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
Nearby nature: Spend a day exploring Lodi Lake
Ahh, the great outdoors. A barbecue in the park on a clear spring day. The warmth of the summer sun on a sandy beach. A peaceful walk through the fall-colored woods.
Visitors to Lodi can experience all these elements and more at Lodi Lake Park, known as the town's crown jewel because of its numerous recreational opportunities.
"There's a lot of opportunities available at the park and that's why it's so popular with all facets of the community," said Steve Dutra, the parks superintendent of the Lodi Parks and Recreation Department. "We strongly feel it's the jewel of the parks system. It's a natural setting but yet it accommodates lots of people."
Annual events include the Oooh Ahhh Festival on the Fourth of July, Lodi Adopt-a-Child's hot-rod car and Harley Davidson show, and fishing derbies.
The park is also a part of the annual Lodi ZinFest in May, hosting a barbecue and bringing in several local wineries for tasting.
Events such as Rolling in the Mud will be no longer, as the 101-year tradition of draining the lake each winter has come to an end, but Dutra said that could open the door for new events.
"With the lake filled year-round, that may give us an opportunity to build new programs," Dutra said. "We might have a boat light parade in the wintertime, or a winter stroll."
Lodi Lake, which is part of the Mokelumne River, was a low-lying puddle after wood dams were built in 1889 and 1891 in Woodbridge, but more water was stored behind the dam after the Woodbridge Irrigation District formed in 1924. The lake, as a full recreational park, was dedicated 10 years later.
The man-made lake in the city's northwest corner, which draws some 200,000 people annually, is located along the north side of Turner Road, east of Lower Sacramento Road and across from the General Mills plant.
The 53-acre nature area at the park is great for nature walks and is an enjoyable setting for bird enthusiasts, as it's a premiere habitat for various species of birds.
For those interested in learning about the wildlife along the nature trails, $1 walking tours are available at both the park and the nearby Discovery Center.
Tours are by appointment only. For more information, contact docent coordinator Kathy Grant at 339-8722.
For those who want to get out on the water, canoes, kayaks and paddle boats are available for rent Tuesday through Sunday from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.
Pontoon boat tours on the Mokelumne River are anticipated to begin in June and can be set up through the Parks Department.
For more information on entrance and reservation fees contact Parks and Recreation Department at 333-6742.