Holiday Getaways for Thanksgiving Weekend & Black Friday as Seen on Sac & Co.
You’ve had your fill of Thanksgiving cheer and Black Friday’s door has opened on the retail holiday season. Resist your urges towards mall mania and enjoy post-turkey delirium with a day-trip or even an overnight esc ape your return from feasting with family and friends or specifically an outing from Sacramento – it’s an easy retreat to Stockton and what you discover will astound and amaze you!
Get ready to rumble with the Stockton Thunder’s Black Friday home game. Free black tees to first 1,000 fans 18 and over! The premier AA hockey league affiliated with the New York Islanders – has made the playoffs every year since 2006. Great sport for kids – the three fast-paced 20-minute periods with two intermissions and great on the ice promotions. Kids can decompress while parents sit back and smile. Make this an overnight experience at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel adjacent to the Arena. Home game buffet before – menus vary from appetizers to slider bars and prime rib – different feature for each game. Then, post-game players are available for autographs at University Plaza Waterfront Hotel. The chic hotel is comfortable and convenient for all your Stockton activities. You'll love the lounge and restaurant. Friends, families, romance. Yep, they've got it all!
Stockton, like the rest of California, is culturally diverse. The most eye-opening example is the Cambodian Buddhist Temple hidden away off a Highway 99 frontage road – the more than 90 statues depicting the life of Buddha are truly larger than life! The Buddha in death is more than 50 feet long and 12 feet high. The Temple is open to the public every day at no charge. This place is a photographer’s dream especially in the early morning light. So if you want to get up and get going, put this at the top of your morning list.
Stockton is no stranger to the arts – world-class arts! The crown jewel of Stockton’s arts and history is The Haggin Museum – another (almost) hidden gem. Situated in the heart of Victory Park, the 80+-year-old museum features permanent and rotating exhibits. Currently, Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross will bring a smile to faces of all ages. You’ll recognize some of your favorite caped crusaders along with famous artists who inspired a young Alex. The museum houses collections by famous artists JC Leyendecker and Albert Bierstadt which are world-renown. Comic book fans should seek and discover JNA Collectibles on West Fremont selling vintage comics from Fantastic Four and Avengers to Spiderman – these are the real deal. Whereas over on the Pacific Avenue – the Miracle Mile – for more than 40 years Al’s Comics has thousands of the latest issues – popular with parents and kids.
For more than 90 years – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and that’s true with The Miracle Mile – local developer Joseph Plecarpo got the idea from LA’s Whilshire Boulevard – shopping the way we used to shop – strolling The Avenue! Small local restaurants, pubs, and retail specialty shops will be celebrating Black Friday and American Express Small Business Saturday. Need more turkey, dive into Mile Wine Company’s 4th Friday in November Sandwich Special – turkey, Brie and Cranberry Mustardo. Live blues and jazz every weekend. Gian’s Italian Deli (pronounced John’s) is a favorite for more than 50 years – homemade with love raviolis, sauce, breads….Kitchen specialties at Home Thyme, Dragonfairy metaphysical gift store, and Christmas magic at With Garden Flair. The Abbey Trappist Pub will be pouring holiday beers. It’s where locals have shopped for more than 50 years. Great music weekends at Mile Wine and Valley Brewing -- hey, did we mention that Stockton is home to the Dave Brubeck Institute – translates into incredible music! Centrale Kitchen & Bar plus the old Stockton Empire theater now Empresso Coffeehouse – kitschy and excellent caffeine fix.
Yes, you may actually need your GPS to navigate. Spend the afternoon on Stockton’s Miracle Mile and then follow Pacific Avenue back to Sacramento. Yes, I am suggesting that you stay off Interstate 5. The roads of old will lead you out of Stockton and onto Thornton Road. You will need to zigzag a bit but once you cross Highway 12 – it’s open space and jogs through the tiny hamlets of Thornton and (yes) downtown Franklin. You’ll avoid any and all traffic coming and or going. I do it all the time.