Winter Sunshine

Winter Sunshine
Winter Sunshine in the Desert

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

02-18-2022 Not Stuck in Lodi

These sandhill cranes are so close to Flag City RV Resort you can see the lights of the park

As I mentioned before, we have passed through Lodi repeatedly over the years. Most everyone, at least the older ones among us, remembers the old Credence Clearwater Revival song, Stuck in Lodi Again. I thought it might be fun to research what John Fogerty thought when he wrote the song. There are a couple of versions. The simplest is that he remembered Lodi from trips where his father took them camping at Lodi Lake, a place he hated. Another time he said he hoped his career wouldn't get stuck in small nowhere towns like Lodi. Either way, Lodi was a nowhere place in central California, about 30 miles south of Sacramento. I even got stuck in Lodi once with a guy I was crazy about, on a first date, late at night when his car broke down, and we shared our first kiss on the winding road from Sutter Creek to Lodi. I have loved dancing to that song ever since.

Even though I lived in Sacramento for a time, I still didn't know Lodi as an actual destination. Not until Mo and I read the fancy brochures in the main office at Flag City RV Resort did we realize just how famous Lodi is in the world of wine, and especially the Old Vine Zinfandels that we both like.

For this trip, Lodi was our southernmost extent in the excellent wine state of California. We planned three nights and two days, thinking that we could visit a few wineries. When Mo received the shiny brochure from the Lodi Visitor Information Center, we perused the glossy ads. Finally, we decided on two wineries that might give us a taste of some good wine without too much hassle or a required reservation.

Mo also decided that it would be good to do something other than drink wine and found a couple of local wildlife reserves to visit. When we mentioned our plans to friends Sue and Randy, they were full of superb suggestions for us.
  
Settling into our site at Flag City RV Resort on Wednesday evening, we were delighted to see fabulous weather predicted for the next several days. Sunshine and wine? What could be better?

One of Mo's choices, before we left home, was to visit the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, also called the Eisenberg Sandhill Crane Reserve. We had no clue that the timing of our arrival at the Reserve was crucial. Sue and Randy regaled us with tales of thousands of sandhill cranes flying in just at sunset to fill the ponds with the huge, noisy birds. They stressed that if we waited until after sunset, it would be too late, and if we were too early, there would be no birds to see.

After we got settled, we drove a few short miles north of the park to the Reserve. We saw a few parked cars near the sign north of the ponds. A few cranes were gathered, feeding and making garbled crane sounds. I love that sound! I walked toward an entrance gate where a sign notified people that the Reserve required a paid pass to enter. I asked a couple of people settling in at the benches if we needed an access pass to walk on the other side of the gate. Yup, sure enough.

I am sure that the view from outside the gate wasn't much different from the view from those benches.

We waited about half an hour before seeing swoops of cranes flying in the distance, and they were wondrous against the darkening sunset skies. A few landed in the ponds nearby but many more traveled farther west toward distant ponds.

Mo and I decided to drive a bit west along the old farm road and found more cranes resting in ponds, with only a few flying in to land. Randy and Sue said they had seen thousands flying and landing in the ponds earlier in the season. We missed the big fly-in but still got to see Sandhill Cranes.

We slept in a bit the following day, took Mattie for a couple of walks, and had a tasty breakfast at home. Our goal for the day was to explore at least two wineries in Lodi, and the first choice was the most distant, the Bokish Vineyard and Winery, about 10 miles east of town.

The sun was shining, the outdoor tables were bright red, with umbrellas that could open for shade. We laughed when attempting to sit in the extremely low chairs. I wasn't sure I would ever get up again! Mo waited outside with Mattie while I went inside the tasting room. Bokish Vineyard specializes in Spanish wines and as a lover of Verdujo wines. I was anxious to try them out. The Applegate Valley near where we live is famous for tempranillo grapes, and there were several blends and estate wines made with tempranillo grapes at Bokish.

I bought a single flight, but the steward was quite busy with wine club members buying many flights for six people at a table. After tasting a couple of wines in the flight, I said, "Never Mind. Just let me buy a glass of your Tempranillo blend for my friend and a bottle of the Verdujo for us to take with us." I think I missed the last two choices of my flight, but it didn't matter. It was more fun to go back outside and sit in the sun with Mo and the dog.

The Bokish Winery was close to the tiny town of Lockeford, the location of Lockeford Sausage.  Friends Sue and Randy told us about this historic meat market famous for wonderful sausages.  We took a little side trip on the way to the next winery to check out the store.  Mo parked along the busy road while I stood in line with several people in the tiny store.  The choices were amazing, and I left with some linguisa, some kielbasa, and their famous fair sausages.

When I mentioned to the Bokish steward that we were visiting Lodi to taste Old Vine Zinfandels, he told me about another nearby winery that we would not have chosen on our own. The Klinker Brick Winery was small and comfortable, an incredibly charming place to sit and order some of the best wines we tasted during our visit. I learned about estate wines made from a single variety of grape from a single vineyard.

Our purchase of choice was the Marissa, a beautiful wine made from 94-year-old vines. Our server was a delightful woman with a great sense of humor and a wonderful laugh. She served us al carte snacks of cheese, crackers, and salami to go with our wine. By the time we enjoyed these two wineries, it was time for us to return home.

Traveling what we thought was the main street into Lodi, we attempted to find the lovely Lodi mission arch. Mo was driving, and I was navigating but to no avail. Finally, we stopped a young woman crossing a downtown street, asking the location of the arch. Oops. She looked at me as if I were foolish and pointed to her left. The arch was less than 500 feet from where we sat at the stoplight. The history of the old arch is fun to read about if you care to take the time.

We did not need dinner after our wine and afternoon snacks and settled in with one of the best inventions we have found for traveling. We don't carry a satellite for tv. The parks sometimes have cable, but we are so spoiled with recording most of what we watch that the interminable ads drive us nuts. The choices aren't that great either. We have a smart TV and could link up our phone hotspot to the TV to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime, but that uses up data even with our unlimited plan. Instead, I fire up Amazon on my phone, turn on the screen sharing on the phone and the TV, and Wa La~~good shows to watch without using up data. For some reason, Verizon will let us use as much data as we wish as long as it isn't through the hotspot.

We planned the next day to explore wildlife reserves. Rising with the sun, I made coffee for the road, and we drove 11 miles north to the Consumnes River Preserve to find birds. The Preserve is very close to I-5, and as many times as we have traveled south on that highway, I never realized how close we were to a great destination.

The gate was supposed to be open at eight AM on weekdays, but a handwritten sign said that time might be variable. We parked in an area north of the wetlands and walked the paved pathways toward the ponds. Wooden walks were interspersed along the wetlands to allow better access. There were many ducks of several varieties, but I am not a very good duck identifier without a bird book in hand.

We then parked outside the closed entry gate to the Visitor Center, where we found a QR code with maps and information for each stop along the trails. There were even fewer birds along the wetlands near the main river channel. However, it was a delightful walk, and a few other walkers were enjoying the trail by the time we left.

Back home for breakfast, we next headed toward town for another day of explorations. Lodi Lake was our first destination. We were somewhat disappointed when we found the lake, dry as a bone except for a tiny area where a few birds huddled near the puddle of water.

I am glad that we didn't plan to kayak the lake! We walked around, a bit disconcerted when we saw the signs saying No Dogs On the Lawn. What good is a park where dogs can't play? This was the part of the day that was designed specifically for Mattie!

We walked the roads a bit, checked out the campground, and marveled at the boat ramp to nothing. I couldn't figure out what white bird species were huddled by the little bit of water until I zoomed in on the photo. They were American white pelicans, one of our favorites from the Klamath Basin where we once lived.

After our lake exploration, we traveled north of town to another winery we chose from the brochure. The ad for Viaggo Vineyards and Winery was particularly glossy. The entry gate was impressive, and once inside, the long stone pathway was lined with plants and sculptures.  

Mo settled into a table, and I entered the large, overly impressive tasting room. The room was opulent beyond description, and the person serving the wine wasn't particularly welcoming. I ordered a single flight with plans to get another glass of something for Mo and buy a bottle of choice.

I have to say the wines were awful. I walked around and checked out the grounds, where the main house was a McMansion of grandiose proportions. I decided that this winery was a pet project of someone with way too much money and very little knowledge of wine.

I learned later that Viaggo Winery was considered a "venue" for weddings more than a place for excellent wine. While we were sitting at our table, a large group of chatty and giggly young women arrived, and the wine steward was all over welcoming them to the property. To him, I am pretty sure two old ladies ordering a single wine flight were chopped liver.

After a disappointing day visiting Lodi Lake and Viaggo Winery, we returned to the MoHo. I still wanted to see the Michael David Winery, (even if you haven’t bothered to click on the links, don’t miss this one ) just a few short blocks east of the RV Park. We discovered that visiting wineries could be very limited by timing. Most of the wineries we visited were open from noon to five on weekdays and often closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

We settled at the outdoor tasting bar at Michael David just 15 minutes before the last tasting. The wine steward offered us a menu, but I was disappointed that several wines were types we weren't interested in tasting. I told him we were in Lodi to experience Old Vine Zins, and he said under his breath, "I am not supposed to do this, but what the heck." He poured a glass of one of the zins for Mo and a glass of the best zin they had for me at the cost of two tastings. He was fun, the grounds were beautiful, and by the time we finished our wine, both of us were feeling quite content about the ending of the day.

Our exploratory visit to Lodi ended on a good note. Considering that we drank the equivalent of two glasses of wine each day, I don't think we overdid. We bought three bottles of wine, not the least bit excessive. Maybe that last bottle of Old Vine Zin from an estate vineyard at Michael David was a bit extravagant, and we will save that one for a celebration of something fabulous.

13 comments:

  1. Hahaha, find something to do other than drink wine..... can u get these at local stores or only at vineyard or in calif??

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    1. I am not sure about that, Loree. Probably not in local stores, but maybe at some of the wine internet buying things. No clue. Our three bottles plus the ones we have saved from some local wineries are plenty for us at the moment.

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  2. Lots of reasons to visit Lodi. Love your stories. Very cool to see Cranes. I don't know shit about wine but that sausage looks divine. Absolutely love to get friendly recommendations when traveling and find these kinds of hidden gems. The arch is much like Bakersfield. I am looking up this "screen sharing" you speak of. After not seeing a lake I now agree with John Fogerty, but like your story better. Seems great you chose to be stuck in Lodi, again.

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    1. I had to search all the arches along old Highway 99 in historic California, and couldn't find another one that was this mission style. Funny, somewhere I thought I saw more, maybe in Corning or something, but the internet yielded not a one. Lots of arches, though, and I remember the one in Bakersfield. You sent me down a rabbit hole, Gaelyn.

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  3. Good thing you weren't stuck in Lodi! You'd miss Grants Pass. All the NWR's and preserves/reserves are losing some of their bird fowl already. Nice that you could see the Sandhill Cranes so close and ducks and pelicans. We enjoyed our little foray into the valley rice fields to see birds. Don't know one wine from another, but I guess you guys did all right. I thought a flight was something you did when you flew somewhere. :-)

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    1. I only learned about wine flights late in life. Remember that sign at Awful Annie's advertising "bacon flights"? I guess it is a thing now.

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  4. Your visit to Lodi sounds wonderful! Cranes, scenery, wine--what more does one need!! Mike's son Lonn gifted me a very, very nice bottle of wine when he left--I'm saving it to drink with his daughter this summer as she loves good wine.

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    1. I had fun when we got home, lining up the bottles in order of cost, marking which ones were to be saved an not used by mistake for Tuesday night pizza!

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  5. Wine tasting — even if some were disappointing and wildlife refuges ... sounds like a good plan. Great encounter with the sandhill cranes.

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    1. It turned out to be a lovely combination. We counted the wineries, and at our limit of two per day, we would have to stay in Lodi for at least a month to check them all out. Probably not going to happen in this lifetime. We still haven't been to many of the great wineries in our local area! I did love seeing the sandhills, even if there weren't as many as others have seen in other places. Still wonderful, and I do love that sound.

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  6. Love that song. I heard the town was a stop sign until it capitalized on the song’s popularity. Might be fake news. Glad to hear about the wildlife reserves and see the pelicans and cranes. Sorry you missed the big fly in.
    Since I’m not much for wine, I don’t do wineries or breweries for that matter but the sausage spot is the one for me. YUM. LOL at your finding the arch. Sounds just like something I would do.
    I really want to know how you have enough bandwidth on your phone hotspot to watch TV. I’d be out and down to throttled in one program. I must be doing something wrong. Everyone else on the road can stream but not me. I take it your “unlimited” must be truly unlimited rather than throttled at a certain point so it’s impossible to do anything but email. I need to learn about screen sharing obviously. Thanks for the tip. You’d think I’d know this stuff as long as we’ve been on the road. I have 2 phones and a hotspot and still can’t do anything.

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    1. we do NOT use our hotspot to watch tv.  In fact, when I turn on smart view, it requires that I turn OFF the hot spot if it is open.  Not sure about all companies, but Verizon has a policy that if you are not using your hotspot, then streaming TV or whatever is truly unlimited.  So far, I haven't been slowed down or shut down.  Our phones are Samsung Smart phones.  There is a button that is located in the same place as other little buttons.  It is an app, but not in the app page, it is part of the phone, like the flashlight.  It is called Smart View.  If you turn it on, it will look for anything around that has a screen to share.  We turn on our smart tv, I think it is an LG or something, not sure, but it is "smart".  On the TV, in the input button, there are choices between tv, cable, and something that on our tv is called screen sharing.  You open that button, turn on screen sharing, and it will see your phone.  You phone will  then see the tv.  It will say, connecting, and before long the tv will show whatever is showing on your phone.  We then open any app we want to watch on the phone and can see it full screen on the tv.  It takes a bit of practice, sometimes you have to open and close the button because it will buffer with weird jerks, but after a time or two it works great.  If our phone is plugged in we can watch live tv from live tv apps in addition to streaming services that we have on the phone like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Paramount.  I pay for one at a time however.  Live TV has apps that will let you watch live for a few minutes but then we have to log in with our Spectrum cable password.  Those live tv channels won't let you watch unless you have a cable subscription somewhere.  Infuriating actually, but we do so it works.   But not needed for things like Netflix.  Just be sure to do everything on your phone, log in, turn on the movie, make your choices for a movie or whatever.  Then turn on the screen sharing button.  It is easier if you have it ready to go before you start sharing.  Of course, this only works if your phone provider lets you watch unlimited from your phone.  If they charge for streaming from the phone, you are out of luck.  For us, we only lose our "unlimited" minutes if we watch using the hotspot with the tv or the computer.  So far, so good.  Once we couldn't get the screen sharing to work.  If there are too many devices near you, aka in a crowded park, it can sometimes get confused as to which to show.  That time we just gave up and watched a movie on the computer using our hot spot and our minutes.  One movie used up quite a bit, but still didn't hurt us overall.  Also, keep in mind that we aren't traveling continuously for the full month, so that is another factor to consider.  Hope this isn't too complicated or redundant, and maybe helps you to figure out the screen sharing thing.

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  7. Klinker Brick has long been one of our favorite Old Vine Zins! How cool that you went to the winery. Now I want to go there. :-)) I'll also put Michael David on our list. Wildlife refuges and wineries seem like a pretty perfect destination to me. I have good memories of watching the Sandhill Cranes arrive at sunset at Bosque while enjoying a picnic happy hour of wine and hors d'oeuvres. It's the little pleasures in life that make it special, isn't it? You and Mo are good at that.

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