|
|
USA - CALIFORNIA : A SIP OF THE CALIFORNIA DELTA
 There are still gold nuggets in them thar California hills for travelers and tourists.
They have names like Clarksburg, Lodi and Locke.
They're part of the California Delta, an intriguing labyrinth of waterways fed by five major rivers between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay. Some of the historic river towns are little changed from the Gold Rush era when paddlewheel steamboats came piping their arrival with the steam-driven calliope.
The Delta offers a delightful day trip from nearby Sacramento along scenic Route 160. The experience is one of discovery. Vestiges of the Delta's vibrant history are not difficult to find. Museums, carefully restored old homes and historic drawbridges sit along the banks of the Sacramento River. Drawbridges yawn open to let boating traffic pass and the postman still delivers mail by boat to some of the rural addresses. And the wines are spectacular.
The newly renovated Old Sugar Mill is just minutes from Sacramento, but it feels as if it’s worlds away. Surrounded by vineyards and the Sacramento River, it’s located in the charming town of Clarksburg, named for Judge Clark who settled here in 1849. Portuguese farmers arrived in the 1870s after the Gold Rush and the Dutch settled there in the 1880s.
The Old Sugar Mill is an 1930s-era sugar-beet factory magically restored to a modern multi-purpose complex where visitors stroll through what feels like an art gallery and a lively old world plaza and enjoy the experience of visiting several distinct wineries all in one location.
Continue on to Lodi, an emerging jewel of California wine, only 35 minutes south of Sacramento and 90 minutes east of San Francisco. At the Lodi Wine & Visitors Center you can sample the delectable and award-winning wines that are grown in the Lodi region which has over 50 wineries.
Complete with an expansive tasting bar, interactive and educational exhibits on grape growing and a gift shop, this Center offers an ideal place from which to sample a variety of wines.
Among the quaint towns in the California Delta is Bird's Landing, the smallest town with a post office in the USA. Nearby, visitors will find the ghost town of Collinsville, formerly a thriving fishing village of Italian immigrants.
Locke, on the east bank of the Sacramento River a mile upstream from Walnut Grove, is America’s only rural Chinese town. Built by and for the Chinese in 1915, the town is on the National Register of Historic Places. During its heyday, Locke was a wide-open river town with as many gambling houses and opium dens as legitimate businesses. The county has helped to preserve the wooden sidewalks and old clapboard buildings sandwiched together on two narrow streets. The Dai Loy Museum, a Chinese language school (still in use), and Al the Wop’s are must-see stops in this historic town.
The California Delta offers something for everyone whether visitors enjoy boating, fishing, houseboating, cruising, water-skiing, windsurfing, swimming, RVing, birding, waterside dining, wine tasting or simply relaxing.
|
