THE BROWNS VALLEY SWING

LOCAL EXPERT: TRAVIS WILLIAMS

Do you know what I think is the best part of swinging? It’s that fraction of a second when you reach the top of your upswing, just before you come back to earth. It’s that moment of stillness where you can see your world from a slightly different perspective, and if you go high enough, get that tiny bit of weightlessness. You’re already treated to beautiful views of Vacaville from the hike you need to take to get here, but this swing can get you a little more up and over the city with Rio Vista’s windmills in the background. It might seem a little scary at first because of the downhill descent the ground takes in front of the swing but it adds so much to the feeling of being in the air that it’s easy to get over. With all that being said, this is one swing you need to try.

DIRECTIONS:

Most people use Wrenthram Drive to get there, then park along Vaca Valley Pkwy. You’ll be at the trailhead of the Browns Valley Hillcrest Boulder Loop (shout out to all my rock climbing friends!). Take the smaller dirt trail through the public fence and turn right. All that’s left is to follow the trail until you get to the swing.

ADVICE:

This is a moderately challenging hike (about 1 mile and quickly elevating) on an unpaved trail where farmers graze the namesake of the city: cows! (the town was actually named for founder Manuel Vaca, the word vaca means cow in Spanish, which makes “cowtown” a pretty irresistible nickname) So, I recommend hiking shoes and clothes and watch out for cow patties. Once you get there you’ll have access to a picnic table and a bench supplied by the Boy Scouts. For those that like to rock climb, continue up the path a little farther for some pretty epic boulders to climb.

Vacaville sits on land that was granted to Juan Manuel Vaca and Juan Felipe Peña in 1843. Originally called Rancho Lihuaytos - the name of Putah Creek at that time - the land eventually came to be known as Rancho Los Putos. In 1850, Vaca sold one square league (about 9 square miles) of land to William McDaniel with the provision that one square mile (640 acres) would be used to create a township called Vacaville. The sale caused significant controversy, as Vaca did not speak, read, or write English and later claimed that William McDaniel had misled him into selling 9 miles instead of the 1 mile he had agreed to, and the attorney for McDaniel, who profited from the sale of the land, acted as interpreter during the transaction. The land sale caused a rift between the Vaca and Peña families. Following the quarrel, Vaca sold his adobe to John Wesley Hill, prior to Vaca’s death in 1856. The Vaca adobe was destroyed during the Vacaville-Winters earthquake in 1892, but the Peña home has been carefully preserved thanks to the stewardship of the City of Vacaville and the Peña Adobe Historical Society. Visitors can tour the adobe and the accompanying Mowers-Goheen Museum, whose collection includes children’s toys from the Peña family, clothing from the turn of the century, and even a woolly mammoth bone.

Back in the Nut Tree’s heyday, Vacaville had quite a few celebrity visitors. Here are a few you might have heard of: President Ronald Reagan, President Richard Nixon, Queen Elizabeth II, Danny Kaye, Bozo the Clown, and Bing Crosby. Hankering for some throwback Nut Tree experiences? Explore the Nut Tree’s history on page 53.

Famous Footballers

When you think football, Vacaville may not be the first city that comes to mind, but many previous residents became professional football players! Jarret Bush played at Will C. Wood High School and became a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers. Other players include Vince Newsome (NFL player for Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens), Xzavie Jackson (ex-defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals), Josh Kaddu (linebacker for the Miami Dolphins) and Kyle DeVan (offensive guard for the Tennessee Titans).

Other famous athletes from Vacaville include Andy Bloom (Olympic shot putter, NCAA champion in the shot put and discus), Dennis Alexio (kickboxer, eight-time world champion), Jermaine Dye (Major League Baseball player; 2005 World Series MVP with the Chicago White Sox), and Stefan Janoski (skateboarder).

Rooted in Nature

California’s most renowned botanist, Willis Jepson, was raised in Vacaville. In 1892, at the age of 25, Jepson co-founded the Sierra Club with John Muir. He went on to have a career as a botany professor, a botanical writer, and a conservationist. Willis Jepson Middle School in Vacaville is named for him, and you can spot a big, metallic bunch of flowers and fronds on Leisure Town Road near Orange Drive that pays tribute to Vacaville’s favorite botanist.

Vacaville is home to Icon Aircraft, an aviation game-changer, and manufacturer of the world’s first light-sport aircraft. The ICON A-5 is an amphibious sport-plane that can fold up to be towed behind a vehicle. Coupled with the Nut Tree Airport and the Rowland Freedom Center, aviation is an intrinsic part of Vacaville’s past, present, and future!

A longtime favorite roadstop for aviators and road-weary travelers in need of a break and a bite to eat, the Nut Tree has grown and changed dramatically from it’s humble beginnings as a roadside fruit stand. Explore the history of California’s Legendary Roadstop and the modern day attractions you’ll find during your visit!

Harbison House is the family home around which Nut Tree grew. Luther and Hester Harbison built the home in 1907. Their youngest daughter, Helen Harbison, married Ed “Bunny” Power on the porch in 1921, and opened the fruit stand they named Nut Tree in the same year. Harbison House stands today as one of the last architectural elements of the former Nut Tree.

Nut Tree made quite an impression. For almost 75 years it stood as a vibrant stop along Highway 40. The Nut Tree showcased the fresh flavors of California’s harvests, the energy of California’s people and the diversity of California’s experiences. It was fun, it was food, it was shopping, it was private aviation, it was entertainment. In the words of Alan Temco of the San Francisco Chronicle it was “an oasis of good taste.”

After 75 years in business, the original Nut Tree closed its doors in 1996. In 2006, the Nut Tree re-opened under new management with a bold new look, a unique mix of popular retail stores, restaurants and services, as well as beloved and newly renovated Nut Tree Plaza, featuring the Nut Tree Train, carousel and other elements of the original Nut Tree. Today a visit to the Nut Tree is sure to be an enjoyable and memorable experience for the whole family.

On July 3, 1921 The Nut Tree is born! As a last resort in a terrible crop year, Helen & Ed “Bunny” Power set up a small fruit stand on the side of the road under the walnut tree Helen’s grandfather had planted and sold fruit to passers-by.

By its second year, the Nut Tree had begun offering prepared food, serving an average of 950 cars per day!

The flower shop and a gift shop opened in the main building of the Nut Tree.

Nut Tree Restaurant was serving 1,000 meals a day, and had acquired a national reputation for its cuisine, which combined “comfort food” with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Credited as the pioneer of “Farm-to-Fork” cuisine.

Due to its free pineapple appetizer, the Nut Tree grew to be the 3rd largest importer of pineapples from Hawaii.

Nut Tree opens a toy store and railroad.

The Nut Tree retail store was opened. Nut Tree Airport recorded 25k fly-in passengers.

Coffee Tree opened to accommodate customers looking for a faster meal off the newly built I-80.

Nut Tree celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Its 500 employees dedicated the founders’ tree to Bunny and Helen Power.

Grand opening of the Nut Tree Plaza.

Don Birrell was hired as Design Director, and his vision and ideas would shape the look of Nut Tree from then on.

Nut Tree Airport was opened, as a way to attract pilots to the already popular road-stop.

Richard Nixon visited during a campaign stop. The 72 foot high Nut Tree Tower sign was installed. Each of the handcrafted panels weighs 12 tons.

The first annual “Great Scarecrow Contest.” city coach

Catered the luncheon given by Governor Deukmejian for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the State Capitol.

Unable to compete in the fast paced, consumer and technology driven 1990’s, Nut Tree closed its doors, ending an era rich in atmosphere and innovation. Nut Tree re-opened as a mixed use development, nodding to its past with historical elements while reaching into the future with new shopping and restaurants.

Celebrating 100 years, Nut Tree continues to grow, offering timeless moments to a whole new generation of visitors.

City Coach is Vacaville’s primary public transit system, running six bus routes with convienent stops at medical offices, shopping centers, parks and recreation venues. 707.449.6000 - citycoach.com

BART

The Bay Area’s mass transit system operates to over 40 destinations in the Bay Area. The stations closest to Vacaville are Richmond and Pleasant Hill.

877.700.7275 - bart.gov

Centrally located, Vacaville’s gateways include the Sacramento, San Francisco, and Oakland. Getting around has never been easier with inter-city bus, taxi, and area transit services.

Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST)

Bus services from Fairfield, Dixon, Davis, Sacramento and the Pleasant Hill BART Station. 707.422.2877 - fasttransit.org

Soltrans

SolTrans rovides bus service to the cities of Vallejo, Benicia, Fairfield, and Suisun City with express bus service to the Contra Costa County communities of El Cerrito, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek at BART stations. 707.648.4666 - soltrans.org

San francisco bay ferry

The San Francisco Bay Ferry provides public ferry service in the Bay Area on three daily routes, two weekday-only routes and two seasonal routes, plus two Short Hop routes. 707.643.3779 - sanfranciscobayferry.com

Amtrak Capitol Corridor

The Capitol Corridor is a 168-mile passenger train route in Northern California operated by Amtrak between San Jose, in the Bay Area, and Auburn, in the Sacramento Valley. Vacaville/Fairfield station - 4921 Vanden Rd 800.872.7245 - capitolcorridor.org

Car Rentals, Services & Taxis

Vacaville Limosine 707.348.4900 vacavillelimousines.com

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

630 Orange Dr 707.452.0300 enterprise.com

Vacaville Checker Cab 707.457.4444

California Limo 1266 Callen St 707.453.1200 californialimo.com

Bank of America 150 Parker St 707.454.3823

Bank of the West 330 Davis St 707.448.1100

Befit Financial Federal Credit Union 640 E Main St 707.557.8900

Chase Bank 2011 Harbison Dr Ste A 707.451.6640

First Northern Bank 555 Mason St # 100 707.447.8600

Golden 1 Credit Union 196 Nut Tree Pkwy Suite L 877.465.3361

Navy Federal Credit Union 2040 Harbison Dr Ste E 888.842.6328

Travis Credit Union 2020 Harbison Dr 11 Cernon St 2010 Peabody Rd 1650 E. Monte Vista Ave 1 Travis Way 707.449.4000

US Bank 367 Merchant St 707.446.7283

Umpqua Bank 403 Davis St 707.452.7000

Valley Strong Credit Union 151 Elmira Rd 800.221.3311

Westamerica Bank 138 Peabody Rd 707.451.6980

Wells Fargo Bank 120 Browns Valley Pkwy 707.452.0783

3061 Alamo Dr 707.446.0196 event rentals

AZ Rents 2 U 800 Mason St 707.392.9197 azrentstoyou.com

Platinum Rentals 1101 Horizon Dr 707.365.7981 pseventrentals.net

Liza’s Party Rentals 1011 Mason St 707.365.6025 lizaspartyrental.com

Wolfe Party Rentals 4583 Longs Trl 707.372.7053 wolfeparty.com catering

Backdoor Bistro 820 Merchant St 707.685.9222 backdoorbistro.com

Chanterelle Catering 707.319.9083 chefwesleyreid1990@gmail.com

Chef To Go Catering 707.301.7683 cheftogocatering.com

Hank and Hazel’s 501 Merchant St 707.514.7064 hankandhazels.com

Los Reyes Restaurante 21 Town Square Pl 707.488.2113 losreyesvacaville.com banking florists

Merchant & Main 349 Merchant St 707.446.0368 merchantandmaingrill.com

Pabla Sweets and Catering 348 Merchant St 707.514.7600

Pietro’s #2 679 Merchant St 707.448.4588 pietros2.com

Villa Corona 1989 Peabody Rd 1661 East Monte Vista Ave 707.451.1230/707.451.1230 villacoronacatering.com

Brick by Brick Floral 707.365.9693 brickbybrickfloral.com

SF FLORALS 562.607.9588 sffloral.com

STEMS 218 Main St 707.451.8585 stemsfloristvacaville.net

The Red Anthurium 713 Northampton Dr 707.742.9281 rosacafeflorist.com

The Pollen Mill 707.332.1909 thepollenmill.com