This Wild West gateway to Yosemite National Park, may be tiny, but Mariposa is mighty in its charms, which range from bright bistros and a cozy wine bar to what may well be the best little museum west of the Mississippi. Here are four delicious and entertaining ways to explore Mariposa, before heading off to the national park, 30 miles away.
DRINK: The Alley
This charming Gold Rush town is worth much more than a drive-by, especially if you’re a wine lover or craft beer hound, and especially if you stop at The Alley. New owner Stephanie Hance’s wine bar is part pub and part — in fine weather — charming beer garden. The interior is irresistible, too, illuminated with Edison bulbs and guarded by a boar’s head. (Yes, really.)
Perch at the bar or grab a table and order from the nicely curated collection of West Coast wines by the glass and 16 beers on tap. There are bar noshes, too, that range from charcuterie platters to shrimp and crab dip or a smoked salmon platter. Order up, then help yourself to a board game from the stack nearby and settle in for a long cozy evening.
The details: Open 4-10 p.m. or later Monday-Saturday at 5027 Highway 140, Mariposa, thealleylounge.com
Slim’s Koffee Shak
Good coffee, fresh sandwiches and tasty, loaded bagels are such a delightful prospect, we’re going to just ignore that very eccentric spelling. The Shak got its start in North Fork, expanded to Oakhurst two years ago and then opened a Mariposa outpost last summer. It’s just what this town needed, too.
Slim’s is known for its creative bagel toppings, tasty breakfast burritos — made with organic eggs and fresh produce — and sandwiches, such as the turkey-bacon-jack Rancheria ($7.50). Wash it down with a latte, a Slim Dog Soda Pop (hello, coconut root beer, $3) or a housemade blood orange lemonade ($3).
The place has a nice airy feel, with space to sit indoors and a patio for warm weather. But if you’re hurrying to the park gates, just get your Lumber Shak Bagel ($7.50) — an open-face creation lightly topped with cream cheese, avocado, tomato, cucumber, bacon and red onion — to go.
Details: Open 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. daily at 5053 Highway 140, Mariposa; slimskoffeeshak.com
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Mariposa Museum and History Center
Mariposa’s historical museum has been dubbed the best small museum west of the Mississippi River — by no less than the Smithsonian Museum staff. We think they’re right. We could have spent hours here.
Mariposa may not seem a bustling metropolis now, but in the mid-19th century, Mariposa’s county lines stretched from the Sierra Nevada foothills to the San Diego county line. This museum traces those Gold Rush days, from explorer John C. Fremont’s accidental land acquisition to the lives of miners, settlers and families. The interior of what was once the county library now houses a miniature town — its indoor “streets” lined with shallow cottages, shops, a schoolhouse, a mining cabin and even a saloon, all clever, dioramalike exhibits. Letters — a “Dear Charlie” series of actual notes from a gold prospector to a Boston friend — line the edges of the displays, adding charming, personal glimpses of Gold Rush life.
Details: The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 5119 Jessie St., Mariposa. Admission is $5 for adults, free for children younger than 18; mariposamuseum.com.
EAT: Charles Street Dinner House
Mariposa has a variety of casual little spots to eat, but when it comes to bistros — nice restaurants where you can grab cocktails and a steak or an upscale burger — there are three choices: Mirriam Platto’s splendid Savoury’s, her son Jake Wackerman’s equally delicious and more contemporary 1850, and this old-school steakhouse with a Wild West feel.
You’ll find wagon wheel light fixtures here, classic captain’s chairs, floral tablecloths, wooden booths and village vignettes tucked along the walls. The Charles Street Dinner House dates back to 1980 — and we suspect it looked exactly like this when it was the mid-century Wagon Wheel. Mariposa high school sweethearts Raymond and Jennifer Newman bought the property in 2012.
The Newmans have updated the Charles Street menu a bit with dishes such as fried calamari, baby back ribs and portobello ravioli. You won’t find kale and quinoa here — this is pretty classic fare. But the fried chicken ($22) is crispy, the steaks ($25-$32) nicely prepared and everything comes with soup or salad and sides, such as a baked potato and parmesan-sprinkled, steamed veggies.
Details: Open weekdays for lunch and dinner, Saturday dinner only and Sundays for brunch and dinner at the corner of Highway 140 and Seventh Street, www.charlesstreetdinnerhouse.net. Reservations recommended.
