With the revival of a historic hotel in Nevada City, the former mining town uncovers some hidden gems. The first time I saw Nevada City, California, I turned to my sister, Marina, and said, “I can’t believe there’s a place that still looks like this.” I’d flown across the country to visit her in San Francisco, and she’d talked me into driving up into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to explore the town described as “a more chill Tahoe.” The drive took 2.5 hours and felt like a journey 160 years into the past. Nevada City presents itself as a picturesque former mining town, featuring a rushing river—the Yuba, where, according to Marina, locals swim during summer—and the tranquil Scotts Flat Lake, reflecting the surrounding mountains in its serene surface.