Writer Carole Jacobs enjoyed a quick getaway to Fairfield in Solano County, California, on a recent autumn weekend. She found it to be as fun for kids as adults (save the wine tasting for the grownups) and shares where to go, what to see, and where to eat, to enjoy the area like the locals do. With the exception of a few fall-centric activities (we’re talking to you, pumpkin patches), Carole’s article makes a fine guide for a weekend getaway in Solano County any time of year.

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Enjoy a Family-Friendly Fall Weekend in Solano County California

The smell of wood smoke, the sound of leaves crunching under your feet, a landscape ablaze in orange, crimson, lemon: California’s Solano County is the perfect place for you and your family to feast your senses on the seasonal joys of autumn.

California’s best-kept secret is set between two coastal ranges midway between Sacramento and San Francisco. The bucolic wine-growing and agricultural region is home to the historic towns of Fairfield and Suisun City, the vast Suisun Marsh, and both the Suisun Valley and Green Valley wine districts, two of California’s undiscovered wine countries growing 20-plus varieties of grapes.

Solano County is a kinder, gentler, and less trampled version of neighboring Napa and Sonoma. What you won’t find here are lavish wine estates with astronomical tasting fees, limos pulled up to luxury inns running $900 a night, and bumper-to-bumper traffic on “back roads.”

What you will find are downhome wineries where the vintners do the pours; homey restaurants serving winemaker dinners; quirky museums where you can ride a vintage streetcar; historic ranches-turned-nature preserves where you can hike, spy on hawks and kayak through estuaries; a cornucopia of U-pick orchards and Ma-and-Pa farm stands; and miles of country roads linking vineyards, pastures, marshlands and estuaries. Pack the car and bring the kids. They’re more than welcome here.

You’ll find pumpkins of various shapes and sizes at Larry’s Produce in Solano County. Photo by Carole Jacobs.

Hungry for more? Learn about Fairfield’s wineries in this article.

Friday in Solano County:

2pm: From the Sacramento and San Francisco airports, it’s an easy 45-minute drive to historic (1858) Fairfield, the commercial hub of the Suisun Valley. Your base camp for the weekend is the sleek Courtyard by Marriot Napa Valley Area, located a short drive from everything you want to see in the area, and offering cushy rooms, an onsite restaurant with an espresso bar, healthy fare, evening cocktails, a fitness center, pool, and plenty of free parking.

3pm: For a sugar perk-up after a long flight or drive, scoot over to the Jelly Belly factory (eight minutes), home of the iconic candy. (Ronald Reagan was such a fan he sent the candy into space with the astronauts.) Learn why it takes an entire week to make one jelly belly—from the inside out! Flavors range from best-sellers like Very Cherry and Licorice to failed factory experiments like Canned Dog Food and Dirty Dishwasher—designated duds your kids will love telling all their friends about.

5pm: Head back to the hotel to relax before dinner.

6pm: Drive into historic downtown Fairfield, founded in the mid-1800s by a homesick clipper captain from Connecticut who named it after his hometown. Walk around the cute shopping district before settling in for pizza at Evelyn’s Big Italian, a good chaser for Canned Dog Food! The founder, Piero, was  born in the same town in Italy where the Sopranos originated.

A glimpse of Historic Downtown Fairfield. Photo courtesy Visit Fairfield.

Saturday in Solano County:

8:30am: About 10 minutes away is historic Suisun City (1850s), which backs up to Suisun Bay, a shallow tidal estuary that’s a northeastern extension of San Francisco Bay. The city’s location on the bay, as well as along the Transcontinental Railroad, made it an important inland port and transportation center during the California Gold Rush. Today, the town is home to small restaurants, cafes, shops and tidy neighborhoods of lovingly restored Victorian and craftsman cottages and bungalows.

Bab’s Delta Diner, a Solano County institution, with some 100 “regulars,” is the place to chow down on a farm-style breakfast. The portions here are trucker-size, so order accordingly, but don’t pass on the hubcap-size huckleberry pancakes and corned beef hash, both homemade. For a commanding view of the city’s picturesque little harbor, marina, and lighthouse, nab an outdoor table with umbrella and dine al fresco.

The view outside Bab’s Delta Diner in Solano County. Photo by Carole Jacobs.

10am: Right behind Bab’s is historic Lawler House, a stately 1857 residence that houses The Solano History Exploration Center. Bone up on the area’s fascinating marine and railroad history (ask Richard for a quick tour), then take a self-guided historic walking tour of Suisun City, Native American for “Where the West Wind Blows.” (Hold onto your hats–they weren’t kidding!)

11:30am: Head to Scandia Golfland, where you and the kids can race around in go-carts, crash into each other in bump boats and compete in miniature golf.

12:30pm: Then beeline to Larry’s Produce, your one-stop-shopping place  for all things fresh. Grab one of the farm’s big wheelbarrows (kids ride free!) and roll past every imaginable type of just-picked vegetable, fruit and nut. During the local fall pumpkin harvest, the outdoor section of the market is a sea of orange with pumpkins in every size, shape, and variety, including “Red Warty Things” that look like they’re on loan from Aliens.

After you’ve zoned in on the perfect pumpkin, take a stroll through the corn maze (don’t get lost!), then pile into the farm’s authentic stagecoach, a relic from the days when the Pony Express came through town., for a ride around the U-Pick fields. Grab lunch at the taco or fried chicken stand to bolster yourself for an afternoon of wine and food tasting.

Families love the pumpkin patch at Larry’s. Photo by Carole Jacobs.

1:30pm The Suisun Valley and Green Valley share a Mediterranean climate (sunny days and crisp nights) that’s particularly conducive to winegrowing. Although local vintners have been growing grapes here since the 1800s, for decades, most sold their grapes to neighboring Napa.

Then several local growers decided to open their own tasting rooms– and two stars were born. In 1982, both Suisun and Green Valley gained official recognition as American Viticulture Areas. Today, more than a dozen wineries are best known for their Petite Sirah, Merlot, and Cabernet.

Just down the street from Larry’s is the Suisun Valley Wine Coop, housed in a rustic building. Drop in for an overview of the local wine scene and to sample three distinct, family-owned micro-wineries, including Blacksmith Cellars, Sunset Cellars, and King Andrews Vineyards.

2pm: Around the corner is Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company, a family-owned, artisan olive oil company where owners Ann and Mark Siever produce oil from their grove’s 2,000 organic olive trees. After a field tour of the groves housing varietals from Italy, Greece and Spain, return to the tasting room for a comparison tasting.

2:30pm: A stone’s throw away is Wooden Valley Winery, where three generations of the Lanza family have been producing award-wining wines for 85 years, including Sirah, their “flagship wine.”

3pm: Tucked on a nearby country road is Cal Yee Farms, one of the Valley’s oldest agricultural operations. Founded in 1890 by  a Chinese immigrant, the farm now grows and sells a wide array of dried fruits and nuts – from mango with chili and wasabi to gummy bears and chocolate-covered nuts the kids will love.

4pm: Head back to the hotel to relax and refresh before drinks and dinner on the town.

5pm: Drive to Mankas Corner Road, where the Suisun Valley Filling Station & Visitor Center, a vintage gas station-turned-homey tasting room, and Mankas Grill, housed in a former (1853) stagecoach stop, face off from opposite corners. Try one of the Filling Station’s private label varietals or local craft beer from the Bruehole Benecia Brewing Company, which makes imaginative brews like Fruitful Wild with strawberry and guava, and Chili Water lager, laced with corn and lime.

5:30pm: Then cross the street to Mankas Grill for creative twists on downhome staples. Try the garlic truffle fries, Hungarian Rubbed Ribeye or Grilled Portabella Burger paired with local wines.

Wine pouring at Mankas Grill. Photo courtesy Visit Fairfield.

Hungry for more? Pack a picnic and take a hike with this guide.

Sunday in Solano County:

8am:  Fuel up for an active day at The Valley Café, dishing up country-style grub like loaded omelets, pancakes and several types of eggs benedict. Or go whole-hog with homemade grilled biscuits swimming in pork sausage.

10am: Walk off breakfast at the Western Railway Museum, a 22-acre indoor-outdoor museum with 50-plus historic streetcars on display, vintage streetcar and interurban train rides on 22 miles of track, and historic railway exhibits.

Western Railway Museum’s vintage streetcar ride. Photo courtesy Visit Fairfield.

1pm: Then do lunch at nearby Chez Soul, featuring the authentic Southern cooking of Louisiana native Cheryl Reed. Try the Cajun Jambalaya (the kids will love the Chicken and Waffles!), and buy some home-baked goodies to-go for your afternoon hike. The homemade Peanut Patties and 7up Pound Cake travel well in daypacks.

2pm: It’s just a short hop to Grizzly Island Road, a barely-2-laner that rollercoasters up to historic Rush Ranch Open Space, a 2,070-acre working ranch in Suisun Marsh, the largest contiguous estuarine marsh in the U.S. Pick up a South Pasture Trail Guide from the visitor center for the 1.6-mile loop hike through the ranch “boneyard,” where rusting farm equipment has been put out to pasture in waving grasslands.

4pm: Back at the visitor center, take a scenic sunset drive to Grizzly Island Wildlife Area. The windy-twisty road threads seven miles between lost marshlands and endless estuaries that flow toward the setting sun.

6pm:  Head back to the hotel to freshen up.

6:30pm: Drive back into downtown Fairfield for a farewell dinner at Two60 Kitchen + Bar. Your kids will love the fish and chips and humongous Two60 burgers, while The Shrimp Capellini Al Fresco, a fragrant blend of onion, garlic, tomato, white wine, basil and butter sauce, paired with a local wine or craft cocktail, is the perfect way to cap your visit.

— Story by Carole Jacobs, Real Food Traveler’s Health & Fitness Editor

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