A motorcycle coasts slowly down a country road. Perched in the sidecar, a solemn man dressed in black speaks into a long, thin microphone while a woman stands on the roadside filming. “The donkeys aren’t gone,” he intones — just as a car zips past. “Wait,” he says to the driver. “Let’s try that again.”

The man directing the shoot is Jess Riegel, creator and host of “Unlikely Gems,” a social media video series that explores local businesses and offbeat attractions in and around Nevada County. But it’s not your typical travelogue.

From restaurants to road signs, giant sculptures and colorful houses, the series captures snippets of life, creativity and local flavor across the region — all with a sort of Lynchian charm that has attracted over 9,000 followers on TikTok and 34,000 on Instagram.

“I’m so curious about the Unlikely Gems of Nevada County guy on TikTok!” posts one Reddit user. “Is he doing this for fun? Is he part of the tourism commission?”

What’s an Unlikely Gem?

As his enigmatic alter ego, The Admiral — a character he describes as a fish out of water or possible extraterrestrial — Riegel spotlights unusual local art, small businesses, hiking trails and bargains at area markets. But the series also takes viewers to places outside the realm of traditional travel guides — an abandoned golf course, sardonic graffiti, even a vacant lot.

“As humans, there are things we’re drawn to that make us stop and say, ‘Oh, I love that,’” says Riegel, 38. “Then there are other things that are on the periphery. I like that word because it’s all sort of on the edge of what we’re normally aware of. Unlikely Gems is about leaning into that.”

With a background in theater and video production — including a stint as a junior weatherman for Channel 31 in the ‘90s — Riegel started making content for fun during the pandemic. Episode one launched on Instagram in 2022 with an ode to a local gas station. Episode number two was a visit to a dump.

“The McCourtney Road Transfer Station in Grass Valley,” he says. “It’s a beautiful dump! There’s an incredible view of the mountains, and a 30-foot-high folk art sculpture of a miner with a beard made out of a net, panning for gold with giant rocks. It’s amazing!”

Becoming The Admiral

As The Admiral, Riegel is a stoic figure, wearing a dark jacket and wide-brimmed black hat regardless of the weather, with a deep, booming voice reminiscent of a TV news anchor.

“In my psyche, there’s this blend of old car dealership commercials and local TV news segments from the ’90s,” he shares. “So, all the ingredients for this show were baked in a long time ago.”

The Admiral doesn’t always review locations in the traditional sense so much as make his own unique observations about them. A laundromat feels like a “fragrant international space station.” A blank, white billboard is admired for its simplicity and unrealized potential.

“In a world of advertising and billboards, how nice it is to see a decorated and sturdy professional sign that’s stark white, and blank — and even lit up at night,” he explains. “That blankness, that spaciousness, creates room for creativity — let’s celebrate that.” The purpose of Unlikely Gems, he says, is to spark curiosity and discovery.

While they can take some time, most shoots are minimal — just a few friends and collaborators helping behind the camera. Each vignette is filmed in segments, always backed by the same 1980s-style synthesizer track that Riegel describes with affection. “It’s a piece of music so perfect,” he muses, “it can be played over and over and still be zesty.”

A few recommendations

Nevada City is like an adorable movie set, says Riegel, who’s originally from Loomis but has called the area home for nine years. “There are more trees than people,” he jokes. “And great sandwiches.”

For travelers interested in exploring the world of “Unlikely Gems” in person, he recommends checking out the painted pianos at various establishments that are open for the public to play, or catching dinner and a show at the Off Broadstreet Theatre. “And don’t forget to go see the dump!” he says.

More than 150 episodes in, “Unlikely Gems” has become a full-time project for Reigel. In 2023, he received a grant from the Upstate California Creative Corps, a program of the Nevada County Arts Council, which helped fund a full year of producing Unlikely Gems and allowed him to bring the project to four new counties – Yuba, Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc. “And people keep reaching out with pretty interesting gems from all over,” he says. “So ideas are flowing in.”

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