Have you ever gone out on a ride and wanted to just keep going? Everything is clicking, you're feeling great yet you have reached that point in your ride where you know you need to turn around and head back. Riding any farther is just too far. You ask yourself, "How fun it would be to just keep going?" Reluctantly you turn around and head back.
If you've ever been there we encourage you to try this ride: "The Sacramento River/Return by Train". It's not a loop or a circle. It's not an out and back. It's a 55 mile destination ride where you just keep going, one way, all the way to Sacramento. Oh, you'll get home all right. That's the beauty of this ride. Just aim for downtown Sacramento and the Amtrak Station for the 5:10 back to Lodi. Have your ticket and roll the bike on the train no charge. And in that 55 miles you will experience some of the finest scenery and historic river towns this area has to offer. Miles of quiet roads through riverside woodlands and endless views of area farmland are your constant companions on this ride.
Jeff Pell (Ride Leader)
| From Downtown Lodi you make your way to Lodi Lake where you ride the bike path along the edge of the water. |
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| Leaving town on quiet county roads. |
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| Riding through the endless AG land that surrounds Lodi. |
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| Historic farms dot the landscape. |
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| Rolling into the town of Thornton under a tunnel of trees. |
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| Our first stop is Primo's Bakery in Thornton. They are very bike friendly. |
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| Fueling up for our day ahead. |
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| An off the beaten path stop in Thornton. This home is one block off the main route, but is worth slight detour. |
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| No one is sure what is going on here, but we all loved it. |
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| Entering the Delta! South Fork of the Mokelumne River |
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| Riding across Staten Island. Home of the best dirt in the world. |
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| Although it was to early for lunch, Gusti's Restaurant and Bar is a classic destination for those visiting the area Lodi Area. |
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| Just another quiet levee road off the main road. |
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| Welcome to Walnut Grove! One of the coolest little towns in the Delta. |
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| A local Iron Worker turned this old Theater into a beautiful gallery of his art. Downtown Walnut Grove. |
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| Hands down the best Ice Cream in the Delta. |
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| The Historic Chinese town of Locke. It's a brief detour off the main route, but so worth it. It truly is a town frozen in time. |
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| Public restrooms in the town of Locke, right next to the Locke House Museum. |
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| Downtown Locke. |
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| Locals |
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| Here is an inviting place for visitors to sit and enjoy a game of Tic Tac Toe. |
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| Old Steel Draw Bridge in the town of Walnut Grove. |
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| Sacramento only 29 more miles! |
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| Riding along the scenic Sacramento River. |
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| As we entered the Clarksburg area we found this sign directing visitors the areas blossoming wine industry. |
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| You know those roads you never knew existed? This is one of them. The most beautiful stretch of road in the entire Delta. |
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| Treelined single lane road with virtually no traffic. |
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| Enjoying the fall colors during our ride. |
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| Waukeena Rd. the stuff road bikers dream of. |
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| Cabbage farm in full swing. |
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| Tons of beautiful Properties as you enter the town of Clarksburg. |
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| When we got to town we stumbled into to Husicks Tap House. They feature several local wineries, artist, and musicians. This is a great stop on the route for lunch, a drink, or just a quiet place to sit and enjoy the delta breeze. |
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| Live Music Sat and Sunday. |
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| We were treated to a sample of Pear Cider they just brewed the day before. It was incredible! |
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| The menu at Husicks. I had the Tri Tip with Slaw and I'd highly recommend it. |
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| The Bike Lodi Crew bellied up to the bar. |
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| Husicks seemed to be the hub for the local art scene as well. |
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| Local potter on display. |
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| More wineries! |
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| Dropping into West Sacramento. We're getting close now! |
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| After a brief ride on the shoulder, you connect with a network of Bike Lanes and Bike Paths the rest of the way through town. |
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| Connecting with the Rails to Trails path through West Sac. |
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| Riding past Raley Field |
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| The Tower Bridge! We've officially made it to Sacramento. |
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| Our entire crew in front of the Tower Bridge. |
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| Riding through Old Town Sacramento on the way to the Amrak station. |
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| We had a pit stop at Practical Cycles in Oldtown Sacramento. They specialize in Electric Bikes, Cargo Bikes, and Folding Bikes. They have a beautiful space, and friendly staff. Well worth the stop. |
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| Checking out the Brompton Folding Bike selection at Practical Cycles. |
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| On the Left is Jeff Pell our ride lead. On the right is Dan Arbuckle our Photographer. |
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| Walk on Bike parking on Amrak. |
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| After a quick trip on the train we made it back to Lodi! Thanks Jeff for the amazing adventure. |
What a great adventure... nice work Jeff. I'll be on the lookout for the next ride.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing...looks like fun! We are inspired to bike the delta. :)
ReplyDelete