Camino, Camino, CA

Camino is the Highway 50 community in El Dorado County where Apple Hill's farms begin, and the area feels like orchards, pines and tasting rooms scattered along Carson Road. Houses sit back among the trees, so the settlement reads more as a collection of roads and properties than a town with a grid. Homes are mostly rural, on wooded and orchard acreage, with a mix of older houses and ranch-style homes and a few newer builds. Up at this elevation the lots see real winters, and long, steep driveways are part of the scenery. For walking and biking, the El Dorado Trail's eastern end is here, and the farms themselves are the other outdoor draw, with pick-your-own fruit, pumpkin patches and Christmas tree lots in season. Jack Russell Farm Brewery sits just outside the boundary for a cold beer by the orchard. Camino Coffee Mill, at 3600 Carson Road, opens early on weekdays and serves cappuccinos and cinnamon rolls. Sierra Taphouse & Pizza is known for crisp, light pizzas and a long beer list. The Forester is a pub and grill with big plates of beef stroganoff and fish and chips, and Tropics Island Grill & Ale House does spam musubi and poke bowls with a nice outdoor patio. Wine is a main attraction, with Findleton Estate & Winery and Crystal Basin Cellars among the tasting rooms in the neighborhood. Basic errands happen close to home, but a full grocery run means a drive to Placerville. There is no transit to plan around, and most people keep a vehicle that can handle snow. Fall weekends are the catch. During Apple Hill season, traffic on the back roads slows to a crawl, and finding parking at a popular farm takes patience. Outside those weeks Camino is quiet, and the orchards and pines are what you see from the driveway.