Camping, Overnight Slip, and Restaurant Bar

E

ericdata

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Joined
May 24, 2006
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21389
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Hello Everyone,

Wanted to get some input from everyone on the forum.

I'm planning on a weekend with about 6-8 friends starting at my slip in Oakley. I'd like to boat into a resort that has a restaurant, bar, camping, or cabins.

All of us are in our late 30s, and won't have any children with us.

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
 
Depending upon how far you want to travel, you could go to the Lighthouse Resort on the Mokelumne River, Snug Harbor on Steamboat Slough or Vierras Resort on the Old Sacramento. All have camping and/or cabins. The Lighthouse has a restaurant & bar, Snug Harbor has a general store and Vierras Resort has a restaurant and bar. My favorite of the three is Vierras; we grew up camping there and always had a great time. We visited the restaurant about a month ago and the staff was very friendly, the food was good and the bar was as fun as always.
 
If you want to head over Bethel Island way, Beacon Harbor has recently expanded their campground. And next door to them is a restaurant, Rusty Porthole, which has plenty of boat docking. They are very lenient about using their docks even when you aren't dining, so it would be a good spot to dock the boats overnight since Beacon's dock space is limited unless they have empty slips they allow you to use.

Sugar Barge has an excellent RV park but doesn't allow tent camping. There is a pool and recreation room. Plenty of docking space. I don't know if the restaurant has opened yet or not. DeltaDawg should have some input on that.

There are plenty of places in the delta to choose from. It depends somewhat on how far you want to travel. Check out this site: http://www.californiadelta.org/camping.htm

Let us know what other questions you might have!
 
The Bar and Grill up on the deck was open at Sugar Barge two weekends ago, but the indoor restaurant was not.
 
I can't say I am head over heels about Lighthouse, but Vierras is a classic. You might also consider Tower Park. They have a big ol' KOA thats all but empty. This year they have been allowing tent campers. The marina has some vacant slips, they will rent those for the weekends. The Restaurant changed hands my March, opening as Rosa's Italian Restuarant, with an all new kitchen. But they didn't do anything to the bar, a classic overlooking the water.
 
All of the above (but I've had some good meals at Lighthouse lately, esp. their Philly Cheesesteak and seafood chowder!) plus Delta Bay Club Marina/Brannan Island KOA. http://koa.com/where/ca/05447/

http://www.reynoldsresorts.com/DeltaBay.htm

Spindrift Restaurant, General Store and Bar are right next door. Covered transient slips available with campground across the levee. Easy to get to, close to fast water and on the Delta Loop. You'll have to call to see if they allow tents.
 
quote:
Originally posted by etyppo

The Bar and Grill up on the deck was open at Sugar Barge two weekends ago, but the indoor restaurant was not.

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Indoor restaurant and bar are closed and the service and food upstairs is less than stellar. It's too bad, too. That place used to be great. It has the best view in The Delta. It just needs good management to return it to what it once was.
 
The folks who ran the "Paradise Bar & Grill" had several other restaurants in Brentwood as well. Basically, the ran restaurants as a tax shelter for their once highly successful auto dealerships in Tracy. When the economy went bad, they lost everything!

Sugar Barge's owner tried running the restaurant but insisted it be its own profit center instead of a part of the complete package for his customers. Very short sighted in my opinion. So now he will only lease the facilities and let the lessee take all the losses. It is a formula for failure everytime.
 
Windmill Cove also has a large Restaurant/Bar right on the San Joaquin near Lost Isle. They have camping for tents and RV's as well as a large dock to berth your boat. From what I've heard, the new management has fixed the place up too.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flutterby

The folks who ran the "Paradise Bar & Grill" had several other restaurants in Brentwood as well. Basically, the ran restaurants as a tax shelter for their once highly successful auto dealerships in Tracy. When the economy went bad, they lost everything!

Sugar Barge's owner tried running the restaurant but insisted it be its own profit center instead of a part of the complete package for his customers. Very short sighted in my opinion. So now he will only lease the facilities and let the lessee take all the losses. It is a formula for failure everytime.

Click to expand...
That's really sad. I have fond memories of the place. When I bought my first boat 10 years ago, the first place we put in was at Sugar Barge. We stayed overnight in one of the slips and ate at the restaurant that evening. The place was packed, but it was a good crowd with young and old alike and the food was great. Had everything you could ask for on the menu from burgers to steaks and it was all good.

Hopefully there will be a new owner or someone who knows how to run the place. It has lots of potential and was successful before. It can be again.
 
I have stayed and slipped at almost everyone of the places above and they are all good....heck anywhere on the delta is good to me. However, my favorite is still Vieira's on Old Sac just above Rio Vista. Great camping facilities, very homey (rustic), lots of trees and grass, good resturaunt (usually)easy launching, good water destinations all around and cabins. It kind of has a funky, river rat sort of feel but I love it and the folks are very nice. We've stayed there off and on for 15 years. Wish I was there right now instead of working. Oh well.

DBH
 
B&W Resort on the Mokelumne at Georgianna Slough has cabin rentals and slips, family oriented, and the Riverboat is just downriver. Kevin Costner rented a cabin there for a long weekend with his kids a few years ago.
At the other extreme, you can make your way all the way up the Sac, rent a slip at the Riverbank Marina- they are contiguous on the water with Crawdad's Restaurant Bar, with Chevy's on the levee above them. Water taxi's to Old Sac and back, leave your boat in the slip- you'll have to spring for a hotel room at the Courtyard Marriott, walking distance from the Marina- I don't think there's any camping in the vicinity of the marina...
 
There is also Tiki Lagoon and Turner's Cut. Someone will have to add the details; I haven't been there for quite a while and things have probably changed.
 
WoW thanks everyone for the responses! For the past 19 years I've been a lake person, Don Pedro, Oroville, Berryessa, etc, nowadays my boat is in the Delta and really don't know what to do. The only thing I really know is the use to be Paradise in Bethel Island, and Discovery Bay. Please continue with the info, especially things to do, places to go, etc. Thanks again!!
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flutterby

There is also Tiki Lagoon and Turner's Cut. Someone will have to add the details; I haven't been there for quite a while and things have probably changed.

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Tiki hasn't had a bar for a number of years. But then there's always a party on B dock so you don't really need one.
 
And it is close to Lost Isle and Windmill Cove if you need a bar.......
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flutterby

And it is close to Lost Isle and Windmill Cover if you need a bar.......

Click to expand...


Did LI ever open?

All of the places mentioned are good. Then there's always Orwoods resort.

I like B&W, Vierra's, and Windmaill cove. Although Windmills camp site has some "permanent" residents, the rest/bar is cool, and the beach and location are great.

Check out this site for some great info:
www.californiadelta.org

Click on the Business Directory or http://www.californiadelta.org/links.htm#camping for more good info and phone numbers.
 
Lost Isle is closed while discussions are taking place between the owners and the sheriff. If successful negotiations occur, then LI will have to make agreed to improvements prior to receiving their "entertainment" permit. They will not open until they get that permit. My money is on them staying closed this year.......
 
I forgot all about Orwood Resort. They have good campsites, guest dockage, a general store and their restaurant makes the best breakfast in the Delta. They even have their own microbrew beer at their bar. It's also close to Discovery Bay for access to their restaurant/bar and not too far if you come from Oakley through Big Break and Dutch Slough.
 
What kind of "camping" do you have in mind? How big is your boat?

Tiki Lagun has a tent campground. They do have some RV spots but they tend to be filled with permanents most of the time. The guest dock at Tiki would be fine for boats up to 25' or so. Tiki has a "grill" that is open for breakfast and lunch. A short walk down the road is Turner Cut which has a restaurant. I highly recommend that you avoid the launch ramp at Tiki.

Whiskey Slough Marina has RV camping (no tents) and a pretty good bar/grill. They also have the best launch ramp in the area if your friends would need it. The marina has just been remodeled, and it is still an ongoing project. They have a lot of dock space but I don't think they have any electrical hook ups or other accommodations for cruisers. The people there are nice and are hungry for any business they can get so I would bet you could work something out.

Orwood has a really nice campground, suitable for tent or RV. They serve up some really great food at their restaurant. I am not sure what their guest dock situation is however. They also have a nice launch ramp.

Tower Park has a very large campground, primarily suited for RV but also reasonable for tents. They used to have a great bar but I understand that they have made changes recently to "upgrade" it to a more high scale restaurant. Their guest dock situation is perhaps the best on the delta and can accommodate just about any size boat. They also have showers available on the dock.

B&W has cabins for rent and a reasonable guest dock. I don't know if they have camping or not and it has been a number of years since I was there.

Rod
 
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