This weekend my family and I went on a wonderful mini-camping adventure in the California Delta.
Now if you’re a seasoned camper, it’s likely you wouldn’t categorize what we did as camping. But for me, I was proud of how much I enjoyed “roughing it”.
For those not familiar with it, the Delta is about 1,100 square miles of inland rivers in California’s Central Valley. It is a great area to spend some time if you like being on a boat or you’re just looking for a relaxed pace near the water.
The area reminds me of the South.
I lived in South Carolina for a little while when I was younger, and the marshy areas near the beaches at Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach look a lot like the waterways in the Delta.
The idea for the trip is all thanks to my in-laws. They are retired and live in the East Bay Area. A few months ago, they decided to take a day trip and drive around the Delta area.
They stumbled on a cute marina called Sugar Barge.
On the grounds there is a large restaurant and boat launch. It also has nice camping areas that are great for anyone with an RV. But what peaked our interest is that they also have RV trailers that can be rented. Which was perfect for our group.
And even better, you can rent them for only one night. So, we decided to give it a go.
On our way to the site, we stop by an awesome fruit stand in Brentwood. Everything looked amazing! So in addition to some fruit, we picked up a boysenberry pie.
This pie was ridiculously heavy, but since it is filled with fruit, I figure it is kind of nutritious, right??
We reserved two RVs at the nightly rate of $100 each. They each included a kitchenette stocked with pots, pans and utensils, a queen bed, a bathroom with shower, and a pull out bed.
My husband, step-daughter, and I all fit fine in the close quarters, but honestly, it was just for one night. I am not sure how it would be on night three or four.
Also, we weren’t sleeping on the ground in a tent per the usual camping trip, so we weren’t complaining.
We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, unpacked the few things we brought, and relaxed. Once everyone got hungry we headed up to the restaurant, which featured a live band.
It was great to sit out on the deck and look out on the water.
The food was the typical pub fare, but I was really happy when I found a shrimp and avocado salad on the menu. So good!
Back at the campsite we all sat around the fire pit, talked, and of course made s’mores.
I have to say, this was the best part.
My step-daughter leaves for college in five days, so more than ever I am soaking up my time with her. Talking and relaxing around the campfire with her was awesome.
The next day we tried to rent a boat, but unfortunately the marina has a limited number of rentals and they were all reserved. No worries- they actually have a pretty cute pool on site, so we spent our last hours on this excursion poolside.
If you live in Sacramento, Stockton, or the East Bay area and want a mini-getaway, why not consider the Delta?
The people are friendly and laid back. Both the travel time and pinch to the wallet are far less than Tahoe or the coast.
And most importantly, getting away from all the items on your to do list so you can just relax with family is simply priceless.
