Downtown Stockton

After checking out of my hotel in the morning, I was ready to finish up my weekend of exploring California’s most unlikely tourist destination.

Morning in Stockton

The view from my hotel, University Plaza Waterfront Hotel. Past the courtyard is the furthest reach of the Stockton Channel, more than 80 miles from the Pacific.

I got an early (for me) start to the day. So before heading to breakfast, I took a walk around Downtown Stockton.

This odd structure in the middle of an intersection is the Hunter Square Fountain Spire. Water used to shoot out of it when it was part of a fountain built in 1965. The fountain, which was located a few blocks away, was removed in 2017 due to municipal construction. The spire was saved and moved to its current location.

Mural on the side of the building that’s home to Cast Iron Trading Co, a popular eatery (that I unfortunately didn’t get to). From what I can tell, the slogan “Live Life Like Tim” refers to a young real estate developer who tried to revitalize Downtown Stockton, but was killed in 2015 at 32. The same building also houses Ten Space Development, where he worked.

The Mission Revival-style Hotel Stockton was built in 1910. It was the 1st steel-reinforced building in San Joaquin County.

The once-grand Hotel Stockton is now a residential hotel. The evening before, I was thwarted by the security person when I wanted to go inside to see the excavated Chinese laundry artefacts said to be on display. Well, it happened again in the morning, this time with a different person manning the entrance. I was annoyed and intended to inform the local tourism board that I was not being permitted to see the artefacts that they touted on their website. But I never quite had time for that.

Joan Darrah Promenade

I was a little nervous for this duck swimming in the fluorescent green water of Stockton Channel, but it seemed pretty chipper.

After breakfast, it was time to explore the Stockton Waterfront, where it all (all that used to be, anyway) began. I walked along the Joan Darrah Promenade, on the southern bank of the channel.

There’s my duck friend still. Beyond the water is Weber Point, where Charles Weber first settled the place he came to call Stockton.

Joan Darrah was a former mayor of Stockton.

A maritime decorative element on a roof.

Stockton Iron Works, a sign of Stockton’s industrial past.

I couldn’t quite figure this out. It was like a garden on the channel. Very hydro-agro.

Whimsical aluminum kinetic sculptures in a small park at the end of the promenade.

A fun maritime-themed bench in the small park.

Chung Wah Lane

Just like with Sacramento’s Chinatown, Stockton’s once large Chinatown is mostly a memory now. Stockton’s Chinatown was decimated when a new highway was built. It’s the same old story.

If you just imagine a coating of snow, this picture reminds me of the picture I took of a Forbidden City lion.

Chung Wah Lane was built in 1969 to honor the lost enclave. Chung Wah Lane itself was neglected until receiving a much needed renovation in 2021, just a year before my visit!

Even though it was still midday, shadows made it hard to get a good picture of the fabulous mosaic dragon that spans the length of Chung Wah Lane.

Downtown Architecture

The Budd Building was built in 1894 as the private residence of California governor James Budd. It’s now a law center.

I had plenty of time before the afternoon show I had planned, so I gave myself a walking tour of some of Downtown Stockton’s architectural gems that are reminders of the city’s past glories.

The Medico-Dental Building was by far my favorite building in Stockton. When it was built in 1927, it was the tallest building in Downtown Stockton.

The Medico-Dental Building sure looked Art Deco to me. But everything I read says it’s Gothic Revival. Well, 1927 was peak Art Deco, so I’m sure it’s hidden in there unacknowledged. I’m sure of it!

Fun graffiti on what used to be Stockton’s landmark department store.

The Kress Building was built in 1930 in the Art Deco style.

Hmph, the Medico-Dental Building still looks more Art Deco to me!

This brick beauty is the Cort Tower. It was built in 1915 for the Commercial and Savings Bank in the Beaux-arts renaissance revival style.

Bob Hope Theatre

The very ornate Fox California Theater was built in 1930.

The Fox was the largest vaudeville house in California. In 2004, the Fox California Theater was renamed the Bob Hope Theatre not longer after the death of the old vaudevillian.

This beautiful lobby is not something you might expect in Downtown Stockton. There’s certainly not much indication of it from the street.

The Bob Hope Theatre is probably Stockton’s most architecturally significant building. I was very fortunate in that on this afternoon, the theater was having a showing of “Cool Hand Luke”, a movie I’d never seen, followed by a backstage store. Perfect! It turns out that the movie was actually filmed in and around Stockton. So it was an excellent choice.

A very cool medallion at the top of the gold-leaf proscenium arch.

The floor mosaic of Neptune is made up of 80,000 Italian marble tiles.

The view of the audience seating from the stage.

Stockton Stations

Robert J. Cabral Station, located on the eastern edge of Downtown Stockton, was named for a prominent local who helped advance local rail travel.

There’s something about a train that’s magic. And often times, train stations are pretty cool too. I had plenty time before catching my train to head home. So I walked around some more, checking out Stockton’s train stations.

Stockton – Downtown Station was originally built in 1930 in Italian Renaissance and Spanish Revival styles. The station was completely renovated and got its current name in 2003.

Stockton has 2 train stations. Robert J. Cabral Station is on the eastern edge of Downtown. San Joaquin Street Station is south of Downtown. Amtrak trains come up from Southern California through the Central Valley. The line splits off at a junction south of Robert J. Cabral Station and east of San Joaquin Street Station. From Robert J. Cabral Station, trains continue north up the Central Valley to Sacramento. Trains leaving San Joaquin Street Station head northwest to the Bay Area.

Just outside Robert J. Cabral Station was a neighborhood filled with these charming little houses.

*Peace to Bob Ross* mural by street artists Alexander Suelto and Jeremy Johnson.

Here is San Joaquin Street Station, built in 1900 in the Mission Revival style. Although it was renovated in 2005, it’s in much need for an update. It’s not very inviting, inside or out.

San Joaquin Street Station is also known as Stockton – San Joaquin, I guess to distinguish it from Stockton – Downtown.

As indicated by the sign, Stockton – San Joaquin was originally built for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Well, that was my adventure in Stockton, in California Delta country. But I brought something unexpected back with me. On the train to Emeryville–a small city between Berkeley and Oakland, where I caught a bus back to San Francisco–I started to feel a particularly annoying sore throat. Well, you might be able to figure out the story. After I got back home, I tested positive for COVID. I had starting to think I was immune at that point! Where did I get it? I blame it all on the crazy taxi driver I had on Day 1 who insisted that HE was immune! Fortunately, my doctor got me a prescription for Paxlovid, and I was good to go in no time.

[Factual information is primarily gathered from Wikipedia, so you know it must be true.]