Discover Solano Summer 2022

Summer 2022

VACAVILLE ADDS NEW LIFE TO PUBLIC ART CAMPAIGN Solano cities offer lots of options to entertain your family

FAIRFIELD DOWNTOWN THEATRE

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Cottonwood

Woodland 99

Lake Berryessa

Sacramento Davis Putah Creek State Wildlife Area

nessey

Dixon

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Vacaville

Napa

Suisun Valley

Fairfield

Rockville Hills Park

Travis Air Force Base

Suisun City

American Canyon

Rio Vista

Napa River

Grizzly Bay

Vallejo

o Bay

Yolo By-Pass Wildlife Area

Yolo Bypa ss

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Suisun Bay

Grizzly Island Wildlife Area

Honker Bay

Benicia ON THE COVER

Publishers: Foy S. McNaughton and T. Burt McNaughton

Public art A series of mosaic panels by Guillermo Wagner Granizo is on display at Vacaville City Hall.

Photo by Aaron Rosenblatt

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Discover Solano

Editor: Glen Faison Advertising Director: Louis Codone

1250 Texas St., Fairfield, CA 94533 707.425.4646 | Fax 707.426.5924 Discover Solano is a publication produced by the Daily Republic. All rights reserved, June 26, 2022.

Reproduction in any form, in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. All content included in the magazine was deemed accurate at the time of printing and is subject to change.

Project Coordinator: Nancy Meadows Distribution: Bob Franks Contributing Writers: Todd R. Hansen, Susan Hiland, Matt Miller Photo Editor: Robinson Kuntz

SUMMER 2022

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Services: Rockville Terrace Senior Living specializes in Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care. We offer various services, including daily living assistance, housekeeping and laundry services, chef-prepared meals and snacks, assistance with transportation, and much more.

Call Hannah today to schedule your tour 707.862.2222 or email hannah@rockvilleterrace.com rockvilleterrace.com I 4625 Mangels Blvd., Fairfield, CA 94534 I Lic#486803653

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Certain attractions may have height, weight or age limits that are required for the safety of everyone. Availability of outside attractions is subject to weather conditions.

SUMMER 2022

8 Vacaville adds new life to public art campaign with latest installation

WHAT’S INSIDE Discover Benicia ��������������������������������������������������� 12 Discover Dixon ������������������������������������������������������ 15 Discover Fairfield ������������������������������������������������� 18 Discover Suisun Valley ���������������������������������������23 SUMMER 2022

Discover Rio Vista ������������������������������������������������ 31 Discover Suisun City �������������������������������������������40 Discover Vacaville �����������������������������������������������44 Discover Vallejo ����������������������������������������������������49 Discover Solano

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“Valley Harvest” by Lisa Reinertson, above and right, is on display in Downtown Vacaville.

“Mother and Child” by Nnamdi Okonkwo is on display at the Ulatis Community Center in Vacaville.

PHOTOS BY AARON ROSENBLATT 8 |

Discover Solano

SUMMER 2022

“Story Time” by Gary Price is on display at the Ulatis Community Center Library in Vacaville.

Vacaville adds new life to public art campaign with latest installation

DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF

T

he heyday for new, grandscale public art in Vacaville was arguably the 1990s when the city was preparing to celebrate its centennial, but has found new life in recent years.

Vacaville’s latest piece of public art on Rocky Hill Trail was more than two years in the making – with hopes of

SUMMER 2022

adding even more public art at the site in years to come.

City resident artist Leslie Molera was selected in January 2020 by the Project Committee based on her 20 years of experience, which includes teaching at Buckingham Charter Magnet High School, Markham Elementary School and the Mariposa Head Start Center.

A few local murals painted by Molera can be seen on the Maximum Fitness

pool wall, Napoli’s Italian Restaurant and at RW Garage Doors.

Molera engaged local students to assist with the creation of the artwork, and order materials.

Public Works staff worked with a contractor to prepare the site for the installation of the four metal panels, each 4 feet by 8 feet, and four concrete pillars that make up the new public art piece.

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Installation was initially scheduled to be completed by December. A ceremony to unveil the artwork happened June 9.

This public art piece project, selected by the community, enhances the Rocky Hill Trail and brings a stronger sense of community to the neighborhood.

The goal was that this will be the first of several art pieces installed along Rocky Hill Trail, and when feasible, staff will pursue additional funding for public art installments to accomplish this goal, according to the city.

The City Council approved the project in September 2021 after the Parks and Recreation Commission gave its blessing in May 2021 and the city’s Arts Advisory Committee signed off in April 2021.

Molera is a well-known artist in the area with canvas paintings and murals featured at a number of area businesses and private homes.

The artwork is located at the Markham Avenue entrance to the Rocky Hill Trail. The project was funded by a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant awarded to the city in 2019, and a matching $10,000 allocation from the city’s general fund.

The trail has its own history.

A group of motivated high school students lobbied Vacaville to turn the area into a paved walkway with a vision of creating a kind of park setting.

The county dedicated the railroad easement to the city so it could complete the project.

Vacaville paid $75,000 and another $52,358 came from a grant through the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District. The largest share – $103,000 – came from a grant through the Solano Transportation Authority.

The $230,358 project includes a paved trail that runs from a bike path near Holly Lane, south between Rocky Hill Road and Brown Street and along the back side of the county corporation yard. The path then juts westerly to Markham Avenue.

The trail was formerly dedicated 10 |

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“Double V” by Saul Nesbitt is on display at the Ulatis Community Center in Vacaville.

in December 2016. The request for proposals from artists went out Dec. 5, 2019. Molera was selected one month later.

Several months earlier, members of the city’s Arts Advisory Committee

went out to a Rocky Hill Trail event and surveyed nearly 150 people about what they thought the trail area needed.

The results identified two goals: beautify the trail, and include an interactive element.

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The project along Rocky Hill Trail joins what’s already a vibrant public art experience in Vacaville.

Much of the public art in the city is clustered together, some at the Ulatis Community Center and the adjacent Vacaville Public Library-Cultural Center, and some at and near City Hall. Separate pieces of public art exist at other locations.

Visit Vacaville offers a way for people to explore public art on the Vacaville Art Trail.

“Finding art in Vacaville is as easy as stepping outside. With an eclectic blend of modern and abstract sculpture, showstopping bronze castings, and joyful tributes to nature sprinkled throughout the city, you’ll find art everywhere you go,” Visit Vacaville states on its website. “Discover a fun way to see and explore Vacaville on the Arts Trail.

No matter which direction you wander in Vacaville, you are bound to find art.

On the Vacaville Arts trail, your journey will take you around the city to see some amazing outdoor public art sculptures.

Along the way, you can claim a prize and

A series of mosaic panels by Guillermo Wagner Granizo is on display at Vacaville City Hall.

SUMMER 2022

“The Jester” by Victor Issa is on display at the Ulatis Community Center in Vacaville.

if you are adventurous enough to finish the Vacaville Arts Trail, a worthy gift awaits you.”

Registration for the experience is available through a link at https://www. visitvacaville.com/vacaville-arts-trail.

The site includes a video tutorial for the Vacaville Arts Trail.

Public art at the Ulatis Community Center and the library includes a large ceramic tile mural called “Solano” by Guillermo Wagner Granizo, created in 1992 and given to the city by the artist, is located in the lobby of the community center. Outside are the steel sculptures “Double V,” “Vari-L Series I” and “VariL Series II,” each by Saul Nesbitt and gifted to the city by the artist’s estate in 1994; and the bronze sculpture “Story Time” by Gary Price, purchased by the Solano County Library Foundation, the Friends of the Vacaville and the Vacaville Library Commission and installed at the library in 1999.

Vacaville City Hall features “Vacaville Centennial,” a series of 20 historic narrative panels created by Grazino and set into three freestanding walls. It was commissioned in 1992 by the Vacaville Centennial Committee and installed

in 1996, the year after Grazino’s death.

“Circles in Time” by Nesbitt is installed at the entrance to the main lobby at City Hall. It was created in 1965 and was gifted to the city from Nesbitt’s artist’s estate in 1996.

The adjacent City Hall Park on Lovers Lane features Phillip Glashoff’s “Red Butterflies” and “Pinball,” both created in 1991 and added to the city’s public art in 1992 by way of a gift from Glashoff; and “Sentinel” by Nesbitt, created in 1992 and given to the city by the artist that year.

Other pieces of public art include two variations of Glasshoff’s welded steel “Fruit Trees,” one at the Alamo Drive exit from Interstate 80 and the other at the Alison Drive/Nut Tree Parkway exit from I-80. Both were purchased by the city as part of its Gateway Project in 1997; Roger Berry’s steel “IBIS” from 1992, a corporate purchase at the corner of Davis and Mason streets; and the bronze sculpture “Valley Harvest” by Lisa Reinertson, commissioned by the Vacaville Centennial Committee in 1992 and installed three years later in the small park at the intersection of Merchant and Main streets. DS

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Discover

BENICIA I

ts status as a former state capital is part of California lore, but Benicia was also once destined to be called Francisca until Yerba Buena changed its name to San Francisco and the similarity spurred the town’s founder to select another name.

Robert Semple had wanted in 1847 to name the town after Gen. Mariano Vallejo’s wife, Francisca Maria Felipa Benicia Carrillo de Vallejo, and he still did. Semple just choose another of her many names.

The town’s residential and business districts are on its west side with a vibrant waterfront as well as the Benicia State Recreation Area along Southhampton Bay. Benicia is home to events that range from Arts Benicia and the Benicia Peddlers Fair to The Holy Ghost Parade and the July 3 Torchlight Parade.

Its industrial side includes the Port of

Benicia and the town’s largest employer, the Valero Oil Refinery, with its tanks, pipes and stacks that sprawl across a large area alongside Interstate 680.

The town could have been the center of California politics when the state in 1853 declared Benicia as its capital after deciding they were dissatisfied with Vallejo in that role. Lawmakers took over the Benicia City Hall, with its Doric columns and appearance of a Greek temple.

“So Benicia, the memorable ‘city of the Straits,’ ‘the rival emporium of the Pacific wealth and commerce,’ is to be vested with new dignities . . .” the Feb. 5, 1853, Daily Alta Californian reported.

The state Legislature met again in Benicia in 1854. It voted to make Benicia the permanent state capital. Then lawmakers quickly changed their minds when 100 people coming to the session couldn’t find lodgings and had to sleep

in saloons. They moved the capital to Sacramento.

Another historical site is the Benicia Arsenal, built in 1849 as an ordnance supply depot. William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant spent time there prior to going on to Civil War fame. Sherman became an admirer of the town.

“That Benicia has the best natural site for a commercial city, I am satisfied, and had half the money and half the labor since bestowed upon San Francisco been expended at Benicia, we should have at this day a city of palaces along the Carquinez Strait,” he wrote in his memoirs.

The arsenal also stabled the U.S. Army’s only Camel Corps that was disbanded in 1863. The Camel Barns, built in 1855, now house the Benicia Historical Museum. Union troops from the West gathered at the arsenal during

Contact: Benicia Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center, 707-745-2120, www.beniciachamber.com 12 |

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SUMMER 2022

DOWNTOWN BENICIA Downtown Benicia offers myriad festivals and events for all ages. The spring and summer seasons offer plenty of seasonal activities, from a farmers market to wine- and foodtasting activities to various community celebrations and more.

MORE INFORMATION: 707-745-9791, www.beniciamainstreet.org

BENICIA STATE RECREATION AREA

Benicia briefly served as California’s capital 150 years ago. Benicia Capitol State Historic Park commemorates the era of 1853 to 1854. The old capitol building remains and is open to visitors. Vallejo was the state capital before Benicia, but Gen. Mariano Vallejo failed to provide the promised buildings and lawmakers moved it.

Benicia has a Greek temple-style capitol building, but this too failed to convince state lawmakers to stay in Solano County. Sacramento became the capital in March 1854. The Benicia Capitol building over the years served as a fire station, police station and even a dance hall. The Benicia Capitol is the only pre-Sacramento capitol building that remains.

LOCATION: 115 W. G St., Benicia MORE INFORMATION: 707-745-3385, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=475

The shores of Southampton Bay are home to one of Solano County’s few state parks. People come to Benicia State Recreation Area to walk, run, cycle, birdwatch and fish. The state lists the Dillon’s Point marsh as an area in the park particularly favored by anglers. A few motorhome campsites are available, though no tent campsites. It has 2.5 miles of roads and paths. Benicia State Park is also home to the Forrest Deaner Native Plant Botanic Garden. The only other Solano County state park is Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, though the county does have state wildlife refuges.

BENICIA MARINA

SUMMER 2022

BE

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EXPERIENCE DOWNTOWN BENICIA

BENICIA CAPITOL STATE HISTORIC PARK

BENICIA STATE RECREATION AREA

LOCATION: Columbus Parkway exit from Interstate 780 in Benicia MORE INFORMATION: 707-648-1911, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=476

MAIN S

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Spend the day, see some sights

CIA I N

EE

the Civil War. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 125 truck convoys were loaded at the arsenal. A total of 250 Italian and 400 German prisoners of war once resided at the arsenal.

Benicia was almost economically shattered in the 1960s when the arsenal closed, removing its economic foundation, but recreation of the arsenal land as a successful industrial park that now contains the Valero refinery helped save the town’s economy.

The city is home to a thriving art community, many who live in the historic arsenal area, which dates back to 1849. The Clock Tower Fortress, also in the arsenal, built in 1859, is open for many community functions.

Located between the Sacramento River Delta and San Francisco Bay, the Benicia Marina is a jewel located on the north side of the Carquinez Strait, with spectacular views from every slip in the harbor. It offers guest berthing, power, water and a safe environment.

It is also only a short walk away from downtown Benicia’s charming First Street and its shops as well as walking and bike trails. Guest boats must check in at the marina office for berth assignments. Call in advance for the availability of either transient or overnight berthing.

LOCATION: 266 E. B St., Benicia MORE INFORMATION: 707-745-2628, www.benicia marina.net

Make Benicia Main Street your first stop when exploring the scenic town of Benicia. The Downtown visitor center is located in the historic train depot at the foot of First Street. You’ll find lots of information, gifts, and souvenirs. Then explore the shops, restaurants, spas, historical sites and artful whimsy that line the 12 blocks of First Street.

We’re located at 90 First Street, on the waterfront.

“A GREAT DAY BY THE BAY” For More Information Visit Our Website www.beniciamainstreet.org or call us at (707) 745-9791.

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Spend the day, see some sights

BENICIA FIRE MUSEUM

BENICIA FIRE MUSEUM Lovers of antique fire equipment can see what is believed to be the first fire engine to arrive in California – the Phoenix Engine – at the Benicia Fire Museum. The engine dates back to the 1820s and is owned by the Benicia Volunteer Firemen. The museum is also home to the Solano Engine, the first engine owned by the volunteer firemen. The Benicia Fire Museum houses many treasures of fire service equipment and hundreds of related items.

Admission is free. Donations are accepted.

LOCATION: 900 E. Second St., Benicia MORE INFORMATION: 707-745-1688, www.beniciafiremuseum.org

BENICIA PLEIN AIR GALLERY The Benicia Plein Air Gallery specializes in the work of local artists who capture the outdoor scenes in and around Benicia, the Carquinez Straits and the San Francisco Bay Area. Each month, the open-air gallery showcases the works of one of its many artists, with creations that range from classical landscapes to saturated pastels. The 5th Annual Paint Out event planned in August 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic and has not yet returned. The gallery responded by producing a brief video called “Painting en plein air in the time of Covid,” which may be viewed at the gallery’s website.

BENICIA PLEIN AIR GALLERY LOCATION: 307 First St., Benicia MORE INFORMATION: 707-297-5903, www.beniciapleinair.com

SEPAY GROVES OLIVE OIL IN BENICIA Sepay Groves Olive Oil, the oldest olive oil store in Solano County, offers an expansive variety of award-winning extra virgin and flavored olive oils and serves as an outlet store for the oldest

operating olive oil producer in Suisun Valley, who arguably produces the best Tuscan extra virgin olive oil in Northern California. All oils and vinegars are bottled by hand in small batches to maintain their integrity, with the oils sold in their first year of life.

LOCATION: 364 First St., Benicia MORE INFORMATION: 707-434-8222, www.sepayoliveoil.com

BENICIA CALENDAR OF EVENTS Farmers Market: Benicia Main Street draws many people to its popular farmers market, now in its 30th year. The market offers fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, gourmet food, delicious hot foods, arts and crafts, live entertainment and face painting from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, through Aug. 25; 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 1 to Oct. 27.

Independence Day Celebration: Benicia’s Torchlight Parade starts at 6:30 p.m. July 3 along First Street and includes dancers, floats, clowns and entertainment. The city’s Picnic in the Park starts at noon July 4 at City Park is filled with arts and crafts, delicious hot food, live entertainment and children’s activities. Fireworks start at approximately 9 p.m. at the foot of First Street. Info: 707-745-9791, 14 |

Discover Solano

Mass, food, auction, dance, dinner. Info.: http://beniciaholyghost.org/bdes-festa/.

Benicia Waterfront Festival: Benicia celebrates its picturesque waterfront locale with two days of live music, craft beer tastings, tasty foods, vendor village, and a children’s activity area from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 30-31 at the First Street Green, corner of 1st and East B streets. Info: 707-745-9791, www.beniciamainstreet.org.

BENICIA WATERFRONT FESTIVAL www.beniciamainstreet.org.

Benicia Holy Ghost Festa & Parade: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

July 24, BDES Hall, 140 W. J St., Benicia. Parade,

Taste of First Street: Downtown brings a sampling of the cuisine you can find from Benicia’s favorite restaurants on First Street with two glasses of wine and souvenir glass included. Event takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 23. Info: 707-745-9791, www.beniciamainstreet.org.

SUMMER 2022

Discover

DIXON T

he city was going to be called Dicksonville after pioneer Thomas Dickson, who donated 10 acres of his property for a railroad depot, but a merchandise shipment in 1872 misspelled the name as Dixon.

Almost two years of trying to have the town formally named Dicksonville ended in 1874 when the county recorder filed the name Dixon on new maps.

Dixon was a simpler name, he said.

The dairy cows that once gave Dixon the nickname The Dairy City are for the most part gone, though the Heritage Dairy is located a few miles from town.

But Dixon is located amid the Dixon Ridge farming area of the Central Valley.

The town’s agricultural heritage draws from some of Solano County’s most fertile soil where farmers grow everything from tomatoes to alfalfa, ranchers run cattle and sheep, and orchardists grow almonds and walnuts.

The annual May Fair, which began in the late 1800s and is the longest continually running agriculture fair in California, helps keep Dixon’s farming heritage alive. Fall brings such attractions as the Cool Pumpkin Patch corn maze. The Dixon Fairgrounds hosts year-round events.

Solano County has a 548-acre area zoned for agricultural services next to Dixon. This area is to be home to processing plants and other businesses that help the farming economy.

Dixon has become more suburban in recent decades, with subdivisions swelling its population of commuters who travel to Davis and the Sacramento area to work.

The city was incorporated in 1878.

Dixon almost became home to a major horse-racing center, but residents voted that down on the grounds they liked their town the way it was. The city also courted the idea of trying to land

a movie studio that would have been built on the south side of town and produce family films, but the studio never came about.

But agriculture still looms large. Just look at the city seal, which portrays an orchard and rows of crops in the foreground and buildings in the distance.

Dixon was born in 1851 when pioneer Elija Silvey founded the town of Silveyville, which was located a few miles from present-day Dixon. He set up a hotel and saloon for mule teams traveling between San Francisco and the gold fields in the Sierra Nevada and put up a red lantern to make certain people could find it.

By 1865, Silveyville had about 150 residents and boasted a store, blacksmith shop and a post office, with Silvey serving as postmaster. But the Central Pacific railroad came through in 1868 several miles away and Silveyville died. A new town sprung up along the

Contact: Dixon Chamber of Commerce, 707-678-2650, www.dixonchamber.org.

SUMMER 2022

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railroad tracks, with people moving many of the Silveyville buildings there on rollers.

In a twist of irony, one of the few buildings to survive from Silveyville was a church that was too large to be hauled over the railroad tracks. When a massive fire burned down much of Dixon, the church survived quite literally because it was on the wrong side of the tracks.

The Nov. 19, 1883, fire started in the kitchen of the Centennial Hotel, where the Moose Lodge is now located, and almost completely destroyed the town. Winds up to 60 mph spread the fire and the town’s saloons and six churches were destroyed within hours.

A city ordinance that followed set brick or tin as the building material of choice.

The city is a true Central Valley town amid a county that is considered part of the Bay Area, with more in common geographically with Sacramento than San Francisco. It has the flat expanses of land and hot summer temperatures of the valley.

And, of course, it has the vast expanses of farmland at its borders.

DIXON

Spend the day, see some sights

SACRAMENTO VALLEY NATIONAL CEMETERY

SACRAMENTO VALLEY NATIONAL CEMETERY The Sacramento Valley National Cemetery is the seventh national cemetery built in California and the 124th in the nation. It opened to burials in 2006. It is located on Midway Road between Vacaville and Dixon. The cemetery should serve the needs of the area for the next 50 years. It opened with 14 acres for interment of local veterans and their loved ones, and has steadily expanded.

LOCATION: 5810 Midway Road, Dixon MORE INFORMATION: 707-693-2460, www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/sacramento.asp.

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SUMMER 2022

Solano County DINING GUIDE

Mr. Pickles Sandwich Shop

300 E. Monte Vista Avenue•Vacaville 707-453-1283 •MrPickles.com

Huckleberry’s

LA CABANA

TORTILLA FLATS

325 Main Street • Suisun City (707) 429-5871 • (707) 673-2877 LaCabanaDeSuisun.com

646 Hwy 12, Rio Vista 707-374-2564

Southern Cookin’ with a California Twist 3101 Travis Blvd. • Fairfield (707) 427-3800 • huckleberrys.org

Red Lobster

1525 Travis Boulevard • Fairfield (707) 421-8292 • www.redlobster.com

BURGERLICIOUS

n

California Burrito

THE POINT RESTUARANT

Original Mel’s Diner

98 Peabody Rd. • Vacaville (707)-359-6100

Evelyn’s Big Italian

Open 24 Hours 4401 Central Place • Fairfield 4513 Putah Creek Road • Winters (530) 441-2337 • greenrivertaproom.net (707)-803-5410 • eatcaliforniaburrito.com

1501 Travis Blvd, Suite 2 • Fairfield (707) 425-4452 • originalmels.com

CAST IRON GRILL & Bar

700 Main Street • Suite 104 • Suisun (707) 425-1700

1347 E Monte Vista Ave • Vacaville 707-474-4913

650 Hwy 12, Rio Vista (707) 374-2020

120 Marina Drive, Rio Vista (707) 374-5400 pointrestaurant.com 704 Texas Street • Fairfield (707) 421-9000

Merchant & Main Grill & Bar 349 Merchant Street • Vacaville (707) 446-0368

Enjoy a delicious meal at one of these fine restaurants.

Discover

FAIRFIELD A

public art event in 1995 asked “Where is Fairfield?” and a plane flew over the city with that question on a banner. At NorthBay Medical Center, babies were given T-shirts that posed the same question.

Halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento is the easy answer – although residents might note that description overlooks the rich history of Fairfield.

The city is the Solano County seat and home to Travis Air Force Base – along with attractions that include Jelly Belly, Solano Town Center mall and the Rancho Solano and Paradise Valley golf courses.

Fairfield began in 1856 when nearby Suisun City had waterfront shipping access crucial for pioneer-era communities. A treeless plain is how one writer described Fairfield.

But an offer to the county of land to build a government center was too good a deal for voters to pass up and in 1858 they approved moving the county

seat from Benicia to Fairfield. The city’s population doubled between the late 1850s and 1880. A century later, more than 44,000 people lived in the city – a number that more than doubled by 2000.

Buildings constructed for government are among Fairfield’s most impressive structures. Renovation of the 1911 county courthouse was recently completed while the modern six-story county Government Center dominates downtown.

By World War II, after decades of playing second fiddle to Suisun City, Fairfield was on its way to becoming the second largest city in Solano County.

The U.S. Air Force decision in 1942 to build a major base installation on land east of Fairfield boosted the area economy. Travis Air Force Base was annexed to Fairfield in 1966.

The city now is targeting development on two fronts. The FairfieldVacaville train station for Amtrak and bus riders, located about a mile from Travis Air Force Base, is seen as a boon

for residents and the economy and is the site of current development. A project to help the city’s central business district to grow and match the downtown turnarounds that other Bay Area cities is in its formative stages. Recent projects to support the effort include ongoing work to update Allan Witt Park on West Texas Street and a project completed in Spring 2022 to modernize and update the streetscape at the downtown’s entrance on the west end of West Texas Street at Interstate 80.

Fairfield at nearly 40 square miles is almost the physical size of San Francisco, if not a match in population or cable cars that climb halfway to the stars. Its location along Interstate 80, Interstate 680 and Highway 12 between the Bay Area and Central Valley makes it a regional crossroads.

The rich past of Fairfield may be rivaled only by its future. In 2003, as Fairfield celebrated its 100th anniversary as a city, officials buried a time capsule at City Hall, with an opening date of 2103.

Chamber of Commerce: Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce, 1111 Webster St., Fairfield; 707-425-4625, https://www.fairfieldsuisunchamber.com.

Fairfield Conference and Visitors Bureau: 877-793-7386, www.visitfairfieldca.com.

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SUMMER 2022

Spend the day, see some sights DOWNTOWN THEATRE Playing host to hundreds of community events each year including concerts, festivals and seminars and performances, the Downtown Theatre is the cultural hub of the Fairfield area. Also home to an art gallery, new works are shown each month at the center. Admission to the gallery is free during hours of operation. The award-winning, 360-seat theater received an exterior facelift in August 2018 with the addition of a state-of-the-art lighted marquee. The theater and other facilities can be rented out to host your special event as well.

LOCATION: 1035 Texas St., Fairfield MORE INFORMATION: 707-940-0700, www.downtowntheatre.com

JELLY BELLY VISITOR CENTER From being a local secret to world-famous, the pint-sized jelly bean offers a variety of flavors and colors at the Jelly Belly Candy Co. Starting in the lobby filled with jelly bean art and eclectic decorations, guests can tour the factory daily. Tours leave every 10 to 15 minutes and last about 40 minutes. Free samples of Jelly Belly products are available. During the 40-minute walking tour, Jelly Belly guides will show guests a working factory where more than 150 different sweet treats are made. The factory, however, is not in operation

JELLY BELLY VISITOR CENTER during the weekends and on major holidays. Learn the secrets to how they create the legendary Jelly Belly jelly bean and discover why it takes more than a week to make a single bean. Upcoming events include the 13th Annual Mascot Day on Aug. 3 and the 9th Annual Candy Palooza on Sept. 24-25.

LOCATION: One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield MORE INFORMATION: https://www.jellybelly.com.

SOLANO TOWN CENTER Solano Town Center mall is one of Solano County’s major shopping and restaurant areas. The two-story mall has about 130 storefronts, ranging from department stores to recruiting offices to

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SOLANO TOWN CENTER movie theaters. It is also a destination for various walking clubs that want to escape the weather.

Children can climb and explore the bright, colorful play area filled with animal characters, large puzzles and plenty of space to stretch their legs.

Developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the mall has gone through various renovations through the years. The latest brought an $8.5 million, 33,000-square-foot dining court to the mall in April 2011. The mall was renovated end-to-end in 2006 at a cost of $20 million.

LOCATION: 1350 Travis Blvd., Fairfield MORE INFORMATION: 707-425-1164, www.solanotowncenter.com.

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Spend the day, see some sights FAIRFIELD AQUATICS COMPLEX

FAIRFIELD AQUATICS COMPLEX

Whether it’s exercise, a birthday party or swim lessons, the Fairfield Aquatics Complex offers a lane or slide for all occasions. The center features a natatorium with retractable roof, a zero-depth entry play area, a lazy river current for fun and a six-lane activity pool with a slide and diving board.

The outside shallow play area for kids includes slides, climbing structures, water-dumping toys and water-spray toys adjacent to a grass area for families to lounge and enjoy the sunshine. There is also a picnic area for large groups to use for the day or rent the entire facility after hours for company parties, school field trips or special occasions. There is an indoor meeting room and party rooms for smaller groups to enjoy the facilities and catered to in a private setting. A concession stand provides hot and cold drinks and food.

LOCATION: Allan Witt Park, 1741 W. Texas St., Fairfield MORE INFORMATION: 707-428-7428, www.fairfield.ca.gov

TRAVIS HERITAGE CENTER The Travis Heritage Center holds an extensive collection of aircraft and artifacts detailing the history of Travis Air Force Base, airlift, space exploration and military air power. Founded in 1983, the center is surrounded by an impressive

military and humanitarian operations around the world. Due to post-9/11 security concerns, aviation lovers will need a base visitor’s pass to see the Travis Heritage Center.

LOCATION: Travis Heritage Center, 400 Brennan Circle, Travis Air Force Base MORE INFORMATION: 707-424-5605, www.travisheritagecenter.org

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collection of restored historic military aircraft that includes the B-29 Superfortress, a Vietnam-era B-52 Stratofortress, an F-4C Phantom Fighter, a C-124 Globemaster II, a C-47 Skytrain and an F-86 Sabre fighter. Inside, there are exhibits containing artifacts, documents, aircraft models, uniforms, aircraft nose art and photos from the dawn of military air power in World War I to present-day

Sonoma Harvest Olive Oil & Winery’s stylish tasting room offers complimentary tastings of almost all of the available Sonoma Harvest food products, including its gourmet olive oils, vinegars, mustards, honey, tapanades, jams, sauces and more. A wine tasting includes the full flight and features four varietals. The tasting room features a well-equipped kids’ club so the little ones can be entertained by puzzles, games, and movies while the adults sip some wine, sample yummy bites and shop among wine country merchandise. Sonoma Harvest’s tasting room is open from noon to 4 p.m. daily except Tuesday and Wednesday.

LOCATION: 770 Chadbourne Road in Fairfield MORE INFORMATION: 707-389-4815, www.tastesonomaharvest.com

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TOMATO & VINE FESTIVAL Fairfield Certified Farmers Market: 3 to 7 p.m.

Thursdays, through Oct. 6. Webster and Texas streets. Info.: https://www.pcfma.org/.

Fourth of July Celebration: The Fairfield celebration starts at 10 a.m. July 4 with an Independence Day parade, which winds through downtown Fairfield along Texas Street. Info: https://www.fairfield.ca.gov/.

Tomato & Vine Festival: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 11, Downtown Fairfield. The

community’s celebration of all things tomato, the event typically includes a VIP wine and food pairing on Day 1, a classic car show on Day 2, and a carnival throughout. Details to be announced. Info: https:// www.fairfield.ca.gov/.

9th Annual Candy Palooza: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sept. 24-25, Jelly Belly Candy Company, One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield. Event features candy sampling, arts and crafts vendors, carnival rides, Jelly Belly’s Wine and Chocolate Experience, pony rides and more. Free parking. Info: https://www.jellybelly.com.

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Mankas Corners 2522 Mankas Corner Rd Suisun Valley, CA 94534 Vezer Family Vineyard 888-823-8463 info@vezerfamilyvineyard.com www.Vezer.com 22 |

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SUISUN VALLEY S

uisun Valley offers city dwellers a place to escape crowded streets and see the country, buy fresh produce and taste wines.

It is located just west of Fairfield. It has fertile soils with a Mediterranean climate good enough to grow grapes for fine wines, just as in the neighboring, world-famous Napa Valley.

The valley has its scenic attractions, framed as it is by oak-covered hills, with acres of vineyards, orchards and other farming areas. It has buildings such as the 1900, one-room Gomer School, complete with bell tower. It has small commercial areas such as Manka’s Corner with restaurants and other businesses.

Wine is a big part of the valley. Suisun Valley in 1982 won federal recognition as the Suisun Valley Appellation, making the valley an American Viticultural Area.

Grape varieties ranging from Sauvignon Blanc to Chardonnay to Gamay to Pinot Noir to Riesling are grown in the valley.

Several small wineries have tasting rooms. In addition, other wineries have grouped together to run a cooperative tasting room on Suisun Valley Road.

A big winery has come to Suisun Valley. The Wagner family, owner of Caymus Vineyards in Napa Valley, is building a winery at the very southern end of the Suisun Valley appellation capable of producing 5 million gallons

of wine annually. It plans to bring grapes and wines from other locations to the Cordelia Road site for bottling, as well as grow grapes there.

But Suisun Valley is more than grapes. People can go there to buy corn, strawberries, dried fruit and nuts and other produce from small, family run produce stands. They can buy olive oil made from olives grown and processed in the valley.

Solano County wants to get the word out. It has designated Suisun Valley to become an agritourism area. Goals include creating several more small centers with businesses that cater to valley visitors.

More information: www.suisunvalley.com SUMMER 2022

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Spend the day, see some sights AMERICAN ARMORY MUSEUM The American Armory Museum strives to educate future generations about, and impress upon them, the sacrifice, bravery and enduring significance of the U.S. military. Numerous vehicles are on display, with some available for rides. Various static displays are also set up to illustrate life in the field while in the armed forces. The museum features such military vehicles as the 1955 Larc amphibious cargo hauler, the M35A2 cargo truck, the 1944 M5A4 artillery tractor, the M936A1 wrecker and recovery truck, the FV433 Abbot self-propelled artillery vehicle, the HET 1070 heavy equipment transport, an Israeli M-5 half track armored personnel carrier, a Ford GWP jeep, the M561 Gama Goat amphibious vehicle and the Super Mack heavy-duty truck. Ask in advance about ride fees. The museum opened in May 2016. Admission is free, although donations are accepted. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and by appointment. Ride fees for vehicles are to be determined and are subject to change without notice.

LOCATION: 4144 Abernathy Road, rural Fairfield in Suisun Valley MORE INFORMATION: 707-389-6846, info@ AmericanArmoryMuseum.org, www.americanarmorymuseum.org.

MANKA’S CORNER Manka’s Corner is a small commercial area amid the farmlands of Suisun Valley. Solano County is promoting Suisun Valley as an agricultural tourist draw and Manka’s Corner is a key part of the plan, given that it has restaurants and shops where valley visitors can stop. People can eat at the Mankas Steakhouse, see artwork at The Little Art Shop or buy used items at John’s Hauling, among other things. The area’s name comes from Christley Manka, a pioneer to Suisun Valley around 1850. He established a tavern at what is now Manka’s Corner.

LOCATION: Mankas Corner Road and Clayton Road MORE INFORMATION: www.suisunvalley.com

IL FIORELLO OLIVE OIL COMPANY Nestled in the gentle, rolling hills of rustic Suisun Valley, you’ll find Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company, home of international award-winning Extra Virgin Olive Oils, rich Balsamic Vinegar Reductions and savory treats from Il Fiorello’s expansive culinary kitchen.

The farm is certified organic and Il Fiorello is dedicated to sustainable agriculture, embracing the fundamental principles of biodiversity. Il Fiorello grows olives, citrus and a dizzying assortment of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Guests are invited to enjoy the peaceful farm and elegant gathering spaces, learn the secrets of great olive oils, savor a glass of wine or beer, indulge in charcuterie and small-bite appetizers and relax in the soothing charm of the unhurried countryside.

LOCATION: 2625 Mankas Corner Road, Fairfield MORE INFORMATION: 707-864-1529, www.ilfiorello.com 24 |

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AMERICAN ARMORY MUSEUM

GLASHOFF’S STUDIO

GLASHOFF’S STUDIO

Home to an eclectic array of art and sculptures, Phil Glashoff’s farm in Suisun Valley also shows off the agricultural side, with a seasonal fruit stand and pumpkin patch. One of the area’s most prominent artists, Glashoff’s works can be toured by appointment. Those in the area can visit for produce in October. Much of the art is made up of salvaged rusty machinery, fire extinguishers, compressor covers, motorcycle tanks and other items that had been abandoned and scattered around the farm.

The sculptures have brought Glashoff attention from around the world. Those who appreciate art find there is goodwill and humor in each piece.

LOCATION: 2489 Rockville Road, Suisun Valley MORE INFORMATION: 707-427-8060, glashoffgallery@aol.com

SUISUN VALLEY-GREEN VALLEY WINE TASTING Solano County has its own wine country in the Suisun and Green valley areas, and they offer plenty of tasting opportunities. Visitors can try locally produced wines at several locations: BackRoad Vines: tasting room at Village360, 4949 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield. 707-759-0185, http://backroadvines.com.

Caymus-Suisun Winery: 4991 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield. 707-286-1776, https://www. wagnerfamilyofwine.com.

GV Cellars: 1635 Mason Road, Fairfield. 707-8642089, www.gvcellars.com.

Rock Creek: 4610 Green Valley Road, Fairfield.

707-864-2471, rockcreekvineyard.com.

Sonoma Harvest Wine and Olive Oil Tasting Room:

770 Chadbourne Road, Fairfield. 707-389-4815, www.tastesonomaharvest.com.

Suisun Creek Winery: 2350 Morrison Lane, Fairfield.

707-864-1818, www.suisuncreekwinery.com.

Suisun Valley Wine Cooperative: 4495 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield. 707-864-3135, www.svwinecoop. com.

Tenbrink Vineyards: 4185 Chadbourne Road, Fairfield. 480-7334, www.tenbrinkvineyards.com.

Vezer Family Vineyard: Mankas Corner Winery, 2522 Mankas Corner Road, Fairfield. 707-429-3958, www.vezerfamilyvineyard.com.

Wooden Valley Winery: 4756 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield. 707-864-0730, www.woodenvalley.com.

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RIO VISTA W

ater helped give life to this Solano County community and, in 1862, helped to destroy it.

That was when the Sacramento River rose and 12 feet of water covered Rio Vista.

The community was re-established on higher ground about 2 miles from its original location where the Cache Slough meets the Sacramento River.

A wharf was built and the first church, for Catholics, was erected 1862.

A Congregational Church was also built the same year.

A salmon cannery was among businesses of the river town, which has seen rapid growth recently. Its population nearly doubled between 2000 and 2010 and California State Department of Finance projections foresee continued growth.

The Sacramento River often doubled

in films as the Mississippi River – most notably playing a starring role in numerous Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn films dating back to the early 1900s. Dozens of other notable movies – from silent to talkies – brought in famous stars and directors such as William Desmond, John Ford, Cecil B. DeMille, Jackie Coogen and perhaps even John Wayne, when “The Big Trail” was filmed there in 1930.

Along with human visitors, wayward Humpback whales occasionally make their way to Rio Vista, attracting enough attention to gridlock the tiny hamlet.

The most recent were in 2007 – a mother and calf named Delta and Dawn. Humphrey’s 1985 visit, however, is immortalized on a plaque at the foot of Main Street by City Hall.

The Chamber of Commerce likes to note that Joseph Strauss, architect of the Golden Gate Bridge, designed

the community’s largest landmark, the Helen Madere Memorial Bridge, or the Rio Vista Bridge as its known, “situated on the historic Sacramento River with a silhouette of the rolling Montezuma Hills to the south.”

Madere was a former Rio Vista city councilwoman.

The business group also boasts how Rio Vista “still maintains an easy-going small-town attitude even though it is central to the two largest population centers in Northern California.”

Moreover, the community is known to have some of the best sport fishing in the state and is host to the West Coast’s oldest striped bass derby each October – the Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival.

The Rio Vista Airport on the outskirts of town makes flying in for a day of business, lunch or just to explore the area easily accessible. The community is also home to home to “world-class”

Chamber of Commerce: 37 N. Second St., Rio Vista. 374-2700, riovista.org SUMMER 2022

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R

t i s Vi ! a t s i a V t l e i o he D

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RioVision Art Gallery

116 Main Street 707-360-5244 https://riovisiongallery.com Open Tuesday to Saturday 11-3 Sunday 12-4

Enjoy the Beautiful Promenade

707-469-3080 https://hogaugustbites.com Taking sign-ups now online Keep up to date on our Facebook pages

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Percheron horses, buffalo and the only endive producer in the United States.

Whatever you’re looking for, you will find Rio Vista a friendly, fun place to visit, right in the heart of the California Delta.

Rio Vista is trying to stay ahead of the pace by upgrading the town’s infrastructure and modernizing downtown. The community is counting on its location to

continue growth, as Rio Vista did during the days when being next to the Sacramento River allowed the town to capitalize on trade between San Francisco and Sacramento.

Now Fairfield and Lodi, each about 20 minutes away on Highway 12, are the larger nearby cities. Stockton and Sacramento are only half an hour away on nearby Interstate 5.

Spend the day, see some sights FOSTER’S BIGHORN BAR If you’re looking for big horns – literally – look no further than Foster’s Bighorn Bar in Rio Vista.

Along with an extensive menu of barbecue, steak, seafood and a fully stocked bar, the restaurant boasts a private collection of more than 250 big-game hunting specimens from Africa and North America. The collection was put together

by Bill Foster in the 1930s and ’40s. Several exotic and prized animals from his travels to Africa, Canada and Alaska hang on the wall, including heads of an African elephant and giraffe. Foster, a native of Hayward, was involved in bootlegging.

Running from the law, he moved his wildlife collection to Rio Vista, where it has remained for more nearly 100 years.

LOCATION: 143 Main St. Rio Vista MORE INFORMATION: 707-374-2511, www.fostersbighorn.com

SANDY BEACH Located on the Sacramento River near Rio Vista, the half-mile-long Sandy Beach is a great Solano County location to cool off during the spring, summer and fall and enjoy some time outdoors throughout the year. It’s open the entire year and has a 24-hour boat launch, campsites and areas to picnic that

include tables, barbecue pits, volleyball courts and a horseshoe pit.

LOCATION: 2333 Beach Drive, Rio Vista MORE INFORMATION: 374-2097 (maps and reservation information available), https://www.solanocounty. com/depts/rm/countypark/sandybeach.asp.

RIO VISION GALLERY Rio Vision Gallery offers art of the Delta region by local artists. The gallery features monthly artist receptions.

LOCATION: 116 Main St., Rio Vista MORE INFORMATION: 707-360-5244, www.riovisiongallery.com

RIO VISTA MUSEUM Step back into history when you enter the Rio Vista Museum. Local mementos from years gone by range among a wide array of artifacts – from photos and newspaper headlines to vehicles, farm equipment to clothing, books to kitchen items.

Opened in 1975, it is in a converted blacksmith shop.

Friendly and knowledgeable docents are available to answer any questions.

LOCATION: 16 N. Front St., Rio Vista MORE INFORMATION: 707-374-5169, www.riovistamuseum.com

FOSTER’S BIGHORN BAR SUMMER 2022

The town is home to a number of highly popular events in addition to the venerable Bass Derby and Festival. The city offers shopping downtown, several restaurants and the Rio Vista Museum where people can learn some Rio Vista and Delta history.

Nearly 6% of the city exists within neighboring waterways – and the community’s future may match its river past.

RIO VISTA CALENDAR OF EVENTS Summer Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. second and fourth Sundays through August. Park Delta Bay, 922 W. Brannan Island Road, Isleton. Event includes arts and crafts, locally grown produce and fresh eggs, a children’s corner, barbecue, music and nonprofit displays. Info: https://deltabay.org/foundation/.

Rockin’ the River Concerts: The Rockin’ the River concert series is sponsored by the Starlight Stage and Rio Vista Art & Music Center and includes free shows throughout the summer along the Sacramento River. The Starlight Stage is fully self-contained and includes a state-of-the-art digital sound reinforcement system and digital lighting to fulfill most technical rider requirements.

The stage boasts a performance area or 40 feet by 16 feet. Upcoming shows are scheduled July 8, July 22, Aug. 12, Aug. 19, Sept. 2, Sept. 16 and Sept. 30.

Info: Starlight Stage, 100 Main St., Rio Vista, https://www.starlightstageshows.com/.

Hog August Bites: The downtown plays host to Hog August Bites from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 27.

Highlights of the day’s event include the Chili Cookoff and the BBQ Ribs Cookoff, as well as live music, arts and crafts vendors, and a Car & Truck Show. Info: Downtown Rio Vista, 707-469-3080, www.hogaugustbites.com.

SANDY BEACH

74th Annual Bass Derby & Festival: Thousands of anglers will descend on Solano County’s Delta community for the 74th Annual Bass Derby & Festival, scheduled Oct. 7-9. The Rio Vista Bass Festival is open to anyone who loves to fish. The Rio Vista Bass Festival offers everyone a chance to get in on the fun and offers a full midway with carnival rides, games, food, drinks and live entertainment. Derby and festival access and parking are free to the public. A community parade starts at noon Oct. 9. Info: Various locations, 707-374-2700, www.bassfestival.com.

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e r o l p Ex

a t s i V o i R a t l e D e h t & Robin’s Nest 7KULIW Robin Sibert owner

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a t s i V a t l o Ri & the De

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'LVFRYHU 5LR 9LVWD (YHQWV 74th Annual - Bass Derby & Festival • Oct. 7th, 8th and 9th

Fishing Tournament-Car Show-Music-Carnival-Vendors-Food-Parade-Fireworks-Rummage Sale

www.bassfestival.com www.riovista.org Sidewalk Saturday: July 16th • August 20th • September 17th

Friday Night Free Live Music “Rockin’ the River”: Main Street • 6:30 pm – 10 pm July 8 & 22, Aug 5 & 19, Sept 2, 16, 30 • Bring a chair • Restaurants open Hog August Bites: August 28th • Rib & Chili Cookoff • Live Music Visitor Center: Open Tuesday- Saturday 10am-1pm • 33 N. Second St. • 707-374-2700 Need more information? Contact the Rio Vista Chamber at 707-374-2700

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Store Address: 37 Main Street • Isleton, CA Mailing Address: PO Box 365 Isleton, CA 95641 Current Hours: Saturdays and most Sundays 1:30PM to 4:30 PM or by Advance Notice Appointment Phone: 916-777-6795 We are on Facebook and Google for business Ebay store: www.ebay.com/usr/turtle_island_art_treasures

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Saturday, July 23 10:30am-5pm

esents: ay Museum pr Western Railw

FAMILY FUN DAY!

Take a ride on a vintage railroad speeder!

Bring the whole family out to Western Railway Museum for a day of memorable activities! Ride the interurban train, hop on a vintage railroad speeder, operate a 100-year-old velocipede and more! There will be free popcorn. Don’t forget to bring your picnic gear so you can enjoy the beautiful grounds.

Tickets: $20.00 per person Member Pricing: $10.00 per person Tickets: WRM.org or at the Museum the day of the event 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun City 707.374.2978 WRM.org Summer Hours: Wednesday & Thursday 10:30am-3:30pm Friday Closed Saturday & Sunday 10:30am-5pm

SUMMER 2022

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Discover

SUISUN CITY

P

ossibly the most mispronounced city in the county, Suisun City’s roots date back to the 1850s.

Things have changed in those 170-years plus. Yet, there’s still plenty of history.

The city dates back to 1850 when Josiah Wing, a schooner captain, found an island in the Suisun Marsh and built a wharf and warehouse there. It soon became the major agriculture shipping point for the farms and orchards in the Suisun Valley and Green Valley areas.

A train depot was built. Suisun City was bustling with several hotels along Main Street.

Fairfield was the smaller of the two towns, but that changed with World War II and with construction of what’s now Travis Air Force Base and Interstate 80. After that, Suisun City’s

growth tapered off.

The train station on Main Street opened in 1914. Historic homes line the old part of town. The Lawler House, home to an art gallery, is one of them.

It was built in 1857 as a ranch house on the land now occupied by Dover Terrace South. It was moved to its present location by a truck and barge in 1979.

Suisun City has weathered some tough years. In the early 1980s, a survey of San Francisco Bay Area communities called the town the least attractive place to live in the area, which spurred thenMayor Jim Spering to take on an ambitious redevelopment effort.

Waterfront properties were redeveloped and a crime-ridden neighborhood was razed and replaced with a Victorianstyle development. Improvements continued with the construction of a senior center, community center and library.

Suisun City’s new face earned it accolades such as Sactown magazine’s description of it as “a sweet and delightfully surprising vacation spot.”

The city now includes the modern Kroc Center near the library. The old and the new merge in both locations as the Kroc Center has come to serve as a community center.

The downtown area hosts the city’s events such as an annual Waterfront Festival and Christmas celebration.

Downtown is also home to many popular restaurants. A state-of-the-art Blue Devils Bingo Center operates in the Marina Shopping Center.

An alliance of local and regional performing arts groups now offer performances at the Harbor Theatre on Main Street and the historic train depot wrapped up its facelift recently.

One of the city’s best-kept secrets

Chamber of Commerce: Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce, 1111 Webster St., Fairfield; 707-425-4625, www.fairfieldsuisunchamber.com; Suisun City Historic Waterfront Business Improvement District: 707-631-5029, www.suisunwaterfront.com 40 |

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SUMMER 2022

may be the Suisun Wildlife Center, which is home to a variety of wildlife.

Some residents will call it home forever.

Others are there with hopes of being released back into their native habitat.

Those who have a paranormal bent can take part in a ghost walk, to potentially hear from any number of spirits

that “haunt” the downtown area.

There’s Victoria, who reportedly died in 1923 when she was 7 and is often found at the Lawler House. Michael was reportedly murdered by drowning in 1924 after he got involved in rum-running operation that resulted in him losing some of the illicit booze and paying

for that mistake with his life. The spirits of a series of prostitutes identified by paranormal experts as Iris, Hillary, Eleanor, Sweet Marie and Frances can be found at various spots along Main Street near the hotels and pool halls where they plied their trade in the decades before World War II.

Spend the day, see some sights SUISUN WILDLIFE CENTER

SUMMER 2022

SUISUN WILDLIFE CENTER

SUISUN CITY WATERFRONT

The Suisun Wildlife Center serves as a sanctuary for injured birds and wildlife and a place where people can learn about the natural world of the Suisun Marsh. It is located at the foot of Kellogg Street next to the Suisun City boat ramp. The center’s predecessor, the Wildlife Rescue and Release Services, began in 1977. The center relies heavily on volunteers who do presentations and guide field trips. It is also home to about a dozen nonreleasable raptors, raccoons, coyotes and other animals that help with the staff’s wildlife education program.

A bevy of festivals, Independence Day fireworks, shops, restaurants and cafés beckon local residents and visitors to the Suisun City waterfront. Fishermen, dog walkers and people just taking a stroll can be seen at the waterfront almost daily.

Much of the activity is centered around the Harbor Plaza at Main and Solano streets, which has hosted concerts and plenty of community activities. The waterfront is often referred to as “a jewel.”

LOCATION: 1171 Kellogg St., Suisun City MORE INFORMATION: 707-429-4295, www.suisunwildlife.org

LOCATION: Main Street, Suisun City MORE INFORMATION: www.suisunwaterfront.com

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SUISUN CITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS Choosing the Right REALTOR® Does Make A Difference DAVE FRANZONI

REALTOR®

Executive Council Cal DRE #1748267

(707) 410-9003

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FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION

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5071 Business Center Drive Fairfield, CA 94534 DaveFranzoni.com

Fourth of July Celebration: Suisun City celebrates in the afternoon with a festival along the waterfront with live entertainment and vendors, and culminates with an evening fireworks show over the Suisun Marina. Info: https://www.suisun.com/suisun-city-to-host-4th-of-july-celebration.

VOTED THE BEST OF THE BEST IN SOLANO COUNTY!

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325 Main Street • Suisun City SUMMER 2022

YOUR LOCAL REAL ESTATE EXPERT DEDICATED TO EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS

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Discover

VACAVILLE V

acaville is a people-oriented city and as such, takes immense pride in its community events, such as springtime’s Fiesta Days, the Christmas Festival of Trees, which raises money for the town’s homeless shelter, and Merriment on Main, which packs the downtown every year.

Sprinkled between these offerings are myriad events that draw the community together and attract others to the city to experience the city’s charm.

The city has a welcoming downtown with a host of small businesses, including stores and restaurants, with an active town square that hosts entertainment events on many weekends. The adjacent Creekwalk and Andrews Park are also often entertainment venues.

A thriving downtown and large, popular shopping areas – including Vacaville Premium Outlets and the Nut Tree shopping center – make Vacaville a popular shopping destination.

The city has always prided itself on being a forward-looking town, as evidenced by its biotech industry, the

arrival of Icon Aircraft, large number of electric vehicle charging stations and its family oriented community with a network of parks and youth programs.

Vacaville was founded in 1851 by pioneer William McDaniel, when he bought part of an 1843 Mexican land grant held by Manuel Cabeza Vaca with the promise that McDaniel would name the town Vacaville. The city was incorporated in 1892.

Vacaville’s most famous restaurant, the Nut Tree, opened in the 1920s as a produce stand located under a large oak next to the main road that linked Sacramento with the San Francisco Bay Area.

While the Nut Tree closed in 1996, its legacy continues in the Nut Tree shopping center, which opened in 2009.

Vacaville is not a city stuck in the past, but many residents are sweet on the old Nut Tree and what it represents.

When a sign along Interstate 80 marking the former business was taken down in March 2015, devotees of the old Nut Tree were there to mourn and memorialize the moment of cement and glass that took two years to build – and a

day to take down.

Two of the 12-ton panels of the 72-foot-tall sign that marked the site of the Nut Tree restaurant, the historic site where a San Francisco mayor was once said – erroneously he insisted – to have met with the Mafia, were preserved.

Vacaville, like much of California, boomed after World War II. Population now puts the municipality at third in Solano County, behind Vallejo and Fairfield, although many Vacaville residents would say that’s a contest they’re not entering.

Rather than look at numbers, Vacaville’s boosters say its benefits include a thriving downtown and a quality of life unmatched in Solano County.

For the sizable population of commuters, Vacaville is equidistant from the Sacramento area and the San Francisco Bay Area, connected to both by Interstate 80, which cuts the town in half.

The hills west of town shelter Vacaville, giving it warm summers with average highs in the upper 90s and mild winters with lows that can drop into the mid-30s.

Chamber of Commerce: Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, 300 Main St., Vacaville; 707-448-6424; www.vacavillechamber.com Visitors Bureau: Visit Vacaville, 1671 E. Monte Vista Ave., Suite N-110, Vacaville; 707-450-0500; www.visitvacaville.com 44 |

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SUMMER 2022

Thank You

Pam Watson

for Voting Us AMONG THE BEST in Solano County!

Stop by to see why!

Associate Broker, DRE Lic#00748546

Voted as Top 5 REALTOR® in Solano County Trusted Counselor • Skilled Negotiator p Facilitator Expert

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“A professional who has a wealth of knowledge and experience.”

“Certainly knows her business… extremely thorough.”

“Kept in touch almost every day.”

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Spend the day, see some sights NUT TREE PLAZA Nut Tree Plaza, next to Interstate 80 in northeast Vacaville, is an entertaining blend of the old and new, with a wide host of retail businesses sharing the land with a family oriented town plaza that features the restored Nut Tree train and a carousel.

The plaza inherited the legacy of the original Nut Tree, which was founded in 1921 when the Power family set up a small fruit stand under a large oak tree beside the road that is now I-80. It grew into the most popular road stop between Sacramento and San Francisco, offering a restaurant, dried fruits, toys, children’s rides, aviation books, souvenirs, gemstones and a post office. The original Nut Tree closed in 1996, only to be reborn as the Nut Tree Plaza, which offers a mix of more than 40 restaurants and businesses that includes Fenton’s Creamery, See’s Candy and major businesses such as Best Buy. Nut Tree’s town plaza offers special events such as the Vacaville Jazz Festival.

LOCATION: East Monte Vista Avenue at Nut Tree Road MORE INFORMATION: www.nuttreeusa.com

DOWNTOWN VACAVILLE Clustered around the intersection of Merchant and Main streets, Vacaville’s downtown is an active and entertaining neighborhood with activities that

Merriment on Main Christmas spectacular, the Creekwalk Concert series and a host of smaller music and food events.

LOCATION: Area surrounding Merchant and Main streets MORE INFORMATION: 707-451-2100; www.downtownvacaville.com

VACAVILLE PREMIUM OUTLETS

NUT TREE PLAZA range from summertime farmers markets and town square concerts to major events such as Merriment on Main and the Art, Wine and Brew Festival. It is a historically well-preserved town center with more than two dozen restaurants, cafes and bars sharing the sidewalks with a healthy selection of small shops and businesses that run the gamut from bicycle stores and travel agencies to photo studios and fitness centers. The downtown’s businesssupported activities include the very popular Fiesta Days festival, the mid-spring to mid-fall Certified Farmers Market, the Singer-Songwriter Competition, the community’s Fourth of July celebration, the

It’s easy to spend an entire day shopping at the impressive collection of more than 120 retail outlets in the Vacaville Premium Outlets. The retail campus is one of the largest shopping destinations in the Sacramento/San Francisco Bay area. Reviews by shoppers laud its wide selection of stores that includes major names such as Calvin Klein, Nike and Polo Ralph Lauren, as well as some really good deals for those who are willing to hunt. Reviewers’ only downside is the sheer size and its popularity for everyone from local shoppers to tour buses, which can make finding weekend parking an adventure of its own. For those who want a break from all the bargain hunting, there is a good selection of sit-down restaurants such as The Olive Garden and fast food joints such as In-N-Out Burger within walking distance.

LOCATION: 321 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville MORE INFORMATION: 707-447-5755; www.premiumoutlets.com

New to the Market!

Saturday Mornings 8am-Noon Creekwalk Plaza at Andrews Park VacavilleFarmersMarket.com

e at M t Mee arket M the

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AT AYS COMFORTABLE WAYS ALW

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Spend the day, see some sights VACAVILLE MUSEUM Since it was established in 1984, the Vacaville Museum has prided itself on preserving and educating the public about all of Solano County’s cultural and historical heritage. The museum has produced more than 40 exhibits on the area’s history, from American Indian artifacts found in and around Vacaville to the region’s famous fruit industry. It does not offer any permanent exhibits and produces two temporary exhibits every year. It also hosts public events such as Sallie Fox Day, which teaches local schoolchildren about the life and times of California pioneer girl Sallie Fox. LOCATION: 213 Buck Ave., Vacaville MORE INFORMATION: 707-447-4513; www.vacavillemuseum.org

VACAVILLE CALENDAR OF EVENTS VACAVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL

Creekwalk Concert Series: 6:30 p.m. Fridays, through Aug. 5 at the CreekWalk Plaza, Andrews Park, 614 E Monte Vista Ave. Food, drinks, beer, and wine available for purchase from food trucks and food stands. Free admission for children 12 and younger; $3 for those 13 and older. Remaining calendar: July 1, Vinyl Ride; July 4, Project 4 Band; July 8, Fog City Swampers; July 15, Time Bandits; July 22, Gator Nation; July 29, Kingsborough; Aug. 5, Cut Loose. Info.: https://www.visitvacaville.com/events/creekwalk-concert-series.

Vacaville Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, through Sept. 3.

Creekwalk Plaza at Andrews Park. Info.: www.downtownvacaville.com.

Fourth of July Celebration: Vacaville celebrates the nation’s independence downtown at 6:30 p.m. July 4 with an old-fashioned evening of music and fireworks under the stars. The fireworks show starts at dusk. Info: https:// www.visitvacaville.com/blog/fourth-of-july-guide.

Vacaville Jazz Festival: Sept. 14-16, Nut Tree Plaza, 1661 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville. The annual festival features several bands performing at various venues in downtown Vacaville and at the Nut Tree Village. Free admission.

Info.: www.VacaJazzSociety.com.

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Discover

VALLEJO

S

olano County’s largest city is classic Bay Area.

For one thing, Vallejo is located along the Mare Island Strait and San Pablo Bay, so water dominates its views. On days when such county cities as Dixon are broiling under 90-degree heat, Vallejo might have gray skies from the coastal overcast. Also, the older parts of Vallejo have more of an urban than suburban atmosphere found in many of the county’s cities.

One of the county’s biggest tourist attractions is located in Vallejo: Six Flags

Discovery Kingdom. The amusement park features such theme rides as The Joker, Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth, Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster and Batman: The Ride. The Tsunami Soaker is a tea cup-type ride that allows riders to squirt each other using large water guns.

Animal shows and attractions at Discovery Kingdom feature giraffes, seals, sharks, butterflies and other creatures.

The 149-acre Solano County fairgrounds is located nearby. It is home to the county fair each summer, but also hosts events year-round and has

a golf course.

Vallejo is home to a ferry that links it with San Francisco.

Mare Island gives people the chance to see a former naval shipyard that was founded prior to the Civil War and closed in 1996.

Mare Island also plays host to a portion of the San Francisco Pacific Flyway Festival each February, with hikes along the picturesque shoreline and viewing of the various migratory birds.

Visitors can hike in Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve.

Vallejo Convention & Visitors Bureau: 800-4-Vallejo, 642-3653, www.visitvallejo.com Vallejo Chamber of Commerce: 644-5551, www.vallejochamber.com

Spend the day, see some sights SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM

EMPRESS THEATRE

Known years ago as Marine World/Africa USA for its ocean and continental wildlife, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is now known more for its rides. Take a topsy, turvy spin on the thriller coaster, Superman, or one of the many other thrill, family or children’s rides – to include this year’s new attraction, Sidewinder Safari. See cougars and dolphins, walruses and penguins, among other animals. Take in a wildlife show, eat SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM some food and take in an exhibit. The park also transforms during some holidays, adding special attractions for Halloween and Christmas and a Fourth of July celebration that includes fireworks. Season passes are available.

Vallejo’s Empress Theatre opened in February 1912, hosting a vaudeville act. It was re-opened in 2008 after nearly 20 years of non-use due to damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The one-room movie house has undergone complete renovation and seismic retrofit.

Operated as a nonprofit, it now shows movies, hosts live performances and is rented for private events. Tours and sales of old movie posters also are offered.

LOCATION: 1001 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo (From Fairfield: Take Interstate 80 westbound. From Interstate 80, take the Discovery Kingdom exit) MORE INFORMATION: 707-643-6722 for recorded information; 707-644-4000 for administrative office, www.sixflags.com/discoverykingdom SUMMER 2022

LOCATION: 330 Virginia St., Vallejo MORE INFORMATION: 707-552-2400, www.empresstheatre.org Discover Solano

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Join us for a Concert in the Park

“COUNTRY NIGHT AT THE RANCH” Rush Ranch - 3521 Grizzly Island Road • Suisun City, CA

July 23rd

4:00 – 7:00 p.m. $25 per person • Local Entertainment by LOCKED-N-LOADED • Fundraiser for Solano Land Trust • Raffle with fabulous prizes (including a signed Guitar

by LOCKED-N-LOADED) • Food Trucks • Local Vendors • Community Partner Highlights • Beer & Wine Garden For Tickets and info please visit solanolandtrust.org/events/country-night-at-the-ranch Our Sponsors:

Solano Land Trust

198 Dobbins St. Suite A | Vacaville, CA 95688 tel: 707.432.0150 | fax: 707.432.0151

Get involved! Learn more – join us – donate – land connects us all

SUMMER 2022

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