Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
for a leasehold (California barred Chinese from owning property). Locke became the only
freestanding town built and managed by Chinese in the US; its unincorporated status kept
it free of pesky lawmen, allowing for gambling houses and bootleg gin joints. Tucked be-
low the highway and the levee, Locke's main street still has a few residents though the feel
is of a ghost town, with weather-beaten buildings protected on the National Register of
Historic Places that take an afternoon to explore.
sion $1.25; noon-4pm Fri-Sun; )
, an old gambling hall filled with photos and relics of
gaming operations, including
pai gow
tables and an antique safe, is a popular stop. Nearby
is
Al the Wop's
( 916-776-1800; 13943 Main St, Locke; mains $8-15; 11am-9pm)
, a saloon
that's been pouring since 1915 and serves peanut-butter-slathered Texas toast. Below are
creaking floorboards; above, the ceiling's covered in crusty dollar bills and more than one
pair of erstwhile undies. Check in at the
visitors center
( 916-776-1661;
www.locketown.com
; 13920 Main St, Walnut Grove; tours adult/student $5/3;
visitors center
noon-4pm Tue & Fri, 11am-3pm Sat-Sun)
for maps and tours.
Hwy 160 also passes through
Isleton
, so-called Crawdad Town USA, whose main street
has more shops, restaurants, bars and buildings hinting at the region's Chinese heritage. Is-
leton's
Cajun Festival
, at the end of June, draws folks from across the state, but you can
St, Isleton; mains $5-17; 8am-9pm)
.
Further west on Hwy 160 you'll see signs for the
Delta Loop
, a drive that passes boater
bars and marinas where you can rent something to take on the water. At the end is the
916-777-6671;
)
, a tidy facility with boat-in, drive-
www.parks.ca.gov
; 17645 California 160; campsites $28;
in and walk-in campsites and picnic facilities.
In the 1930s the Bureau of Reclamation issued an aggressive water-redirection program
- the Central Valley and California State Water Projects - that dammed California's major
rivers and directed 75% of their supply through the Central Valley for agriculture and
Southern California. The siphoning affected the Delta, its wetlands and estuaries, and
kicked off neverending debate. Learn about the area's unique legacy by bus or on a self-
Deckhands Marina, 14090 Hwy 160, Walnut Grove)
, which also has leads on boat rides. If you
have a car, taste the fruits of the delta on the
Delta Grown Farm Trail
(
916-775-1166;
ht-