By: Edward Bennett for The Dirt
August is National American Adventure Month, and those of us in Yolo County don’t have to go too far for great adventuring. Whether you’re looking to get out of town for a day, or just seeking a few hours in the AC—we have details on ten epic Yolo County Adventures to help squeeze the last drops out of summer.
- Point Pinole Regional Park
Fees: April through October: Car/Trailer: $3; Dogs: $2/per. Guide/service dogs free.
Parking:
5551 Giant Highway Richmond, CA 94806; 120 spaces
3000 Atlas Road Richmond, CA 94806; 78 spaces
Warm? Head down I-80 toward Richmond and squint beyond the sea of isomerization tubes and sulfur recapture swashes. Just past the grickle-grasses and a ways beyond an Amazon superwow lies Point Pinole where temperatures dip 10° and cooler than in Davis. The unpaved parking lots open out into 12+ miles of rambling trails through sea air cut by the scent of eucalyptus trees. Great for socially distant BBQs, there’s an excellent quarter-mile fishing pier, and what remains of the last Giant Powder factory after the first several exploded. - Stevenson Bridge
9421 Stevenson Bridge Rd
Winters, California, 95694
Graffiti Bridge is an early 20th century landmark spanning Putah Creek about 7-miles east down Russell Blvd. Apart from its architectural notoriety as one among only three tied-arch designs in California, there’s hardly reason to make the bridge a destination, but its dogged accumulation of grim history, graffiti, and lore about the odd nexus draw people to witness and promulgate. The Bridge was slated for renovation and possible demolition in 2010, but it continues to loom indifferent to idle threats, sporting vibrant summer colors to welcome all who wander & wonder. Continue over the Bridge on your way into Winters and stop by Steady Eddy’s Coffee House or the Putah Creek Café to reup caffeine and push words around before returning home. - Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve
24875 CA-128, Winters, CA 95694
The Stebbins Cold Canyon nature reserve is a 30-minute drive west past Winters, below the Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa. UC Davis uses the space for various research projects while maintaining 9-miles of trail and parking for public use. Hikes range from easy to difficult, but weather impacts conditions, especially after fires burned through the area limiting shade cover from the sun. The twin drainage culverts below the trailhead are a regular haunt for graffiti and swears. The first summit is well worth the effort; on a charming day you can enjoy the morning’s evaporation fog off Lake Berryessa or watch the sun wink out and melt across the San Rafael mountains. - UC Davis Arboretum at Night!
1046 Garrod Dr, Davis, CA 95616
Biking through the Arboretum under a cool Davis dark sky is a rewarding recess from August’s heat. Elliott Weir’s redwoods cast their spires up into beautiful black, a mess of kingfishers congregate among oaks, nighttime pollinators stir the air making rounds of their own, and what people you may encounter seek the same palpable serenity. - UC Davis Bee Haven
Bee Biology Rd, Davis, CA 95616
This inspired space is open from dawn until dusk and is a unique place for observing bees, birds, and butterflies as they fuss over preferences among the 200+ plants. The garden is accessible by bike or by car, but a thoughtfully timed bike ride is a refreshing bookend to either side of your day. Ride west down Russell before turning south down a diverse corridor of mature olive trees, then west again briefly across a poorly maintained scratch of road where you’ll see another long symmetry of olive trees. The garden and bike racks are conspicuously on your left. Please remember to close the gate upon entering and leaving! - Beecharmers
1500 Cannery Ave, Davis, CA 95616
Have you spent facetime with a super-organism this summer? In addition to producing honey, bees cross-pollinate the means of reproduction across a tangled mosaic of ecosystems that support roughly one third of human diets. Master Beekeeper Rachel Morrison bridges awareness for kids and adults through song, dance, and hive adventures through various farm visits and hands-on experience with the fuzzy keystone species. - California State Railroad Museum
125 I St, Sacramento, CA 95814
America built its last steam locomotive in 1953, retired steam from rail in 1960, and landed on the moon in 1969. Today trains will split a room into children, zealots, and everyone else. Inside, statuesque iron horses compete for attention, yet each return visit they appear more like garnish in an evolving museum updated by volunteers & staff devoted to conveying the frenetic history that laid rail for a modern California ethos to “move fast and break things.” Squint and the collection becomes a mind-melting sub-altern exploration of historic impulses through class warfare, environmentalism, gender, modernity, and Capitalism. Did I mention there are trains?
*Pro Tip: An annual pass from the National Associates of Reciprocal Museums grants members entry to other NARM museums. Some restrictions apply, so check before choosing where to make your purchase. - Boating on Lake Solano
8685 Pleasants Valley Road, Winters
Lake Solano is part of the Putah Creek watershed just past Winters and a mile downstream from the Monticello Dam. Kayak and canoe rentals are available on weekends and holidays from April through the end of September. Rental fees are paid across the street at the Lake Solano Nature Center (campground entrance). - SkyDance SkyDiving
24390 Aviation Ave, Davis, CA 95616
If you haven’t traveled enough this summer or wonder how to spend its final days, consider SkyDance Skydiving, which compresses a lot of California into a dramatic vertical—the thrill is everything it looks, but blink and you’ll nearly miss it. Skydance has been offering adventure-optimization and velocity on 10-acres outside Davis since 1987. First timers and frequent fallers alike will enjoy support and encouragement from the upbeat and Class-A licensed staff. They offer solo, tandem, and HALO jumps above 30k feet in addition to Class-A licensing for avid freefallers. - Yolo County Mary L. Stephens Library
315 E 14th St, Davis, CA 95616
Should the August heat and adventure become too much, remember leisurely jaunts for the dog-tired & bookish await you at the Mary L. Stephens Library. No matter how you close the distance from your home, the stacks are a tranquil place to chance new thought partners and cheer on your local public librarians. The Friends of the Library hosts a three-day book sale starting the first Friday of each month, so you can start your own library among the turnstile stacks of rare & unusual donations from Davis’ storied readers. Complete the scene sprawled out on blankets with checked out books in the shade.