Arts
- Simply the best of Lodi
- Star watch: Enjoy a movie in style
- Lo (ho, ho, ha, ha) di
- Rhythm of the night
- A season for a festival
- Keeping it cool: Jazz scene popular in Lodi
Food
- Much more than secret sauce
- Edible, incredible Lodi offers food treats for finicky feasters
- List of area restaurants
Recreation
- Take off!
- Par for the course
- Mokelumne River more than Lodi's northern border
- Fun in them there hills
- Nearby nature: Spend a day exploring Lodi Lake
- Outstanding ornithology: Birds just love Lodi
Shopping
- L.O.D.I. spells hidden treasure in antiques
- Dollars and sense: There are plenty of places to shop in Lodi and the surrounding area
- Chocolate lovers rejoice!
- Find the perfect ‘Lodi' gift
Things To Do
- Perfect day includes walking, eating, playing
- Time alone or with family can be perfect
- Lodi's past comes alive
- Museum reveals Lodi's ag roots
- Move over Wonka
- In all directions, fun is a stone's throw from Lodi
- Discover: The big list
Wine
Multiple transportation options available to and from Lodi
More than 100 years ago, the first Lodi residents arrived by train at a dusty stop in the Central Valley to settle in the region known for its fertile soil.
Today, visitors can still arrive in Lodi via train, but instead of a rough-and-ready frontier town, they'll be treated to an up-and-coming wine tourism destination known more for its attractive downtown than its (still) fertile soil.
A variety of transportation options await those making trips to Lodi and the region, and included are a few tips on how to dress and what to expect when visiting the region.
Train and bus service
Amtrak trains make four stops a day at the local Lodi station, with trains going north and south. Visitors can reach multiple destinations throughout the Central Valley by trains leaving Lodi. Call Amtrak at (800) USA-RAIL or go online to http://www.amtrak.com for detailed fare and schedule information.
Travelers can also link to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) at the Concord station, a little more than an hour's drive from Lodi.
Greyhound offers bus service to Lodi from cities throughout the state. For more information call (800) 231-222 or visit http://www.greyhound.com.
Both Greyhound and Amtrak, as well as local bus services, originate at the Lodi Station, located just blocks from the city's thriving downtown.
San Francisco: 1 hour, 33 minutes
Reno: 2 hours, 42 minutes
Redding: 3 hours
Bakersfield: 3 hours, 58 minutes
Los Angeles: 5 hours, 19 minutes
Eureka: 5 hours, 44 minutes
Portland, Ore: 9 hours, 42 minutes
Source: MapQuest
The city of Lodi operates two bus services, GrapeLine and Dial-A-Ride. GrapeLine has routes throughout Lodi and connects to regional transit lines serving Stockton, Manteca and Tracy. Dial-A-Ride features door-to-door pickup service for all passengers and can be reached at 333-6806.
Car rental agencies
Alamo Rent-A-Car: (888) 426-3296
Enterprise Rent-A-Car: (800) 736-8222, Lodi office 369-2000
Hertz: (800) 704-4473, Galt office 745-0391, Lodi office 333-3361
Airports
Situated at the intersections of Highway 12, Highway 99 and Interstate 5, Lodi is readily available from all major airports in the Bay Area and Sacramento.
Sacramento International Airport: Located on Interstate 5 about 12 miles northwest of downtown Sacramento, the airport is served by several major airlines. Frequent non-stop flights leave and arrive daily, as well as connecting flights to international destinations. For more information, go to http://www.sacairports.org
San Francisco International Airport: It's the Bay Area's largest aerial hub served by nearly 30 airlines and accessible by several transit systems, including BART. For more information, call (650) 821-8211 or visit http://www.flysfo.com.
Oakland International Airport: Although smaller than San Francisco's airport, Oakland's airstop still offers flights from most major U.S. cities and is located off Interstate 880. Contact airport information by phone at (510) 563-3300 or go online to http://www.oaklandairport.com.
Travel tips
Geography
Lodi is situated between Interstate 5 to the west and Highway 99 to the east. Highway 12 runs through town, connecting both freeways.
Highway 88, the pathway to the Sierra Nevada foothills, intersects Highway 12 about five miles east of Lodi in the community of Lockeford.
Galt, a small city of 22,000 residents, is about 8 miles north of Lodi, located in Sacramento County off Highway 99.
The Mokelumne River is the city of Lodi's natural northern border and flows into the Sacramento River Delta near the community of Terminous, which lies about 9 miles west of Lodi.
Weather
Summer days can be unmercifully hot in Lodi with temperatures in the high 90s and 100s, but, more often than not, a cooling breeze will blow in from Delta in the evening. Winters are cool and rainy. The average high in July is 91 degrees and the average low in December is 37 degrees. Average annual rainfall is 18.8 inches.
What to wear
Shorts, skirts, light shirts and tank tops are the norm from late April to October. During the spring, expect the unexpected as warm weather can quickly be followed by cold downpours. From November to February, dress for rain and cold temperatures.
Contact reporter Andrew Adams at andrewa@lodinews.com.