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.
The colorful Dai Loy Museum ( www.locketown.com/museum.htm ; 5 Main St, Locke; admis-
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
get very lively crawdads year round at Bob's Bait Shop ( www.isletonjoes.com ; 212 Second
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
Brannan Island State Recreation Area ( GOOGLE MAP ;
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-
guided tour with Delta Heartbeat Tours ( 916-776-4010; http://deltaheartbeattours.com ;
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-
tp://sacriverdeltagrown.org ) .
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