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There
is no shortage of things to do in the California Delta, if you feel that you must be doing something. Here are a few things
to help you enjoyably waste a few idle hours.
One of our best assets is that our homes are just 12 minutes to fast
water. At the fast water marker we have Mariner's Cove Marina with fuel availible coming and going from the house. This is
very convienent for folks that enjoy boating and like to get out early with a full tank. Fishing, boating, skiing and water sports are just minutes away. We are on Taylor Slough on Bethel
Island. Taylor Slough is a 4 mile slough that is great for all water sports including fishing. You can boat Taylor Slough
to False River, go left to the San Juaquin River or right to Franks Tract. One of our favorite places to Ski is in Fisherman's
Cut off of False River.
PICKING WILD BLACKBERRIES.
Wild blackberries grow profusely along the banks of many California Delta waterways. This is a tenacious plant that seems
impossible to kill. These berries make good eating, but picking them is a bit tricky. You should wear long sleeved shirts
or blouses, trousers or slacks, and gloves.
Although many people drive their vehicles out to where the berry bushes
are, and then pick them while on foot, it's more fun to pick them from a boat. Seasoned California Delta berry pickers will
construct a foldable walkway to carry on the boat. They will bring the bow of the boat right up to the bushes, then lay the
walkway on top of the bushes. Thus, they are able to get far back into the bushes where no one else has yet picked. Some berry
pickers bring big sections of carpet to place on the bushes and this usually will support a person. Picking from a dinghy
lets you get close to your work.
You need the use of both hands to be a good berry picker. Grizzled berry pickers
will have buckets with a clip that fits on their belt. Look Ma, no hands. I am not certain just when berry picking season
starts. But usually it is in full force by the time we anchor up in The Meadows in mid-July. So, evidently, berry picking
season starts sometime in June.
CANOEING & KAYAKING. We receive quite a few inquiries on canoeing and
kayaking in the Delta. Although most of the California Delta waterways themselves are amicable enough for these activities,
boat wakes from powerboats can be a detriment, especially on summer weekends. The solution then would be to canoe or kayak
on Delta waterways not popular with powerboaters and at times when the fewest number of powerboaters are apt to be present.
We can offer a few suggested spots.
(1) Sevenmile Slough has almost no access for powerboats. Sevenmile slough
is no longer accessible from Brannan Island State Park. The swim area at the park is on Sevenmile Slough however some 100
yards beyond the swim area the slough stops at a man made embankment after which all land around the slough is privately owned.
It is no longer possible to go from Brannan Island State Park to near Owl Harbor.
Brannan Island State Park
has a program of inexpensive guided canoe trips part of the year and they provide the canoes. We don't know any place in the
Delta that rents canoes, but suggest you check the telephone companies' yellow pages. It seems we are still a working-class
society, toiling at our jobs nine-to-five Monday through Friday. Even in the Delta's prime summer season, weekday boating
traffic is light.
Golfing on the Delta; We have a great public course on the island... Bethel Island Golf is a
short drive from the house with full services and dinning.
There are a few possibilities
for those who want to include some golfing with their boating. There are some very nice private golf courses near the water,
but you need to play as a guest of a member. Such courses include the Discovery Bay Country Club, the Stockton Country Club,
Brookside Country Club (Stockton), and probably others. Stockton has a new public 9-hole golf course now that the Port of
Stockton has taken over the Navy's Rough And Ready Island. This even has possibilities for boat docks, but we'll wait and
see. Another public golf course in Stockton is just over a mile from Village West Marina (take a hike, cadge a ride, or call
a taxi). Two golf courses are in the works north of Stockton on Eight Mile Road, probably a couple miles from Paradise Point
Marina (one is now open). There's an 18-hole golf course on Bethel Island, probably a mile from the nearest marina. There
is a nice new golf course very near Freeport Marina, which is of course located in Freeport. The Ryde Hotel has a small nine-hole
golf course, and at times even features night golf. The Ryde Hotel has a guest dock. If you visit the Delta and have your
wheels, finding a handy course to play should be no problem at all.
Check out the California
Delta website for happenings in the area during your reservation days... there are many entertainment activities listed throughout
the year. www.californiadelta.org
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