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This is an area about 10 minutes' drive east of Placerville on Highway 50. There are dozens of apple ranches that cater mostly to Sacramento-area tourists who come seeking every imaginable product made from apples, such as cider, pies, donuts, wine, caramel apples, etc. Excellent family atmosphere. Some of the larger ranches have ponds, ducks, ponies, and picnic areas. Most of the ranches are open September to December only. A few stay open all year. Weekends in October can get very crowded.
This historic Carpenter Gothic Episcopal church was built in 1865, and has been renovated several times. On November 17, 1977, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour.
This historic house was built in 1895. It served as a store for many years, but today is a private residence. The landmark house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 14, 1985.
This historic Italianate style, Victorian brick building was built in 1860 to house the volunteer fire brigade. During its lifetime the building has served as the police department, jail, justice court, city hall, and public library. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on January 4, 1982.
Placerville Soda Works
This historic rustic vernacular Victorian brick building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on December 12, 1985. The building was built as a single story structure in 1859 to store ice. John Pearson's sons added a second story in 1897 to house a bottling operation after the business began selling soda water.
This observatory houses 17-inch and 14-inch telescopes and is open to the public on weekends in the summer and winter, and for special events (check their calendar). Visitors should check the website prior to arriving at the observatory as cancellations occur frequently due to clouds or weather. The roof of the observatory opens to the sky, so dress as you would for outside activities; there are no heaters and nowhere to warm up if you get cold. The Community Observatory was established in 2006 and is operated by a partnership of a team of volunteers, Folsom Lake College, the El Dorado County Office of Education and the Rotarians of Cameron Park. Cell phones are not allowed while at the observatory to reduce light pollution.
The arboretum is located at the Institute of Forest Genetics outside of Placerville. The first plantings were made in 1926, and today it contains what is claimed to be the best-documented collection of native and exotic pines in the world, in addition to many other native and exotic conifers. The arboretum is operated by the US Forest Service and open to the public during business hours.