What It's Really Like Living in Penn Valley, CA
People ask me all the time what living in Penn Valley CA is actually like, usually right after they have driven through on the way to Lake Wildwood or Lake of the Pines and fallen in love with the oak-studded hills. My answer is always the same: it depends on what kind of quiet you are looking for.
Working From the Foothills: Why Remote Professionals Are Trading the Bay Area Commute for Nevada County
A few years ago, most of my buyers relocating from the Bay Area or Sacramento were retirees. That's changed. These days I'm just as likely to be showing a home to a software engineer, a designer, or a consultant who realized their job doesn't actually require them to sit in traffic five days a week.
Getting Outside in Nevada County: The Hiking Trails Locals Love
Photo credit: Spencer DeMera / Unsplash Almost every conversation I have with someone relocating here eventually turns to the same question: "But what do people actually do up there?" My answer is usually the same — a lot of it happens on foot. The hiking trails in Nevada County range from flat, eas
July 4th in Nevada County, CA: Fireworks, Parades & Small-Town Summer Magic
July 4th in Nevada County, CA: Fireworks, Parades & Small-Town Summer Magic By Bob Sawyer, RE/MAX Gold | July 2, 2026 Photo by zuzanka galczynska on Unsplash There are plenty of places to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. But there are very few places in California where you can start the mor
Farmers Markets, Farm-to-Table Dining, and the Local Food Culture That Makes Nevada County Special
Ask longtime Nevada County residents what they'd miss most if they had to leave, and the farmers market is almost always on the short list. It sits right alongside the river access, the small-town pace, and the pines — one of those quality-of-life details that's hard to fully appreciate until you've
Arts & Culture in Nevada City and Grass Valley: Why Creative Souls Love the Sierra Foothills
When people think about leaving the Bay Area or Sacramento for a smaller community, they often worry about one thing: "Will I still have access to culture?" In Nevada City and Grass Valley, the answer is a resounding yes — and then some. This pair of Gold Rush towns tucked into the Sierra Foothills
Fourth of July in Nevada County: Parades, Fireworks, and Small-Town Celebration
Photo: Ray Hennessy / Unsplash If you want to know what it feels like to live in a place where neighbors still come out for a parade, where kids line Main Street with flags, and where the whole town gathers after dark to watch fireworks light up the foothills sky — come to Nevada County on the Fourt
Swimming Holes and Summer River Recreation in Nevada County, CA
Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash Swimming Holes and Summer River Recreation in Nevada County, CA One of the first things people notice when they move to Nevada County — or even when they're just visiting — is how people live in summer here. On a hot July afternoon in Grass Valley or Nevada City, h
Is Nevada County Safe? What Relocating Families Really Need to Know
It's one of the first questions I hear from families thinking about making the move to the Sierra Foothills: "Is Nevada County safe?" It's a fair question — and one that deserves a straight answer rather than a sales pitch. The short version: Nevada County is a genuinely safe place to live, with vio
