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Manteca is a city in San Joaquin County in California's San Joaquin Valley.

Get in

By car

From the Bay Area: Head east on 580, connect to 205 which will merge with I-5, then take the 120 exit.

From Sacramento: Head south on either I-5 or Hwy 99 until you get to Manteca. Hwy 99 will pass through cities while I-5 is scenic farm land and usually takes less time.

From Southern California/Fresno: From Southern California take either I-5 or Hwy 99 north. I-5 usually takes less time and is more scenic farmland while Hwy 99 will pass through cities. From Fresno take Hwy 99 north.

By plane

Modesto Airport Provides roundtrip service via SkyWest (United Airlines) from San Francisco to Modesto.

Stockton Airport Provides service from Las Vegas to Stockton via Allegiant Air.

International Airports: Manteca is located within distance of 5 International Airports:

Train

The ACE Train (Altamont Commuter Express) services the Stockton/Manteca region. The train has terminals in Stockton, Manteca, Tracy, Livermore, Pleasanton, Fremont, Great America, Santa Clara, and San Jose. The train runs Monday-Friday during work hours.

Get around

See

Murals: Murals are designed to give visitors, newcomers and longtime residents alike an insight into the community's culture, history, and economy. The Manteca Mural Society has finished 11 of 30 planned murals. The best place to start an easy walking tour of the murals completed so far is to start in the 200 block of East Yosemite Avenue of the downtown district. Pick up a walking tour guide at the CVB office or download at www.visitmanteca.org

Sierra's Crown: The first mural on your tour is part of the newly created Veterans Plaza in front of the Legion Hall in the 200 block of West Yosemite Avenue. Ripon artist Dave Peterson's original transparent watercolor of Half Dome is blended with images of Yosemite Valley and Merced River. The front of the Legion Hall in the 200 block of East Yosemite is a compilation of details such as rainbow arching above the granite cap, as well as trout in the Merced River. The mural is particularly dramatic just after sunset where ground lighting creates the feel of nightfall coming to Yosemite Valley.

Crossroads: The mural gracing the Main Street wall of Century Furniture located at Yosemite and Main is Manteca's largest. It covers 4,000 square feet and was created by Dave Gordon. "Crossroads" depicts what Manteca's business district looked like in 1917. That is when the community was incorporated as a city. It offers the same vantage point you would see standing across the street next to the Bank of America parking lot, but 90 years later.

Cruising: Arguably the most popular of all murals, people who didn't even grow up in Manteca and experience the cruise down Yosemite Avenue in the 1950s and 1960s find themselves reminiscing about bygone days. It is in the 100 block of North Main Street on the Accent Carpets building and is the largest--and most realistic--of all the murals.

Pumpkin Harvest: Across Main Street from the "Cruising" creation is the "Pitching Pumpkins" mural. It pays homage to Manteca's most famous crop--pumpkins. Seventy percent of California's jack-o'-lantern pumpkins are grown in the Manteca countryside.

Service Above Self: From the "Pitching Pumpkins" mural, head west through the parking lot. You will reach the "Rotary Mural" and a new mini-plaza. Take a minute to rest on one of the benches and enjoy the water fountain and garden. That way you can appreciate the detail of artist Don Gray's salute to the worldwide service efforts of Rotary International.

Golden Gateway to Manteca: The next mural is reached by heading south on Maple Avenue. Stay on the east side of the street when you reach Yosemite Avenue. Look upward to the west and you'll see Ron Pecchenino's "San Francisco" mural

Cow-munity Mural: The society's 96 by 12-foot salute to Manteca's dairy industry is on a wall in the 200 block of West Yosemite Avenue facing the Athens Burgers parking lot.

Our Bountiful Valley: The salute to the richness of Central Valley farmland can be found on the alley off the 100 block of Sycamore Avenue.

Free For All: Manteca's 2006 "Mural In A Weekend" project, painted by volunteer artists with the help of Master Artists Dave Gordon, who also designed the mural, and Pete Evaristo. This mural was sponsored by the Manteca Morning & Noon Kiwanis.

"Summer Vision": The children of Manteca painted a mural during "Children's Art In The Park" 2006.

"Local Motion": The second children's mural painted during "Children's Art In The Park" 2007.</see>

Do

Buy

  • Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, 303 East Yosemite Ave, +1 209-823-6500.

Eat

  • Kelly Brothers Brewing Company (Brickyard Oven), 112 E. Yosemite Ave, +1 209-825-1727. Wood fired Chinese ovens. Pizza, traditional, selections of beer brewed on the premises.
  • Mountain Mike's Pizza, 1120 N. Main St, +1 209-823-1166. Eat in or delivery pizza.

Drink

  • Kelly Brothers Brewing Company (Brickyard Oven), 112 East Yosemite Ave, +1 209-825-1727. Selection of beers brewed on site. Pizza and other traditional dishes in a unique atmosphere of a reconverted movie theater.
  • La Bodega Mexican Food, 1447 Historical Plaza Way, +1 209-239-0032.
  • Delicato Vineyards, 12001 S Highway 99, +1 209-824-3600. 9AM-5:30PM.

Sleep

Go next

  • Yosemite National Park
  • Old Sacramento
  • San Francisco
  • Napa Valley
  • Gold Country
  • Caswell Memorial State Park - Often overshadowed by Yosemite National Park, Caswell offers a more local and less crowded opportunity for nature enjoyment. The park started in 1958 after a landowner by the name of Thomas Caswell fell in love with the beauty of the woods and wanted to preserve it for future generations. The park contains a forest of Valley Riparian Oak and is home to the Riparian Brush Rabbit, both of which are a rare species that can only be found in this region. The Stanislaus River runs through the Park and is home to bass, catfish, and crappie—making the Park a good place for fishing. Birdwatchers also enjoy the area, as many diverse birds (sparrows, wrens, thrushes, thrashers, and songbirds) find a home in the Oak Forest. A great place for family and youth, the park includes campgrounds, swimming areas, and junior ranger programs. The Park also contains a number of nature trails, a good alternative for children not ready for the more rigorous Yosemite National Park. Easy to get to, the Park is located just outside of Manteca. It is open all year long with temperature highs in the summer ranging from 90-100 F and in the winter ranging from 50-60 F. Visit the website Caswell Park
  • The California Delta - Manteca is located on the very southern edge of the California Delta. The Delta is 1,000 miles of waterways that flow down from the Sacramento area west to the Bay Area or south to Stockton. The delta provides lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation that includes but is not limited to boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, eco-tours, fishing, waterskiing, bird watching, and camping. The area features a rich history of small delta towns and includes the largest estate in Northern California, the Historic Grand Island Mansion and Spa which is open for tours and its famous Sunday Brunch. For more information contact the California Delta Chambers & Visitors Bureau online The Delta or call 916-777-4041.
  • Stanislaus River Parks - The river stretches from the Sierra Nevada foothills to the San Joaquin River, a distance over 20 miles and includes 9 developed parks located along the river. Historic Knights Ferry is the center of the activity featuring a 330-foot covered bridge and is the launch point for river rafting. Apart from rafting, visitors can also camp, hike, picnic, fish, and bird watch. The peaceful beauty provides an opportunity for visitors to relax and get away from the city life without the long drive from home. For more information about the park visit Stanislaus River or call 209-881-3517. The Stanislaus River is a great opportunity for rafting of different skill levels. Children as young as 5 are able to participate at the Beginners level. For more information about rafting contact either Sunshine Rafting Adventure (1-800-829-7238) or River Journey (1-800-292-2938).
  • Woodward Reservoir - A 30-minute drive from Manteca, the Woodward Reservoir outside of Oakdale provides lots of outdoor opportunities for lake-minded people. On top of the traditional camping, swimming and fishing, other activities include water/jet skiing, waterfowl hunting, radio control airplane flying, and especially windsurfing. Open all year long, the site is good place to view a variety of wildlife and enjoy the outdoors. For more information call 209-847-3304 or go online to Stanislaus County.


Routes through Manteca
SacramentoStockton  N  S  ModestoFresno
ENDLathrop  W  E  OakdaleYosemite N.P.


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