The group will meet at the Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course parking lot located on Freeport Blvd. at 9:30 AM on May 26th. Departure will be at 10:00 AM. To find the Golf Course starting point, travel on Interstate 80 in Sacramento until you reach the exit for I-5 and take the exit to travel south. Continue on I-5 until you reach the exit for Meadowview Road and take that exit and travel east to Freeport Boulevard. Turn right (south) on Freeport Boulevard until you reach the course entrance on your left.

The tour will be taking a leisurely ride to Rio Vista for lunch at 'The Point' Restaurant. The Point is located on the West bank of the Sacramento River, gateway to the beautiful California Delta. At The Point, you will enjoy fine gourmet food, impressive presentations and top of the line service. After your eating enjoyment, be sure to visit their lounge with a wonderful view of the Sacramento River. Sailboats, wind surfers, fishermen & even ocean ships travel this deep water channel to Sacramento. Rio Vista is one of the premier spots to see the newest sport of Kite Surfing, a must see while on the Delta.

Beni has discovered a new Iron Forge setup in a building that used to be a theater. She says they have some beautiful things for sale, including items for inside as well as outside the house.  The garden elements are about $35 and should be of interest to all of the members. After lunch, we will stop for some Gunther's Ice Cream for dessert. During the drive, we will be exploring some of the Delta communities and seeing some beautiful river scenery. Finally we will explore the little Chinese town of Locke. Locke was founded in 1915 after a fire broke out in the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove. The Chinese who lived in that area decided that it was time to establish a town of their own. A committee of Chinese merchants, led by Lee Bing, Chan Hing Sai, Tom Wai, Chan Dai Kee, Ng So Hat, Chan Wai Lum, Chow Hou Bun, and Suen Dat Suin was formed. They approached land owner George Locke and inquired if they could build on his land. An agreement was reached. The town was laid out by Chinese architects and industrious building ensued. The founding of Lockeport, later 'Locke', was a reality. By 1920 Locke stood essentially as you see it now.

Levee construction originally brought the Chinese to this area, but by the time Locke was built most of the work was in farm labor. Locke had many businesses that catered to the farm workers and residents of this region. In the 1940's restaurants, bakeries, herb shops, fish markets, gambling halls, boarding houses, brothels, grocery stores, a school, clothing stores, and the Star Theatre lined the bustling streets of Locke. At its peak 600 residents, and as many as 1500 people occupied the town of Locke.

On August 2, 1970, Locke was added to the registry of national historical places, by the Sacramento County Historical Society, because of its unique status as the only town in the United States built exclusively by the Chinese for the Chinese.

Locke is no tourist trap, nor is it a ghost town. Its unusual, out-of-the-way charm is genuine. Perhaps it is this authenticity, without any hypocritical overtones, which brings so many out of town visitors to its doors.

Currently, there are between 70 to 80 people live in Locke. Chinese population is down to about ten.
 

If you would like to join us on the tour, please RSVP by May 23rd to Beni, so she will have a head count for lunch.

-Beni (916) 451-7387 or beniganns@hotmail.com