As thousands of motorists streamed up and down Interstate 80 between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe on Sunday, a few trickled into Placer County museums along the way.

Next weekend, museum boosters are hoping to increase the flow by inviting the public to visit for free any of the 18 museums within rock-throwing distance of I-80.

The Heritage Trail museum tour Saturday and Sunday will offer a good chance for people to take in the rich history of Placer County – something easily missed while traveling at 65 mph on the way to Lake Tahoe, said Melanie Barton, the county's museums administrator. ...

In describing the Golden Drift Museum in Dutch Flat, Barton talked as much about the town as the museum itself.

"It has a real flavor of a Gold Rush town. It's completely overlooked by motorists going up and down 80," Barton said.