an afternoon well spent.

A travel tip we follow is to always start a day of exploring first with a meal, this way you can walk it off as you stroll from shop to shop. Hence our first stop was at Moonrise Pizza, with its sourdough focaccia deep-dish style slices.

Right next door is the pizza owners’ newest business venture, Tiny City Goods, a clever collection of gifts and home decor. My lunch had barely any time to digest before I was there picking out poppy seed packets and matching coasters — a subtle nod to the town’s annual spring Amapola Festival.

Amapola is Spanish for poppy, and the hills around here come alive in blankets of orange, a phenomenon Amador City has embraced in celebration. The townspeople don’t shy away from any opportunity to gather and celebrate.

This summer was their Dancin’ in the Street series where, as you can imagine, the street is closed off and music takes over. As luck would have it, we were also in town for End of Nowhere Winery’s gallery opening for nearby artist Jake Crawley and, combined with live music and a busy barbecue, the corner intersection of Amador City was once again an impromptu celebration well past sunset.

Stepping back onto the footpath with newly acquired gifts from Tiny City Goods, multiple antique shops dot either side of the road, held together by masonry and carpentry with their own stories to tell.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the antique shops that remain steadfast over the years. People are always on the hunt for memories, and if you are one of them, the Amador Whitney Museum, conveniently located in between said shops, will absolutely amaze you with the dedication to detail and preservation in such a small space. It is worth stopping in — and donating to the cause.

However, on this occasion I personally was on the hunt for a new fragrance and found it at nearby Ignite Joy Company. Candles and perfumes here are hand poured, hand curated by owner Gabby McGraw.

Gabby had stepped out the day I stepped in, and behind me came another customer shopping for his wife. Flustered, he admitted he didn’t know what she typically purchases but knew he needed to buy it.

“Let me text Gabby and see if she knows,” the salesperson offered. I wasn’t convinced this husband would have success, but within a minute Gabby replied with his wife’s detailed preferences. A level of customer service we so often assume is also of the past, but here it was present day in this antique town.

At the end of the road, where our self-imposed turn-around point is, sits the two vacant businesses that are also for sale, the tavern on one side and a turnkey brewery on the other.

Once a hub for locals to gather and freely roam back and forth, it now beckons for that Hallmark movie remake. Being able to stand smack in the middle to take the whole town in, the potential for a Netflix special also beckons. I had a vision, although my husband insists it was just the wine talking.

Though our stroll through town lasted a full afternoon, retiring to the upstairs suite at the Imperial Hotel that night was not the end of our getaway. There is something enchantingly Americana about sitting up on a porch looking out on a Gold Rush town and hearing the laughter and singing below.

Our visit was also perfectly timed with the change in evening temperature. A cool night sky converging with glowing string lights and bouncing off the sun-baked brick walls of the hotel meant the best of all worlds. A girl could certainly dream big here.

Morning was met next door to the hotel at Foothill Kitchens for breakfast pastries, picnic snacks and fresh coffee before walking the now quiet road once more.

This time, we took in the pioneer cemetery and old schoolhouse directly behind the Imperial Hotel, along with a few other humble relics left for our imagination. It won’t be our last visit to Amador City, as history reminds us change is coming and it will be fun all over again to see what it brings.

To stay at (or purchase) the Imperial Hotel, visit www.ImperialHotelAmador.com

For future events, check www.VisitAmador- City.com

California native Dannah Nielsen explores the lesser known areas of our state and shares her travels in hopes to inspire you to find new and adventurous ways to also enjoy California. For more inspiration, follow @ Ca.love.fornia on Instagram or contact her via email at dannah.nielsen@hotmail.com.