SF Bay Area - Best driving roads for a Sunday morning blast?
06-22-2020, 06:21 PM
#211
Was going to post a drive up River Road from Antioch thru Isleton/Walnut Grove and Courtland to Sac w/a side trip to Lockeford but it was starting to look too complicated as I started to describe it in writing.
Should I post it anyway?
Should I post it anyway?
Last edited by sgt1372; 06-23-2020 at 12:26 PM.
06-22-2020, 11:06 PM
#212
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06-23-2020, 01:25 PM
#214
Isleton/River Road from Antioch to/from Sacramento
This is a route that I often drive in whole or part. If you drive the entire route, you can drive all the way to/from Antioch and Sacramento but there are many places where you can bail out to the east towards I-5 and Hwy 99 and/or continue east into the Sierras. Lots of options. Only problem is slow traffic that you are likely to encounter. There are places where you can safely pass, legal or not - your choice. I've done both.
Hwy 160 from Antioch to Isleton:
The route starts at the end of Hwy 4 in Antioch. Take the Hwy 160 exit north, cross the the Antioch Bridge and continue north across Hwy 12 (the only stop light on this route) thru Isleton. If you've never been to Isleton they were famous for their summer crawdad festival (not sure if they still hold it) and the old town section of Isleton has 2 small businesses worth visiting if you get there at the right time.
There's a craft beer bar called Mei Wah at the corner of Main & F Street with a very excellent selection of local craft beers. The name means "Chinese American" in Cantonese and is a nod to the Chinese Americans who lived in the town and worked in the fields in the area for many years. Just before you get to Mei Wah there is (or was) a Mom & Pop BBQ joint (don't recall the name and can't find it on Yelp) where you can grab some Q and eat it at Mei Wah which normally opens at noon on weekends. However, these businesses may still be closed due to Covid-19.
Isleton to Walnut Grove:
Just north of Isleton, Hwy 160 turns left over a bridge to the west side of the Sacramento River. DO NOT turn left when you see the signs directing you that way but continue straight north on the east side of the river until you reach a small bridge just south of the main part of Walnut Grove.
You could just call all of this road River Road but this particuparl section of the road is referred to as Isleton Road on maps.
The name becomes River Road if you turn left (north) towards the center of Walnut Grove where Hwy 160 turns back east over another bridge that you'll see on your left as you continue north. There are/were some interesting businesses in Walnut Grove and it's worth time exploring the town if you've never been there before, the Walnut Grove Iron Works (which does both functional and decorative iron work) being the most interesting to me.
Options from Walnut Grove:
If you don't want to turn left (north) at the bridge towards Walnut Grove, you can (as I do) turn right instead onto the Walnut Grove-Thornton Road which will take you east to I-5, where you will also have various choices that you can make. Here are just 3 of mine:
1) Take I-5 south to the next exit - Peltier Road and turn left onto Peltier going east, past Hwy 99 until you reach Elliot Road. Turn right at Elliot Road into the town of Lockeford. Turn right at Main St (the only light you'll encounter) which is also Hwy 88 and drive 1 block southwest til you see a Post Office on the right. Across the street is a very popular meat market called the Lockeford Meat & Sausage Services that makes some of the best sausages and other meat products anywhere.
They consistently get 4-5 star ratings on Yelp. Check out the reviews. I've been going here for over 20 years. It's always crowded there and the Covid-19 restrictions have made the lines/wait longer but it's worth your time if you're a sausage fan. They also make beef sticks, beef jerky, smoked ham hocks, bacon and marinated tri-tip. So, pretty much anything you want in the way of prepared meats, you can find here.
2) Take I-5 south to Turner Road and turn left onto Turner going east until you reach the corner of Lower Sacramento Road where you'll find the Wine & Roses hotel and restaurant, which is (I dare say) the BEST place you can stop to eat in Lodi.
The hotel is a popular wedding destination and the restaurant is a very popular dining spot, especially for weekend brunch. Well worth a well timed stop for brunch during a weekend drive, as I have often done. Just before you enter the hotel parking lot, there is also a wine tasting room (sponsored by the City of Lodi) where you can sample local wines and, of course, there are many wineries in the area. The regional specialty is zinfandel but other varietals are available as well.
3) Take I-5 south back "home" by taking the Hwy 4 (Charter Way) exit west in Stockton, west past Discovery Bay and all the way back to Anitoch.
If you've never stopped in Discovery Bay and want to do so, I'd recommend visiting the marina and eating at the Boardwalk Grill there. The food is ok and they have a very nice patio overlooking the marina (people dock in front of the restaurant to eat there) which should be open now with the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions allowing outdoor dining. The locals who don't have their own piers use the launching ramp here and there are boats all over the place. So, if that's an interest of yours, this is the place to go.
Walnut Grove to Sacramento:
If you turned left onto River Road at Walnut Grove, this road will take you directly north to Sacramento. When you reach Sacramento, the road will become Freeport Blvd which can take you directly north into downtown/central Sacramento where there are all kinds of places to visit. One that I'll mention is the California Automobile Museum which is currently closed due to the Covid-19 crisis but if it's open when you're in the area it's worth a stop for any car buff. Mostly American/British metal but still worth a visit if you've never been there before.
A Stop at Locke:
There only one place that I consider stopping between Walnut Grove and Sacramento and that's in Locke (just a mile or so north of Walnut Grove) where you'll find a small community founded by Chinese American farm laborers which some interesting historical sites and shops BUT, if you're not into that, the real reason to stop in Locke is to drink/eat at Al The Wop's which is an infamous dive/biker bar located in the center of town. They have a very active bar and a small diner in the back. The food is good and typically hearty diner fare.
Sacramento and Beyond (or just head back home):
If you've driven all the way up River Road to Sacramento, you again have all kinds of choices, depending on where you want to go/what you want to do. .
You can just deadhead it back "home" via I-5 (as described above) or via I-80 or wander east into the Sierra Gold Country or north to Tahoe/Reno. I find the options driving off of River Road to be endlessly entertaining which is why I enjoy driving it so often.
Give it a try if you've never done so before.
This is a route that I often drive in whole or part. If you drive the entire route, you can drive all the way to/from Antioch and Sacramento but there are many places where you can bail out to the east towards I-5 and Hwy 99 and/or continue east into the Sierras. Lots of options. Only problem is slow traffic that you are likely to encounter. There are places where you can safely pass, legal or not - your choice. I've done both.
Hwy 160 from Antioch to Isleton:
The route starts at the end of Hwy 4 in Antioch. Take the Hwy 160 exit north, cross the the Antioch Bridge and continue north across Hwy 12 (the only stop light on this route) thru Isleton. If you've never been to Isleton they were famous for their summer crawdad festival (not sure if they still hold it) and the old town section of Isleton has 2 small businesses worth visiting if you get there at the right time.
There's a craft beer bar called Mei Wah at the corner of Main & F Street with a very excellent selection of local craft beers. The name means "Chinese American" in Cantonese and is a nod to the Chinese Americans who lived in the town and worked in the fields in the area for many years. Just before you get to Mei Wah there is (or was) a Mom & Pop BBQ joint (don't recall the name and can't find it on Yelp) where you can grab some Q and eat it at Mei Wah which normally opens at noon on weekends. However, these businesses may still be closed due to Covid-19.
Isleton to Walnut Grove:
Just north of Isleton, Hwy 160 turns left over a bridge to the west side of the Sacramento River. DO NOT turn left when you see the signs directing you that way but continue straight north on the east side of the river until you reach a small bridge just south of the main part of Walnut Grove.
You could just call all of this road River Road but this particuparl section of the road is referred to as Isleton Road on maps.
The name becomes River Road if you turn left (north) towards the center of Walnut Grove where Hwy 160 turns back east over another bridge that you'll see on your left as you continue north. There are/were some interesting businesses in Walnut Grove and it's worth time exploring the town if you've never been there before, the Walnut Grove Iron Works (which does both functional and decorative iron work) being the most interesting to me.
Options from Walnut Grove:
If you don't want to turn left (north) at the bridge towards Walnut Grove, you can (as I do) turn right instead onto the Walnut Grove-Thornton Road which will take you east to I-5, where you will also have various choices that you can make. Here are just 3 of mine:
1) Take I-5 south to the next exit - Peltier Road and turn left onto Peltier going east, past Hwy 99 until you reach Elliot Road. Turn right at Elliot Road into the town of Lockeford. Turn right at Main St (the only light you'll encounter) which is also Hwy 88 and drive 1 block southwest til you see a Post Office on the right. Across the street is a very popular meat market called the Lockeford Meat & Sausage Services that makes some of the best sausages and other meat products anywhere.
They consistently get 4-5 star ratings on Yelp. Check out the reviews. I've been going here for over 20 years. It's always crowded there and the Covid-19 restrictions have made the lines/wait longer but it's worth your time if you're a sausage fan. They also make beef sticks, beef jerky, smoked ham hocks, bacon and marinated tri-tip. So, pretty much anything you want in the way of prepared meats, you can find here.
2) Take I-5 south to Turner Road and turn left onto Turner going east until you reach the corner of Lower Sacramento Road where you'll find the Wine & Roses hotel and restaurant, which is (I dare say) the BEST place you can stop to eat in Lodi.
The hotel is a popular wedding destination and the restaurant is a very popular dining spot, especially for weekend brunch. Well worth a well timed stop for brunch during a weekend drive, as I have often done. Just before you enter the hotel parking lot, there is also a wine tasting room (sponsored by the City of Lodi) where you can sample local wines and, of course, there are many wineries in the area. The regional specialty is zinfandel but other varietals are available as well.
3) Take I-5 south back "home" by taking the Hwy 4 (Charter Way) exit west in Stockton, west past Discovery Bay and all the way back to Anitoch.
If you've never stopped in Discovery Bay and want to do so, I'd recommend visiting the marina and eating at the Boardwalk Grill there. The food is ok and they have a very nice patio overlooking the marina (people dock in front of the restaurant to eat there) which should be open now with the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions allowing outdoor dining. The locals who don't have their own piers use the launching ramp here and there are boats all over the place. So, if that's an interest of yours, this is the place to go.
Walnut Grove to Sacramento:
If you turned left onto River Road at Walnut Grove, this road will take you directly north to Sacramento. When you reach Sacramento, the road will become Freeport Blvd which can take you directly north into downtown/central Sacramento where there are all kinds of places to visit. One that I'll mention is the California Automobile Museum which is currently closed due to the Covid-19 crisis but if it's open when you're in the area it's worth a stop for any car buff. Mostly American/British metal but still worth a visit if you've never been there before.
A Stop at Locke:
There only one place that I consider stopping between Walnut Grove and Sacramento and that's in Locke (just a mile or so north of Walnut Grove) where you'll find a small community founded by Chinese American farm laborers which some interesting historical sites and shops BUT, if you're not into that, the real reason to stop in Locke is to drink/eat at Al The Wop's which is an infamous dive/biker bar located in the center of town. They have a very active bar and a small diner in the back. The food is good and typically hearty diner fare.
Sacramento and Beyond (or just head back home):
If you've driven all the way up River Road to Sacramento, you again have all kinds of choices, depending on where you want to go/what you want to do. .
You can just deadhead it back "home" via I-5 (as described above) or via I-80 or wander east into the Sierra Gold Country or north to Tahoe/Reno. I find the options driving off of River Road to be endlessly entertaining which is why I enjoy driving it so often.
Give it a try if you've never done so before.
Last edited by sgt1372; 06-23-2020 at 08:56 PM.
06-23-2020, 04:01 PM
#215
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06-23-2020, 11:40 PM
#216
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Are these the basic routes?
First take Antioch to Isleton, then to the Georgiana Slough Bridge in Walnut Grove - https://goo.gl/maps/n71YzbKUUM2iGRej9
From there, either...
...
Karl.
First take Antioch to Isleton, then to the Georgiana Slough Bridge in Walnut Grove - https://goo.gl/maps/n71YzbKUUM2iGRej9
From there, either...
...
- Turn left and take River Rd., then Freeport Blvd. into Sacramento - https://goo.gl/maps/4Jn5i7VkvuWhWEPq6, with stop-offs at:
- Al the Wop's - http://www.locketown.com/als.htm
- California Automobile Museum - https://www.calautomuseum.org
- Or turn right, and head to one of these...
- Lockeford Meat & Sausage Services in Lockeford - https://goo.gl/maps/wvuhf6Y59v8pWahz8
- Wines & Roses Hotel in Lodi - https://goo.gl/maps/5ee5goqvyopdj6tj7
- Or route back to Antioch via Stockton and Discovery Bay - https://goo.gl/maps/sL8SMnficKencQLM8
- With a stop off at Boardwalk Grill - https://www.boardwalkgrill.net
Karl.
06-24-2020, 04:01 AM
#217
Are these the basic routes?
First take Antioch to Isleton, then to the Georgiana Slough Bridge in Walnut Grove - https://goo.gl/maps/n71YzbKUUM2iGRej9.
First take Antioch to Isleton, then to the Georgiana Slough Bridge in Walnut Grove - https://goo.gl/maps/n71YzbKUUM2iGRej9.
It shows you staying on Hwy 160 and crossing over to the west side of the Sac River at the Isleton Bridge but you can't reach the Georgiana Slough Bridge (GSB) that way because it's on the east side of the river. I by-pass the Isleton Bridge and stay on east side of the river on Isleton Road to the GSB where you can turn north up River Road or east on the Walnut Grove-Thornton Road to I-5.
However, the rest looks correct but it's late and I may have missed something. Will check again later. Pretty concise edit of my very wordy description of the various options.. Good job!
06-24-2020, 05:07 PM
#218
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First take Antioch to Isleton, then to the Georgiana Slough Bridge in Walnut Grove - https://goo.gl/maps/n71YzbKUUM2iGRej9
Hopefully this is the correct one for that particular leg: https://goo.gl/maps/YD68tKRUudKfFJ7e9 ?
Karl.
06-24-2020, 09:08 PM
#219
Hopefully this is the correct one for that particular leg: https://goo.gl/maps/YD68tKRUudKfFJ7e9 ?
Karl.
Karl.
06-24-2020, 09:48 PM
#220
I've got another drive for you that I just took today.
It's for people who are in Livermore off N. Vasco and need/want to get to San Ramon but don't want to use 580/680 to do so. It doesn't save much time or distance but it's a nice drive just the same. The kind of route that I like to take simply to avoid traffic. The road is narrow, a bit bumpy in sections and you have to watch for bicycle riders but it's a very scenic. A part of the Livermore/San Ramon Valley you don't see much any more.
Morgan Territory Road ends/starts on Manning Road along this route. If you're a shooter, the Livermore Pleasanton Rod & Gun Club is located at the corner of May School and Dagnino Roads. And, if you want to visit the Blackhawk (Automobile) Museum, it's located in the shopping area on the northeast corner of the intersection of Blackhawk and Camino Tassajara Roads.
See: https://goo.gl/maps/xrNMybJJ3f45RdkK6
If you want to drive to Danville instead of San Ramon, don't turn left/west onto Crow Canyon but continue northwest on Camino Tassajara to Sycamore Valley Rd or Diablo Road which you can take west to San Ramon Valley Road where downtown Danville is located.
You can also drive straight into Castro Valley by staying on Crow Canyon Road which ends at Castro Valley Road (the main drag) and, if you want to go to Hayward from there, you can continue down Grove Way (just a name change for Crow Canyon when it reaches Castro Valley) and then turn left onto A Street straight into downtown Hayward.
These are the routes I take when I'm not in a hurry and just want to enjoy the drive.
It's for people who are in Livermore off N. Vasco and need/want to get to San Ramon but don't want to use 580/680 to do so. It doesn't save much time or distance but it's a nice drive just the same. The kind of route that I like to take simply to avoid traffic. The road is narrow, a bit bumpy in sections and you have to watch for bicycle riders but it's a very scenic. A part of the Livermore/San Ramon Valley you don't see much any more.
Morgan Territory Road ends/starts on Manning Road along this route. If you're a shooter, the Livermore Pleasanton Rod & Gun Club is located at the corner of May School and Dagnino Roads. And, if you want to visit the Blackhawk (Automobile) Museum, it's located in the shopping area on the northeast corner of the intersection of Blackhawk and Camino Tassajara Roads.
See: https://goo.gl/maps/xrNMybJJ3f45RdkK6
If you want to drive to Danville instead of San Ramon, don't turn left/west onto Crow Canyon but continue northwest on Camino Tassajara to Sycamore Valley Rd or Diablo Road which you can take west to San Ramon Valley Road where downtown Danville is located.
You can also drive straight into Castro Valley by staying on Crow Canyon Road which ends at Castro Valley Road (the main drag) and, if you want to go to Hayward from there, you can continue down Grove Way (just a name change for Crow Canyon when it reaches Castro Valley) and then turn left onto A Street straight into downtown Hayward.
These are the routes I take when I'm not in a hurry and just want to enjoy the drive.
Last edited by sgt1372; 06-26-2020 at 01:11 PM.
06-26-2020, 12:13 AM
#221
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07-11-2020, 11:20 PM
#222
Racer
I've heard great things about this route as well, but I've also heard that one half of it is single lane, very tight and with a rough road surface (quote: "goat road full of frost heaves, pot holes, debris and junk to dodge"). I don't have a lot of compliance, and that part doesn't sound fun. I was curious if anyone knew where that part began and where I should turn off or turn back? The best I've heard is that the inland half (toward Geyserville) is the "good" part. It's hard to gague on Google Maps but it looks like I can detour up Annapolis road if that's not too far, or bust-a-U at Anvil Vineyard & Ranch? What do you guys think?
07-25-2020, 02:10 PM
#223
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Finally got around to adding it...
East Bay
Sorry, don't know that area myself. But hopefully someone else will jump in...
Karl.
East Bay
- Through Livermore / San Ramon Valley - https://goo.gl/maps/xrNMybJJ3f45RdkK6 (~19 miles)
- Recommended by sgt1372
Sorry, don't know that area myself. But hopefully someone else will jump in...
Karl.
07-25-2020, 03:24 PM
#224
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Skaggs Springs Rd
I’m giving a +1 for Skaggs Springs Rd. I drove this last weekend from Stewarts Point to its terminus at the 101 just outside of Healdsburg. This is one of the greatest roads start to finish I have ever driven. The beginning is a little rough, but absolutely magical (once you drive it, you’ll understand what I mean). The road steadily gets better and better for very spirited driving! I drove it in my ‘85 3.2 with two other guys in modern M3s. We had the largest grins by the end I think I have ever seen (think Cheshire Cat). Anyways, it is an epic road and one I look forward to taking again. The traffic was minimal, especially heading East, even on a Sunday. I highly recommend taking the drive from Stewarts Point East to Healdsburg. My $.02
08-05-2020, 09:03 PM
#225
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I take it that the section where the landslide took out the road a few years back has been fully repaired. Last time Wayne Smith and I ran it, there was about a 100+ yd stretch of very rough gravel road.