Valentine’s Day is coming up.
What better way to profess one’s love for the 209.
To some, it’s just an area code.
To those that live here, it’s home.
The 209 includes all or part of 13 counties — Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne.
So without further ado, and channeling Elizabeth Barrett Browning, how do I love thee 209?
I love thee for:
*the tingling coolness of the unique Central Valley fog that permeates from the ground to caress branches in their deep winter slumber.
*lazy summer days rafting down the Stanislaus River.
*its vast array of cultures and faiths.
*the granite carved wonder called Yosemite Valley;
*the American Graffiti days cruising down McHenry Avenue in Modesto conjures up.
*the seemingly endless summer days followed by cooling Delta breezes at night.
*paddle boating on Lodi Lake.
*enjoying America’s pastime at Banner Island, the home of the Stockton Ports, along the edge of the San Joaquin River.
*its robust commitment to higher education from the first college in California in 1851 that is now known as the University of the Pacific to the newest campus of the University of California system established in 2005 in Merced.
*for three symphony companies — California’s third oldest founded in Stockton in 1926 — as well as ones in Modesto and Stockton.
*nature’s enticing version of Chanel No. 5, the sweet elixir of trillions of almond blossoms filling the mid to late February air.
*the seemingly endless variety and number of options to savor Mexican cuisine from taquerias and taco trucks and standalone mom and pop restaurants to home grown family chains such as El Jardin in Manteca, Turlock, Oakdale, and Sonora.
*feeding the ducks — and catfish — bits of bread at the lake at Donnelly Park in Turlock.
*enjoying a vibrant sunset as the sun drops below the Diablo Range.
*walking across the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi River that spans the Stanislaus River in Knights Ferry.
*a large chunk of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in the 209’s backyard that ties California’s largest and second largest rivers together to then spread out past 57 islands via 1,000 linear miles of water as they make commingled journey to the San Francisco Bay.
*the endless array of Golden Poppies and other wildflowers in the early spring especially massive colorful displays blanketing the foothills of Mariposa County.
*the imposing Giant Sequoia groves in Yosemite that gives you a sense of the grandeur and endurance of nature.
*rich cultural venues such as the Gallo Center in Modesto, the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, the Grand Theatre in Tracy, and the Merced Theatre in Merced.
*the living museum to the Golden Age of California’s Sierra foothills better known as Columbia Historic State Park.
*the stunning early spring display of snowmelt thundering over the rim of Yosemite Valley and plunging thousands of feet to the valley floor.
*the majestic glory of hiking Calaveras Big Trees State Park whether it is covered with a dusting of snow or on a warm summer day.
*the 70 plus boutique wineries and not so boutique wineries found on the valley floor and in the rolling foothills.
*the pleasure of seeking relief on a grassy patch beneath a stately shade tree on a still day when the mercury flirts with 100 degrees.
*the seemingly endless array of water recreation offered by lakes, rivers, and the Delta.
*fishing that many anglers view as world class.
*engineering marvels such as the California Aqueduct and the storage and diversion system that is the lifeblood of the Golden State.
*the sun peaking over John Muir’s beloved Range of Light as it ushers in the dawn of day by illuminating the Sierra ridge.
*professional live theatre venues such as the Sierra Repertory Theatre in Sonora and Columbia State Park.
*being able to enjoy playing along the Stanislaus River in wooded Army Corps of Engineer Parks at places such as Orange Blossom and McHenry recreation areas as well as Caswell State Park.
*savoring street fairs and festivals celebrating the bounty of the valley including grapes in Lodi, pumpkins and watermelon in Manteca, almond blossoms in Ripon, to apricots in Patterson.
*the ability to select from the fresh bounty that the 209 yields as part of arguably the world’s richest, most productive and most varied agricultural region known as the Great Central Valley at farmers markets and roadside produce stands.
*orchards sleeping in winter devoid of leaves as a precursor to buds bursting as the days warm up with the approach of spring.
*being able to look at the Deep Water Channel as you as pass by on Interstate 5 and marvel at ships being loaded with grain to take halfway across the world to Asia.
*being for the birds especially at the San Joaquin National Wildlife Refuge south of Manteca and west of Modesto and the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.
*the Stockton Waterfront with its promenade, Banner Island Baseball Park, Weber Point events center, and Stockton Arena, all on the edge of the Delta for an urban setting unparalleled in the Great Central Valley.
*soil and a climate that allows virtual year-round natural beauty from almost every conceivable flower, bush, and tree.
*the world-famous 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls.
*the ability to buy cheese fresh from the “factory” whether it is in Hilmar at the “world’s largest single-site cheese and whey products manufacturing facility” or the more boutique Oakdale Cheese Factory.
*Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown whose working trains appeared in a wide array of movies and TV series such as “Petticoat Junction”, “High Noon”, “Pale Rider”, and “Back to the Future” among others.
*Sunday drives on lazy curvy Delta roads or on twisty roads through the Gold Country.
*native trees found in the riparian woodlands at Caswell State Park, blue oaks along Highway 120 between Chinese Camp and Don Pedro Reservoir, and Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park.
*Castle Air Museum in Merced with its nearly 100 aviation marvels from the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress to the Mach 3 Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.
*split pea soup at Andersen’s in Santa Nella.
*the wind farms gracing the Altamont and Pacheco passes as you make your way to the Bay Area.
*“big rocks” such as El Capitan that awe more than the Hope Diamond.
*taking a spin on a paddleboat on the tree lined Lodi Lake and then heading across the street to get a half-and-half frosty at Sno-White.
*spreading a blanket at Ironstone Vineyards, enjoying a summer feast and then taking in a world-renowned musical group or singer.
*eating an orange picked fresh from a tree in February, enjoying the sweetness of a juicy apricot picked from a tree in June and savoring it on the spot, and then picking a crunchy apple from a tree in September.
*skipping rocks on the Stanislaus River in Knights Ferry.
*repurposed movie houses of yesteryear — the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, the State Theater in Modesto, the West Side Theatre in Newman, the Merced Theatre in Merced, and the Grand Theatre in Tracy — with their robust offerings from concerts to art shows to live performances.
*driving through 1920s-1940s era neighborhoods in Turlock, Merced, Stockton, and Modesto with their stately sycamores and other towering trees and mixtures of homes that are anything but cookie cutter.
*enjoying a summer evening meal on the patio at the Boat House at River Islands at Lathrop.
*the changing views of Mt. Diablo as the year works its way through the calendar.
*getting drenched along the Merced River above Yosemite Valley while taking in arching rainbows on the Mist Trail heading to Nevada Fall and — if you have a permit — to keep going and scale Half Dome.
*spotting a 1956 T-Bird convertible while driving down McHenry Avenue on an early evening in summer.
*a plethora of community theaters from the spacious Stockton Civic venue to the Gold Rush era theater in Volcano that seats 50.
*bicycling along valley country roads, bicycling rolling foothills, and bicycling a quad busting grade past Kennedy Meadows on Highway 108 heading toward the edge of the 209 where it meets up with Mono County at Sonora Pass at 9,624 feet.
*hitting the slopes at Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge, and Yosemite or enjoying a day with kids at the Leland Snowplay.
*brisk walks on a windy day after a cleansing rainfall that serve as windshield wipers to clear the air to enjoy panoramic views to the east and the west.
*world-class hiking — and peak climbing — in our own backyard.
*being able to hop an ACE train to San Jose.
*heading up to Jackson on a Sunday drive to enjoy a leisurely afternoon in historic downtown taking in the classic bookstore, making your sweet tooth happy at the candy store, browsing the shops and art galleries and enjoying a meal with friends.
*living in a place where your neighborhood incudes immigrants, those that work with rocket scientists at Livermore Lab, people who assemble Teslas, farmers, truck drivers, Google employees, blue collar workers, and white collar as well.
*knowing the list goes on and on and on.
