Central California gets a bad rap. Crime. Summer heat. Flatlands. Nothing to see. Some of that isn’t baseless, but it’s not the whole story. The valley quietly feeds the country:

Using fewer than 1% of U.S. farmland, the Central Valley supplies 8% of U.S. agricultural output (by value) and produces 1/4 of the Nation’s food, including 40% of the Nation’s fruits, nuts, and other table foods (USGS Water Resources)

In August 2025 we chose not to travel far, but to explore what lay close at hand. Our next weekend took us to Lodi, California, just north of Stockton. Lodi is a small town whose name echoes its Italian counterpart, perhaps fittingly, since both sit on a river: the Adda and Mokelumne (more below).

Kayaking and wine tasting

On Saturday morning we drove from San Jose to Lodi. Kayaking along the Mokelumne River would be our adventure for the afternoon. The river runs through the city, and a good starting point for exploration is Lodi Lake. We rented a two-person kayak at the boathouse and pushed off.

Near the launch it was a zoo. Music speakers. People drinking beer. Loud weekend energy everywhere. The surroundings became gentler as we kayaked downstream. Vineyards and manicured riverfront homes opened up by the banks. The water turned glassy. A cool breeze tempered the oppressive heat. We stooped to pick a few ripe blackberries.

It must be nice to own a house on the river and kayak among the vineyards!

Now and then a jet ski would rip past. Noise. Motor. Machinery. A flash of speed. A shout across the water. Our kayak wobbled. How fragile calm can be. Why this obsession with drowning out the river’s own voice? We preferred the steady lull of water that restores, not consumes.

Later in the afternoon we had a wine tasting booked at Oak Farm Vineyard. They can get busy. Did we mention that Central California offers wine tasting without the fuss of Napa or Sonoma? The wines themselves weren’t stellar, to be honest, and our sommelier seemed distracted. Perhaps because we looked rugged and disheveled, fresh off the kayak? But we did change in the car and tried to look respectable. After the tasting, we got a couple of extra wine glasses and carried them outside. It was hot, but overlooking the vineyards made up for it. We ordered a little food on the side. And not before long we were tipsy—oops!

That evening we splurged on dinner, which is unusual for us. Normally we cook, both to save money and because restaurants often feel like overpriced mediocrity. We first tried to find a spot at Pietro’s Trattoria, a highly rated Italian restaurant in Lodi. It was packed, with a two hour wait. No thanks. Italian restaurants in the US are a gamble anyway.

So we drove to Oxford Kitchen, skeptical but hopeful. We were rewarded: a genuinely excellent meal. We confessed to our server that we were a tipsy from the tasting and would stick to water. He smiled and asked where we had gone. He looked puzzled when we said Oak Farm, and that was it! Surely one winery couldn’t have put us out of business? It did!

We ordered small plates and shared: lamb flatbread, octopus, a fresh salad, scallops, and the dessert of the day. We developed some rules of thumb over the years for restaurants: first, small dishes outshine main courses, which are too often a drag; second, avoid meat dishes. We ordered right this time. Each plate was fresh, thoughtful, and balanced. Oxford Kitchen, well done.

We had booked an Airbnb in Stockton, about thirty minutes away. Lodi was pricey, so Stockton it was. Our place was a little urban farm. The accommodation was a converted bus, complete with shower and tiny kitchen. The bathroom was outside by the chicken coop. Cute, rustic, memorable.

Tomatoes and hiking

On Sunday morning we woke up and soon realized we were in a garden full of fruits and vegetables. Could we pick them? Are they free? We wondered. We found a note in the Airbnb’s documents that said we could pick the ripe ones. So we did! Tomatoes bursting with flavor. Peaches heavy with juice. Cucumbers. Water melons. Basil. More tomatoes. The tomatoes stole the show. We bought eggs at the nearby Safeway and cooked breakfast: eggs, bread, and tomatoes so sweet they needed nothing.

Our plan for Sunday was to bike through the vineyards of Lodi. Biking: Lodi’s signature activity, a must. But when we arrived at the rental shop it was closed. No other shop in town was open. A disappointment. So we drove instead, not our style, until we decided on a hike. We headed for the Cosumnes River Preserve.

The trail was shaded, a mercy in the scorching heat. It was easy to follow and well marked. The river was near, sometimes seen, sometimes only heard. Blackberries grew everywhere along the path, but they were not yet ripe for picking. We stopped by the water for lunch—tomatoes again, this time with mozzarella—while fending off some stubborn mosquitoes.

Then back to the car and to San Jose. We carried with us the taste of tomatoes and the memory of a Central California weekend that proved the critics wrong.

Budgeting

An expensive weekend, more than usual. Despite our frugality, we splurged.

• Wine tasting and snacks: $40 total (2 × $20 each tasting). Oak Farm waives one tasting with a 2-bottle purchase. Add snacks and two glasses of wine: $60 Oak Farm Vineyards
• Two-person kayaks (3 hrs): $60. lodiboathouse.com
• Dinner for two at Oxford Kitchen: $120 with tip.
• Gas: $30
• Groceries: $20
• Airbnb Stockton one night: $150

TOTAL: $480 / $240 each.