Those jumping frogs of Calaveras

The frogs are everywhere. Statues and artwork. Keychains and stuffed toys.

Aside from that, Murphys is a darned cute town. Forget the frogs. There’s enough going on here without them.

Murphys sits in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, an old goldrush town founded in 1848. Its 24-year-old founder, John Murphy, had a trading post and a mining claim, and did well. In less than a year, he collected more than $1 million in gold and then skedaddled off – like other young wealthy Californians tend to do – to the Bay Area.

These days, Murphys focuses on micro-wineries – with one or two on each block of this one-street town. In-between are art galleries, boutiques and an assortment of shops and restaurants.

We remembered Ironstone Vineyards from two decades ago, when it dominated the landscape. It still does, with good wine and lovely grounds overlooking vineyards about a mile outside the main town.

Since Mark Twain immortalized Calaveras County with his story about a jumping frog, we'll just have to endure the kitschiness that accompanies the charm.