Others escape the daily grind and go looking for adventure. So what could this stretch of Highway 4, known as the Ebbetts Pass Corridor, have to offer? Truth is, more than most people would ever imagine. Highway 4 isn’t wider than two lanes anywhere from the foothills to the mountain top, except for the occasional passing lane. But in that stretch from Angels Camp to Bear Valley (with Arnold smack dab in the middle), you have a variety of vistas, nature, recreation and entertainment unique to the Sierra.

Start with water... you’ll find New Melones Lake, the third largest reservoir in the state, perfect for water skiing and wake boarding, fishing and house boating. Then there is the Stanislaus River with water cascading over boulders, cool pools, fly fishing, camping, and hiking. There are “neighborhood” lakes in and around Arnold and Lake Alpine at the 7500 foot elevation where you would swear you were in the high country of Switzerland. Kayak and canoe rentals are available in town or bring your own.

Next consider the grapes. As evidenced by this magazine, the vineyard and winery business has flourished in the Calaveras climate and soil. There are numerous wineries, tasting rooms, and special events surrounding the wine industry throughout the county, including a Passport Weekend with a progressive tasting tour, the Grape Stomp at Harvest time, gourmet dinners with the winemakers, world class concerts, and Shakespeare under the stars.

The village of Bear Valley offers a multi-event music festival in summer, mountain biking from spring to autumn, hundreds of miles of breath-taking (literally and figuratively) hiking trails, and glorious crowd-free skiing all winter (both downhill and cross country). More on the snow scene in a later issue.

We haven’t touched on the gold rush town of Murphys -- rich in historic buildings and shopping opportunities, the logging museum in Arnold, the small but mighty factory for Blackforest Chocolates, chain saw carvings by the roadside, canyon views, the distant Dardenelles, challenging technical mountain climbing with guides, and art galleries along the way.

We’ve run out of space but not stories, watch for all our seasonal offerings in issues to come.

Contributed by Cedar Creek Realty. Please stop in and meet us.