I stop buy to get some refreshments. And a very interesting place from rocks to old coins. I even bought my self a buffalo nickle a fair price. The gentlemen behind the counter was a very nice man.
Very cute & fun and helpful oasis on the way to Yosemite/Gold country.. and, it is OPEN ! by a miracle after the recent wildfire that devastated most of Chinese Camp town.
It is a very helpful and cute stop on the way in any case, important for any needed supplies/snacks/help , plus lots of fun memorabilia etc as well.
Please stop by and give them & town some support, they are also collecting donations for wildfire-impacted folks in town.
The delightful side/back garden is INTACT, wonderful for a shaded picnic or rest stop, and the bathrooms (plumbing) DO work despite some fire damage and scorching (electrical/lights out), they are working to repair them.
Just nice and friendly folk there as well.
SO glad to see a precious gem still around!
Currently watching the news of a wildfire in the area. My buddy and I were traveling around all of California. Trying to see as much as possible, the usual places Giant Redwoods,Big Sur,Hearst Castle and any other points of interest.
Yosemite was on the list and we mapped out our route in our atlas( it was 1990 no cell phone or GPS). Long story short we had to find a place to stay it was after 1am and El Capitan would wait until the next day for us.
We knocked on the door of the store i believe it had small bungalows for rent.The Owner happily invited us in and gave us a room and opened the bar! I don't know if it is still there but he had what he claimed to be the very first Wells Fargo safe. I don't know who has the place now but I hope to stop by again.
Beautiful stop. Has become our Yosemite tradition. Amazing eclectic array of goods, friendly people, and wonderful garden and koi pond, etc, in the back.
This place is special, magical and a must stop. I love the owner lady Add, she's so knowledgeable. They have such an assortment of cool stuff here. It's tradition now when traveling to Yosemite with friends or family to stop here by some cool rock specimens, drinks, snacks and take a moment to enjoy the garden before heading out. Rip Andrew my brother , we had one of our greatest conversations there next to the chickens a day before he passed on the way home from an epic Yosemite trip. Now I stop by every time to pay homage to my brother.
My sprinter van tire popped, and this was the first place I was able to safely pull over and I am sure glad I did.
Ads was working in the store, she let me wait in the picnic area until the tenants showed up who were able to have the tools to help me change my tire. (Turns out my spare had an incorrect rim so I had to spend the night here to buy a tire in the morning).
Jake and Decklin had helped me to get me sorted. They were patient and incredibly kind.
During my unexpected stay I found out how amazing it is here. It truly is a hidden gem right off the highway. There is a beautiful garden/picnic area and a fenced in area with goats and chickens. The store itself is small and quaint with a lot of history. The owner has a love of gems and minerals and there are some huge fossils behind the bar.
Ads made me a lovely sandwich for dinner and their cat (I think it is named Clovis) visited with me.
I don't know how many times in the past that I had driven by on the 120. But if I had known what a great stop it was, I would have certainly dropped in before as well. Next time I am on the road passing through I will make sure to stop for lunch here. For the good company, interesting local history and the peaceful environment.
Yesterday, my wife, brother, and I found ourselves broken down on the side of the road just outside Chinese Camp. After sorting out the towing situation, we decided to walk back to this little store to get some water and supplies while we waited for a ride. The owner not only provided excellent service but is also a genuinely kind person. She let us stay inside well past closing to keep us safe and warm. I can’t thank her enough or recommend a store more deserving of your business. Thank you again!
This store itself is a true representative of the spirit of Chinese Camp. Richard is shining when introducing germs, stones and fossils he has discovered with his limitless knowledge and passion. He has been very friendly and generous to us. The store is a wonderful place to rest, explore, talk and buy meaningful and unique souvenirs.
The owner of the store has an amazing collection of antique items sourced both from local spots and around the world, and will tell you all about the history about them happily if you ask. There’s a cute little bar that has old tavern vibes. If you need a bathroom, they are clean. Will make this a regular stop! Thank you!!
A good stop to pick up any supplies which you might need in Yosemite. Right on the main hwy before your last hour drive to the Big Oak Flat entrance. It’s been here like ….forever.
Richard and Add Beale the owners are Awesome, beautiful Garden with a Stunning water feature from local Slate/Mariposite/Quartz/ opal and other river rock. Designed by E.T ELectric_Contruction Svc, Owner Eric Teague has Remodled over %50 of the propertys existing structures and is involved in many future improvements to come. Try the Food,enjoy the Tavern, shop there unique Market and stay for the intellectual conversation with physist/ genius Richard Beale. Clean restrooms, petting zoo.... and more
A must stop if you are on the hwy.
Richard was fantastic and insanely nice and helpful.
Was able to find one of a kind fun items in his store.
The family will all have something fun for Xmas
Great place to stop & stretch your legs when heading up into the Sierra's for some fun. The store has a number of items for your last minute snacks & supplies. A nice bonus are the various minerals, rocks, fossils and historic items on display for sale for the experienced collector in your family or for the kid who just discovered he is a rock hound. Owners are very friendly, genuine people who are knowledgeable people who share their love of the area with their customers.
So glad we stopped here. It’s a little-bit-of-everything store owned and run by a husband and wife. Delicious homemade sandwiches, reasonably priced snacks, beautiful picnic area. My son’s favorite part was feeding the goats and chickens (in a pen near the restrooms).
Had an absolute great experience visiting this store on our way to Yosemite. It’s a special store for sure that carries versatile stuff such as historical coins, feathers, fur caps (beaver?), fossils, stones and minerals (geode, amethyst, petrified wood, granite, basalt, tire track ammonite, quartz, aquamine crystal, black tourmaline and a lot more. They also Carry all kinds of gear for camping, rock climbing and lots of snacks, candy, coke, water. They also have real sea sponge. It’s an interesting store for sure. They also have mini garden and seating area if you want to hangout.
The couple who seems to be owning this place are very kind. Richard was super knowledgeable and humorous. We learnt a lot talking to him and carried his jokes along with us while he carefully packed our stuff. Definitely recommend it to all who loves historical stuff and need some essentials before heading to Yosemite!
When they talk about a rest stop, this place was an oasis, a haven. We bought some nice souvenirs, but, what I remember most was the peace of the garden area. The owner turned on the mister, and my daughter and I got to recoup, slightly separately, in two hanging chairs. For people who were driving from Seattle to LA, we needed that bit of.est and separation. I felt so refreshed and relaxed when we left. Thank you, Chinese Camp store! Don't drive by, stop in
very nice place with great service. The owner is very friendly and they sell all kinds of things. The shop is full of minerals for sale and the owner knows a lot about them. bought a great locket with a picture of a baby inside. Also learned how to know if a gemstone is a ruby.
Bought one geode, got a replacement because it was bot cracked evenly! Great service! The owner is really passionate and knowledgeable about minerals too. 10/10 would crack again
Great selection of minerals, and the owner was extremely friendly. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience with the female owner. Bought an unopened geode wanting to gift half of it to a friend. The female owner messed up cracking the geode, leaving me with one large piece and a few small pieces. Explained to her that I actually wanted to gift half of the geode to a friend, but she refused to even give me a discount on another geode. A reasonable decision, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.
it was a separate experience visiting this store during our trip to Yosemite :) you should definitely stop here if you take 120 highway.
the owner is a big fan of what he is doing and you can feel it while talking to him :) there are tons of unique souvenirs you can buy. and you should definitely try their super tasty sandwiches seating in the beautiful small garden next to the store :)
My car broke down in their parking lot and the woman who owns the shop kindly let me stay in her garden long after closing until my tow truck arrived. The peaceful garden/restaurant eating area had fairy lights, wind chimes, plants, chickens, and nice dogs. Really nice family who runs this place and good food!
Great little stop along 120. The shop has some really interesting paintings that are worth seeing, as well as a cool old saloon bar on one side – its clear what its function was before becoming a convenience store. The outside has a nice garden with a bathroom, some benches, and a Qing Dynasty flag.
This place is amazing. Hands down the cleanest bathrooms I've ever been in. Beautiful garden with chimes and I might sound crazy but it smelled like fruit loops. Inside is an adorable little gift shop and I guess now they have beer?!?!? I think I'm almost as excited to come back here as I am Yosemite.
Stopped by here on the way back from Yosemite on a whim. We were expecting a cheesy kitschy gift shop, but instead were entertained and educated by the very friendly owner Rich (who is also a physicist at Lawrence Livermore Labs) (!!!). He told us all sorts of interesting details about the local geology, and had various types of crystals and artifacts (like old coins and arrowheads) for sale. Really good with kids -- he kept our 9 year old girl's attention with his enthusiastic teaching, and knew how to speak to a kid without dumbing things down.
The bathroom on site is very clean and well maintained. My understanding is that when Rich's wife is there, you can get some great food, but alas, she wasn't in the day we were there. We'll have to stop by again next time!
Great stop on the way up to Yosemite. The new owners Richard and Add are wonderful and very knowledge of the area. Clean restrooms and cold drinks, perfect.
