FAIRFIELD — A staycation in Solano County need not be a bore.
Forget that Solano County is near such world-famous locations as San Francisco, Napa and Lake Tahoe. Residents don’t have to leave the county borders to find some fun.
Whether it be taking a leisurely ride on an electric train through rural hills at the Western Railway Museum or a white-knuckle plunge on a roller coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Solano County has it.
For those who just like to get away from it all, the county has plenty of places to hike, fish and relax, too.
Here are some options:
Museums
Western Railway Museum, 5848 Highway 12. Offers rides on electric trains and electric train displays. Call 374-2978 or go to http://www.wrm.org for more information.
Vacaville Museum, 213 Buck Ave., Vacaville. Call 447-4513 or go to http://www.vacavillemuseum.org for more information.
Travis Air Force Base Museum, Travis Air Force Base. Call 424-5605 or go to http://www.travis.af.mil/units/travisairmuseum.asp for more information.
Rio Vista Museum, 16 N. Front St., Rio Vista. Call 374-5169 or go to http://www.riovistamuseum.com/# for more information.
Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, 734 Marin St., Vallejo. Call 643-0077 or go to http://www.vallejomuseum.org for more information.
Mare Island Historic Park Foundation, 1100 Railroad Ave., Vallejo. Call 557-1538 or go to http://www.mareislandhpf.org for more information.
Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, 115 W. G St., Benicia. Tours of 1853-54 state capitol. Call 745-3385 or go to http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=475 for more information.
Amusement parks
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, 1001 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo. A 135-acre amusement park with rides, shows and animals. Call 634-6722 or go to http://www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/index.aspx for more information.
Outdoor recreation
Solano County parks range from Lynch Canyon in the hills between Fairfield and Vallejo to Lake Solano along Putah Creek near Winters to Sandy Beach along the Sacramento River near Rio Vista. Call 784-6765 or go to http://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rm/countypark/homepage.asp for more information.
Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, 2548 Grizzly Island Road, Suisun Marsh. Offers fishing, hunting and hiking opportunities. Call 425-3828 or go to http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/region3/grizzlyisland for more information.
Rush Ranch Open Space, two miles south of Suisun City on Grizzly Island Road in Suisun Marsh. About 2,070 acres of open space in hills and wetlands with hiking trails. Call Solano Land Trust at 432-0152 or go to http://www.rushranch.net for more information.
Rockville Hills Park, 2149 Rockville Road. Fairfield owns this 633-acre park with hiking trails. Call 428-7614 or go to http://www.fairfield.ca.gov/gov/depts/pw/open_space/rockville_hills_regional_park/default.asp for more information.
Lagoon Valley/Peña Adobe Park, Peña Adobe Road near Interstate 80 in Vacaville. Offers trails, picnic areas and Lagoon Valley lake for fishing. Call 449-5654 or go to http://www.ci.vacaville.ca.us/index.aspx?page=128 for more information.
Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve, 1595 Railroad Ave., Vallejo. Located on Mare Island, the preserve features both hiking and naval history. Call 249-9633 or go to http://www.mareislandpreserve.org for more information.
Wine tasting
Suisun Valley offers a variety of wineries and produce stands.Go to http://suisunvalley.com for information.
Tours
Jelly Belly, 1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield. Tours available of the famous candy factory. Call 399-2390 or go to http://www.jellybelly.com for more information.
Budweiser, 3101 Busch Drive, Fairfield. Tours available of brewery. Call 429-2000 or go to http://www.budweisertours.com/z01/index.php/fairfield/overview for more information.
Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929, or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/beberlingdr.
