California's Best Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

4

4444444

44

44

444

444

444

4

# # # # # # # # # #

#

#

#

#

#

#

\ \ \ \ ] ] ] \ \ \

\

^

]

\

]

\

PACIFIC

OCEAN

Pinnacles

National

Monument

LosPadres

National

Forest

SilverPeak

Wilderness

Sutter

Creek

Cayucos

SanLuis

Obispo

Los

Banos

Gilroy

Placerville

Auburn

Livingston

Manteca

Salinas

Modesto

Stockton

San

Andreas

Sacramento

Lodi

Turlock

##^1

##^2

3

cm^99

VUÓ^5

VÓU^80

lL

FG 21

FG 24

cm^99

cm^1

cm^1

cm^49

[Ù^50

VUÓ^5

1 Sacramento

Taste the goods of

the valley first at the

sprawling Sacramento

Central Farmers Market

(www.california-grown.com;

cnr 8th & W St, under Hwy

80 overpass; admission free;

h8am-noon Sun;^ c). In

summer, Sacramento has

a market every day of

the week, but the biggest

and best is on Sunday

mornings year-round.

It’s held conveniently

near the on-ramp to

Hwy 99, under the

elevated freeway at 8th

and W St. Throughout

summer it sells many of

the 300-odd crops from

the valley, a colorful riot

of fruits and veggies

that left the vine hours

earlier: corn, stone fruit,

strawberries and leafy

greens. With a trunk full

of vitals, start the voyage

south, creeping out of the

oft-jammed lanes of Elk

Grove’s suburban sprawl

and into the sprawling

valley. Soon, the air takes

on the inimitable smell

of the region, a mix of

sweet pollen and pungent

cattle.

4 p267

The Drive » As you leave

Sacramento and head south

on Hwy 99 the clogged traffic

of the suburbs slowly give way

to agricultural fields and large

vineyards. If traffic is moving,

you will arrive at Lodi in 45

minutes.

Highway

99 Through

Central Valley

With.the.AC.off.and.the.windows.down,.the.rush.of.

heat.through.the.open.window.smells.of.tilled.earth,.

pollen.and,.somehow,.even.sunshine..Once.known.as.

‘California’s.Main.Street,’.the.byway.between.Sacramento.

and.Bakersfield.reveals.a.part.of.California.that.few.slow.

down.to.enjoy.–.birthplace.of.a.raucous.brand.of.country.

music.and.two-stoplight.farm.towns.that.fade.under.

300-plus.annual.days.of.squint-bright.sunshine.

25