In the mineral-rich Ione Valley, between Ione and the southern Mokelumne River, where mining communities such as Lancha Plana, Camp Opra, and Camanche once dotted the map, the town of Buena Vista stands at the intersection of Buena Vista Road and Jackson Valley Road. At its center is the Buena Vista Store and Saloon, the true heart of town, where a cold beer and a hot meal have been available in this building for more than one hundred years. The old mining camps are gone, but the building that houses this establishment remains for locals and travelers alike.