The Lure Resort - A River runs through it

Take your watch off and relax. You’re on Sierra County time now and nothing moves fast here. Except maybe the North Fork of the Yuba River as it winds its way through the tiny town of Downieville, population 325. Or the bass and trout as they jump in the river or in the many alpine lakes nearby.

Time stopped at Downieville, or at least took a very long rest. It is a dot on the map now, but during the Gold Rush, it fell just 19 votes short of becoming the state capital. But then, that was 150 years ago.

Now, you can walk down the middle of Main Street on a Saturday night or watch the deer standing around in the middle of State Highway 49, there’s so little traffic. The place offers peace and quiet, small town charm and clean mountain air.

If you stay in town, you can park your car and forget about it during your stay. Pick up a walking tour map at most businesses and wander down the narrow streets and wooden sidewalks of Main Street. Check out all the historic sites such as the museum, the gallows, and the blacksmith shop.

Not on the map, but also fun to visit, is the hardware store, next to the post office. A family-run establishment since 1947, it is stocked with fun items like cap guns and sling shots, toys, fishing tackle and camping gear, in addition to all the real hardware stuff in the back — electrical and plumbing supplies.

There are lots of quaint places to stay. For downtown lodging right on the river, try the Carriage House Inn. Room 2 has a sitting area to watch the river rush by. You go to sleep to the sound of it and wake up to the sunlight streaming in and glistening off the water. Owners Liz and John Luster do their best to welcome visitors and offer advice on things to do in the area.

For a delicious and hearty meal, visit the GrubStake Saloon on Main Street. Owners Mary K and Don Potter offer daily specials. Don cooks and greets everyone as they come and go while he is busy behind the grill. I enjoyed the fresh grilled salmon, tender and flaky, served with a baked potato and salad. Their famous “grub bread,” made with herbs and spices and served warm with soft butter came along with the dinner and was too good to pass up.

All items on the menu were under $20. I counted five burgers under $6 and they also have veggie and turkey burgers. The Grubsteak, 24 oz of sizzling ribeye steak topped the menu at $19.95.

Just past Downieville, following Highway 49 across the one-lane bridge heading out of town, you come to The Lure Resort, fourteen landscaped acres with log cabins clustered on the river’s edge.

You cross another one-lane bridge to reach the resort, nestled in among pines and cedars. Bird’s nests gathered on the grounds line the steps as you go up to the office, flowers and herbs are tucked into a rock wall.

At The Lure, the river predominates the scene and the senses. The sound of it rushing over rocks greets you. A lawn and flowers slope down to the water and comfy looking chairs invite you to sit and relax.

Kids with fishing poles and determined looks head down the rocks to try their luck.

This is a family place where children and pets are welcome and families return each year for a taste of how life used to be. There are no TVs or telephones in the cabins and probably no cell phone reception. (There is a pay phone and they do take messages at the office.) But the log cabins come with fully equipped kitchens, all bedding and towels. “All you need to do is show up with your toothbrush, a bag of groceries and a bag of briquettes,” said owner Linda Zolldan, who owns the resort with her husband Gary.

Life here centers around the river. Fishing, swimming, floating in inner tubes, panning for gold. The resort has a private river access, open only to guests. The water is so clear that you can see the different colored rocks on the bottom and just chilly enough to remind you that it was once melted snow.

Because the original cabins date back to the 1930s, the cabins sit only fifteen feet from the river; today’s laws require a hundred-foot setback. The Zolldans have replaced all but three of the original cabins with new, sunny and quite elegant log cabins with vaulted ceilings, fireplaces and cozy quilts.

On a recent stay, I sat on the deck outside my cabin for hours and watched the river changing in the shifting light. An apple tree jutted up through the deck and the water was so close, I could have thrown a rock into it. Thick white puffy clouds gathered behind the pines on the ridge above. Inner-tubers floated by. I climbed down the rocks for several dips into the clear, fresh water, just steps from my cabin.

As evening came, I sipped chilled white wine on my deck as the sun sank behind the ridge. The smell of barbecue wafted over from a nearby cabin, along with the sound of laughter. I went to sleep to the sound of the river rushing by and awoke to the “thunk” of a tiny hard green apple hitting the deck and the aroma of bacon from a neighbor’s cabin.

When owner Gary Zolldan first saw the property, he exclaimed to Linda: “This is it!” They had been looking for river property for years and couldn’t believe their good fortune when they found The Lure. “We have so much river and so many trees. We’re out of town, out here by ourselves. I love the country, the river, the forests, the canyons,” Zolldan said.

“I enjoy the business,” said Linda. “All in all, everybody really seems to enjoy themselves here. They eat together, float down the river in inner tubes, do fun things with their children,” Linda said. “This is a place where you get to know your family and get to spend quality time together, hiking, swimming, playing board games at night,” she said.

“Some people are so hyper when they get here. You can watch them slow down as the week goes by. This place, the river slows you down,” Linda said.

“We enjoy the guests who return every year, watching the children grow up from year to year. It becomes like a big extended family,” she said.

Their eleven log camping cabins, which provide a double bed and a set of bunk beds, are open just for the summer months (bring your own sleeping bags). Think camping, with a roof over your head, hot showers and flushing toilets available, even a “kitchen” sink for washing dishes. Each camping site on the river comes with a picnic table barbecue and two lawn chairs and is surrounded by tall pines. The showers with a changing area are ADA compliant.

The one-and two-bedroom housekeeping cabins are open all year. In Downieville, you can enjoy the changes of all four seasons.

Summer fun in the river, big leaf maples and dogwoods turning bright red and yellow in the fall, winter snows and warm fires, then the blossoms of spring.

It’s a trip back in time, when life was slower, when things were simpler and the good news is, it is just up the road.