Bellezza, Robert A.: - With a 50-year career living in the Sierra Nevada foothills taking dozens of twists and turns over the rigorous curves of California State Highway 49's steep river canyons, the first impressions of Sutter's Mill during a family trip in 1972 encouraged the author's new book, California Gold Country Explorer. Covering one-fifth of the entire Golden State with mining camps, ghost towns, and recreational areas along State Highway 49, the tour of the Gold Country visits mining towns, starting from Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite. It's a story of pioneers and historical spots that brings forward the history of California's growth after the 1849 Gold Rush period to the present day. The book highlights 14 Gold Country Tours, and travelers take an insider's view from a 'Golden State Triangle' starting in Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, or Yosemite National Park.