I have never thought much about Stockton California, I only became familiar with the area because my daughter-in-law grew up there and its where most of her family still resides. During my recent visit to Stockton earlier this month, my husband and I had an afternoon to ourselves to explore. We got a little taste of what Stockton and the surrounding areas have to offer, and were left with the desire to explore more.

What was once a sleepy agricultural area is fast becoming a weekend destination. About 15 minutes out of Stockton are a wonderful assortment of wineries and the town of Lodi.  Lodi is a small town with shops, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants.  There is even a horse and carriage ride through main street that is quite enchanting. The late Huell Howser, on his California Gold Road Trip series, did a piece on Stockton and Lodi in 2007.  On the program, he is greeted by the Executive Director of the Lodi Grape Commission who states that there are over 700 growers and over 70 wineries in the area.  To my surprise he also mentions that the area produces more wine than Napa and Sonoma put together.  That’s pretty impressive.., and that was NINE years ago!!!  Most wineries close at dusk and since we got off to a late start that day we were fortunate enough to make it to a winery called Viaggio. The Viaggio Winery grounds, near the Mokelume River, are beautiful.., with a Tuscan atmosphere and feel.

I am somewhat obsessed with barns, (maybe because my own home is a converted stable built in the 1900’s.) While driving towards the vineyards, I could see the shapes of the barns that are located in the fields ahead.  An iconic style of architecture that has been in existence for centuries, the barn structures can be seen from the highway surrounded by fields of crops and live stock.  I love that they are rustic and appear very sturdy as if they stood for hundreds of years.., which I am sure many of them have.

From time to time I have imagined myself renovating an old barn somewhere.  In my travels around the US I have seen so many.  If I ever have the opportunity to renovate and design the interiors of one, it would look something like this.  The mix of rustic and contemporary, the old and new, makes the space warm and inviting.