Hangman’s Tree Ice Cream Saloon brings you back in time to Placerville’s special place in history, where the Wild West was won and everyone’s eyes were feverish with the quest for gold. In modern times, that prized nugget would be ice cream and this place serves up plenty of it. Swinging through the front door (there’s no actual double saloon doors but it’s fun to pretend), you’ll see that the building has been lovingly restored—from the original 1880s wood floors and the Old Hangtown mural from 1945, to the vintage table and chairs that were once used in Sam’s Town before it shuttered. Whether you’re a simple cup or cone connoisseur, a sundae savant, or milkshake and float fanatic, there’s something for everyone. Sharing with a friend, I opted for the classic Banana Split. You can mix it up with any flavor ice cream or topping of your choice, but being traditionalists, we went with chocolate alongside hot fudge, strawberry with sauce to match, and vanilla with juicy pineapple. Whipped cream, a cherry and just-ripe-enough bananas finished off the sweet treat. As we sat at the window seat—happily spooning mouthfuls of decadent ice cream and watching the world go by—I reckoned it was a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Hangman’s Tree Ice Cream Saloon, 305 Main Street, Placerville.