No no no! Not that N-word! We mean the four-letter N-word: N*pa. And not to forget, N*pa’s faithful sidekick S*n*ma. (Click the map above to bring up a Google map.)
It’s really pretty easy: Find your way to Hwy 12 headed east. Stay with Hwy 12 as it hops onto and off of I-80 and then goes through Fairfield. Stay with Hwy 12 all the way through Lodi as it jogs up 99 for a short distance. Stay with Hwy 12 as it merges with Hwy 88 and then separates a few miles later. Stay with Hwy 12 all the way through Wallace, Burson, and Valley Springs (don’t blink). Just before San Andreas, Hwy 12 ends and merges into Hwy 49 – just keep going straight through San Andreas on Hwy 49. After about 10 more minutes you will arrive in Angels Camp.
At the first traffic light, turn left on to Hwy 4. (Note that this is a brand new bypass that goes around Angels Camp – it may not appear on older maps, web sites, or GPS units.)
To get to the Winery Tasting Room, continue on Hwy 4 for 3 or 4 miles – at Red Hill Road, turn right (you will see a sign that says “Transfer Station” – that’s it!) At the very first driveway on the right, turn right again. This is the entrance to the winery during normal tasting hours. If you are arriving outside of normal tasting hours or you are making a delivery or you don’t like gravel roads, continue up Red Hill about 1/2 mile to the second driveway on your right – this entrance is usually open if anyone is there.
To get to the Murphys Tasting Room, continue on Hwy 4 about 4 or 5 more miles until you get into Murphys. Mind the speed limit signs. Seriously. You will see the Murphys Suites and Murphys Inn Motel on your left as you come into town. To get to the tasting room, at the signal**, turn left. The tasting room will be on your left (address 363 Main, with a white picket fence), across from the first corner of Church and Main.
NOTE: All of these cool little old towns call their main drag Main Street. On this route, you will pass a Main Street in Angels Camp, Vallecito, Douglas Flat, and finally Murphys. Do not be fooled!
**At this point you have just visited 67% of Calaveras County’s Traffic Lights – congratulations!
To get home you pretty much retrace your steps…
First, get onto Hwy 4 headed down (west) towards Angels Camp. (If you are on Main Street in Murphys, head east and you will get there one way or another – turn right to get on Hwy 4.)
In a few miles, you will end up at Hwy 49 in Angels Camp. Turn right onto Hwy 49, and continue on to San Andreas. After San Andreas, take the left fork which turns into Hwy 12. Follow Hwy 12 all the way back.