The Heart of California’s
Gold Country

I admit it. It's the first thing I thought of, when I saw Plymouth on the map. You know, people walking around with big white collars and buckles on their shoes.

In fact, there are pilgrims. A different kind, though.

Random House Dictionary defines a pilgrim this way, "a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion."

The Gold Rush in 1849 brought many travelers looking for "a sacred place," but probably one with a more temporal meaning. These pilgrims were seeking gold nuggets and overnight wealth. For them, the Sierra Foothills were a place to start over and get rich fast.

What'd they find?