Location: Escalon
Top Things to do in Escalon
Countries
The 10 Best Things to Do in Escalon, United States
Escalon is a city in San Joaquin County, California, United States. The population was 7,132 at the 2010 census, up from 5,963 at the 2000 census. Its name derives from the Spanish word for "step" or "stepping stone".
Restaurants in Escalon
1. Lavender Hollow Farm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By OLGA P - STOCKTON
I wish this place was open more often they are only open during the lavender blooming season and then they are very busy. They offer crafting classes and boxed lunches, all of which we have participated in and have no complaints.
2. Galaxy Theatres
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 57 reviews
Reviewed By Paris881 - Sydney, Australia
Friendly staff, kids friendly cinema, my kids loved the reclining chair, As a parents just sea, relax and sleep while kids watching the movie.
3. Denise’s Farmers Market
Overall Ratings
5 based on 20 reviews
Reviewed By Jamielyn O - Oakland, California
They have 2 locations, in Lathrop and Ripon, but we usually go to Ripon. You pull up to a playground and picnic tables, where I can let my daughter out and watch her run out some road trip energy. The market has a good selection of fresh fruits and vegetables where I may grab some groceries to bring to the site. They have a good selection of nuts, dried fruits, and trail mixes packaged in little baggies. These are perfect for snacking in the car or bringing with us for daytime exploring in the park. This time we grabbed some salt and pepper corn nuts, dehydrated beet chips, and onion chips, and a small pumpkin that she wanted to decorate. If we are a bit hungry and looking for food, we can pick up warm BBQ sandwiches there and picnic at the playground. We are pie people, so we’ve been known to pickup a pie for breakfast the next morning. Local vendors have also stocked the place with jams, jellies, honeys, various butters, pickled produce, and more. I love looking through all of them to see if maybe there is something interesting that I haven’t tried yet. Since this was our first time visiting in the fall, we had never seen their pumpkin set up, which is super sweet. Even in the drizzling rain, she ran out the car to explore all the different types of pumpkins in their field.
4. McHenry Mansion
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 119 reviews
Reviewed By SkinnyEddy
Our docents have always been friendly, knowledgeable, and courteous. If you want some local history and sometimes, depending on you docent, personal reminiscences about early Modesto, this is one of the best places to find it.
Enjoy yourself, we have several times.
I have seen several wedding parties use the grounds for pictures. I don't know if there a charge for this.
Great place for 6-years and up to get a glimpse of the past.
5. Holy Family Catholic Church
Overall Ratings
4 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Rainbow8 - Pittsburgh
We were running late and the parking at Saturday 5:00 Mass is horrendous. We arrived about 5 minutes before mass and it was totally packed. You could see places to sit here and there. There were ushers but they weren't much help at all even though we stood in the back looking desperately for a place to sit. We didn't feel comfortable pushing people in but had the usher stepped in, it would have been better.
The church is beautiful though. They should be aware that there are visitors needing assistance.
6. Oakdale Cheese & Specialties
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 69 reviews
Reviewed By CharlotteDayTripper - Charlotte, North Carolina
Not expecting an "upscale" cheese factory in Oakdale, but a nice surprise. Their specialty seemed to be Gouda, and all the samples were great. Nice little gift shop with all the clever and cute cheese accoutrements, and a viewing window in the back where we watched them "wash" cheese and move the rounds for circulation. A grilled Gouda sandwich was for sale, which I would pass on, as it was tasteless and greasy to me. Bonus were cheese curds, with a nice squeak. The outside boasted a lovely lake shaded by large cheese, complete with ducks and picnic tables. A nice oasis in the desert.
7. Bass Pro Shop
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 164 reviews
Reviewed By candydawn - turlock, california
We went to buy boots....what a great selection! The store is fantastic, great lay out, atmosphere.....but really wanted to compliment the staff. All were friendly and helpful and there seemed to be no lack of help in any department. So, thanks Bass for a fun-filled field trip.....there's just not that much to do in Turlock! Then off to Pete's Ale House we went.....which made the day even better.
8. Lucca Winery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By MyeracScythe
In the land of California there are thousands of vineyards to visit, with that multiplied of wines to try. So many good to great wines and at so many different price points. Some major brands and some unknown. But rarely does luck strike twice in a few years, and guide you to a family vineyard that is still in its emergence. Where the wine is made with hand crafted care, the family is involved from farm to table of the grapes, and the personality is in the glass. I have found myself fortunate enough to have purely stumbled upon this very situation.
If you are in the east side of the San Francisco area and have a few hours, enjoy great wine, I encourage you to make the trek to the little town of Ripon. It's about 25 minutes south of Lodi, about 15 minutes north of Modesto. And you will need a map/gps to find the vineyard.
First thing, don't look for vines, look for orchards, as this winery is tucked in amongst them. Secondly, be ready for a family feel, personable, intimate and real conversation. You will not yet find the fancy tasting room, with endless counters and servers. You Will find yourself sitting with the owners, around a table, as they share their passion and themselves with you. You will be blown away, if you are into wine that still carries the essence of the vines, the earth, the air....not overly mechanized and treated to the point of distribution in every grocery store. Grapes that are dry farmed, and a finished product that leaves you scratching your head, because your awaiting at least one in their library to have a flaw. You will leave with that same wonder, and we tried about 14 wines over 4 hours. Slow and steady and learning the story of each and this also kept the palate fresh and clean.
This family is of the fruit, from end to end, and the wines reveal that. You may find yourself on the floor when you learn how far below the cost is to the quality. I have paid triple for bottles of wine that would not stand in my garage next to Lucca, much as less at the same table.
The visit experience was like a family reunion, and before we knew it, Mark was giving us tastes from barrels, and sharing amazing insight to how and why they are this way. We felt like royalty, and for a $10 tasting fee, waived with purchase, we weren't sure if the day was real. The average bottle is around $18 retail, take off more if you join the club. Yes, that is correct, handcrafted wines, family owned and made, non distributed, for that price point. Thus my title of this review. And we left with 3 cases, because we flew to the area.
Our experience truly spoiled us for the remaining vineyards we were to visit over the weekend. But thats okay, as always, each winery is unique. I could write all day, but just as everyones palate is unique, so is what they want from a visit. That said, the wine alone, will stand up against 95% of any you will pull from Lodi, Napa and Sonoma just north. This is a young, emerging, winery and visit sooner than later, they will emerge at some point, and you want to be in on the early days.
Oh, if you visit, and take bottles home, I can assure you, it will taste the same. I brought mine over 1000 miles and the only thing missing was the company.
Bravo Lucca!
9. The State Theatre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 75 reviews
Reviewed By Jeff N - Oakdale, California, United States
This is a charming, clean, comfortable, little theatre from long ago that has been thoroughly restored and finally has a good sound system.
Personally, I wish a larger theatre in this area had been saved, like the Strand in Modesto, the Alhambra in Sacramento, The Fox in San Francisco... Even if The Tower Theatre in Sacramento was restored it would have a 70MM Screen.
The problem with The State is that the only really good seat is in the middle of the first row of the balcony, because only the balcony has stadium seating, but if you even sit in just the second or third row of the balcony you will feel like you are a mile from the screen. They know this and want to install a much larger screen some day, but for now, that's it.
If I think of something else later that I want to add to this, or a better way of writing something I will NOT be able to, because this site does NOT allow edits. This is, of course, the most ridiculous thing on any site, so I hardly ever write reviews on it any more.
10. Cowboy Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
Reviewed By MikeJr209 - Oakdale, California
Excellent stop for anyone interested in the cowboy history of "The Cowboy Capitol of the World"! When you finish there you can mosey over to the favoured watering hole of the locals, the H-B Saloon (that's pronounced 'H bar B' for you non-cowboy types!)
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