These scenic road trips are close to San Joaquin County and perfect for late summer, early fall
Six weeks of summer ahead of us and fall coming on his heels; it’s a fine time for short road trips to noteworthy destinations in and around San Joaquin County.
Hence, I reached out to a handful of local traveling friends for some of their favorite road trips. My criteria included: a destination within an hour or so of the county, highly scenic and relatively unique. So, pack your drinks and a picnic lunch, fill up the gas tank now that prices are dropping to $5 a gallon and take a road-trip or two. Bringing a good California map and knowing how to use your vehicle’s GPS system will make for fun exploration.
Mokelumne River
Two friends, Jack Jacobs and Mary Kay Driscoll, each recommended outings along varied portions of the Mokelumne River and its tributaries in the Sierra.
Jack offered the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery, just off Highway 88 near the Lake Camanche outflow (stop for a Lockeford sausage in Lockeford on the way), then continuing your Mokelumne River tour up to Lake Pardee. I would add that following Pardee Dam Road across the dam connects you to lovely Stony Creek Road, climbing up to the eastern edge of Gold Rush town Jackson, where a stop at the historic National Hotel and nearby restaurants and bars make for a good turnaround point.
Mary Kay suggested Highway 4 and a Mokelumne River tour into the high Sierra. Head east on Highway 4 to reach Gold Rush towns such as Angels Camp and just above, Murphys. Murphys, long a favorite, features a lovely historic downtown with shops, wine tasting outlets and bed and breakfasts as well as the historic Murphys Hotel. On the other end of Main Street is Alchemy Restaurant, a lovely place featuring New American cuisine.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Journeying further east on Highway 4, Calaveras Big Trees State Park would likely be a national park in any other state. It has hundreds of towering giant sequoias in two groves within the park boundaries, with miles of hiking options and a beautiful campground.
Bear Valley
Heading higher into the Sierra, make a stop at Bear Valley, a year-round resort with restaurants, lodging, mountain biking, swimming and hiking opportunities. Just beyond Bear Valley, soak in the views of Lake Alpine and changing colors in the early fall (this road-trip might include an overnight, at options such as Murphys, Bear Valley or resorts around Lake Alpine).
Dentoni Park
Marilyn Togninali, chair of Friends of the Fox California/Bob Hope Theatre, suggested a local road trip to some of the film sites where the 1967 movie classic "Cool Hand Luke," starring Paul Newman, was filmed. Varied locations included Dentoni Park, sections of Davis Road and the old Brandt Bridge. Marilyn had Paul Newman on her mind, noting the movie classic is showing at the Bob Hope Theatre on Sunday, Aug. 14, with doors opening at 1 p.m., movie at 2 p.m. (foxfriends.org for details).
Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta
Stockton friends Sharon Nordstrom and Joe Flores both mentioned road-tripping in the nearby Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. Sharon tendered the lovely Delta Loop, taking West Brannan Island Road, just off Highway 12, lined with Delta marinas, campgrounds, restaurants and backwater charm (unfortunately, popular Moore’s Riverboat Restaurant just burned, but down the island road is Korth’s Pirates Lair and other dining options).
Joe offered Delta road-tripping, along California Highway 160, from (north to south), memorable Delta towns like Freeport, Courtland, Ryde, Isleton, all the way to Rio Vista. Pack drinks and your map, with options for libations and food at the historic Ryde Hotel, and, for a spectacular weekend brunch, the Grand Island Mansion.
Such exploration yields stunning Delta views along tree-lined sloughs and numerous wineries. Get creative and seek out the two free auto ferries that take you across sloughs on the way to Rio Vista, where a stop at Foster’s Bighorn Restaurant is always memorable (the owner lined the walls with huge animal heads from his African safari hunts).
The lively and informative visitstockton.org website offers a review of some of Stockton’s other more famous films and film locations, including University of Pacific in several "Indiana Jones" movies and 1997’s "Flubber," John Wayne and Lauren Bacall‘s classic "Blood Alley," where Stockton’s Delta stood in for China’s Yangtze River; build a local road-trip taking in our many movie locations!
Old Sacramento
I offer two more suggestions; a trip north to Old Sacramento, anchored on the north by the marvelous California Railroad Museum and on the south by the California Auto Museum, with a special exhibit of vintage and new electric autos and vintage steam-powered cars. Old Sac offers another half-dozen museums, scores of shops and restaurants (grab lunch at Fanny Ann’s Saloon or onboard the stately Delta King Riverboat, built in Stockton in 1927).
Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Appellation
Finally, with harvest coming fast, spend time seeking old and new wineries in the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Appellation, with great food, lively events and lovely vineyards to visit through the fall months. Nearby Lodi and Woodbridge offer a variety of shops and restaurants, as well.
For more insight: Bob Hope Theatre movies, foxfriends.org; California Auto Museum, calautomuseum.org; California Railroad Museum, californiarailroad.museum; Highway 4, gocalaveras.com; Old Sacramento, oldsacramento.com; Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, visitcadelta.com; Visit Lodi, visitlodi.com; Visit Stockton, visitstockton.org.
Contact Tim at tviall@msn.com; enjoy your local travels!
This article originally appeared on The Record: Road trips by San Joaquin County for late summer, early fall
