Martinez, CA Road Trips

1 Contra Costa County History Center, 724 Escobar St, ☏ +1 925-229-1042. (updated Jan 2017) 2 John Muir National Historic Site, 4202 Alhambra Ave (Located just north of highway 4 on Alhambra Ave; take the free County Connection bus 16 from downtown, the Amtrak station, or Concord BART), ☏ +1 925 228-8860. 10AM–5PM daily. This site includes a mansion, woodland, and grassland once belonging to John Muir and his family. Muir was known as an early environmentalist who founded the Sierra Club. The house, which has three stories plus a cupola, is full of exhibits about the lives of Muir and his family. If you enjoy being in nature, it's hard not to appreciate Muir's passion for trees, glaciers, and mountains, as well as his seminal accomplishments in protecting American wilderness. The historic site presents a nuanced, warts-and-all picture of Muir as a person. The grounds include his orchards, and if you come at the right time of year you might be able to try fruit from them. There is also an interesting adobe structure on site. In the spirit of Muir's legacy, you can combine your visit to the historic site with nearby Mount Wanda, where he and his family used to hike. Free. (updated Nov 2023) 3 Martinez Museum, 1005 Escobar St, ☏ +1 925 228-8160. Tu Th 11:30AM-3PM; First four Sundays 1PM-4PM. Includes exhibits on John Muir, Don Ignacio Martinez, Joe Di Maggio (another Martinez native), the Port Chicago disaster, and general history of the town, as well as a gift shop and information on tours, including a cemetery tour!

Briones Regional Park, ☏ +1 510 562. A beautiful 5,756-acre park covered in grassy hills and shady Oak trees. The park is south of Highway 4 off Reliez Valley Rd. Briones is a hikers paradise in the heart of the busy San Francisco Bay Area. East Bay Regional Park District Headquarters-PARK, group picnic reservations +1 510 636-1684, group camping reservations +1 510 636-1684. The park is open 8AM-10PM $5 per vehicle when the kiosk is attended. 1 Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline, toll-free: +1-888-327-2757. 5AM - 10PM. Located immediately to the northwest of the John Muir NHS and extending to the Carquinez Strait, the ridgelines of this park offer extensive views of Mt. Diablo and the cities at its base, the Sacramento River Delta, Mt. Tamalpais and Mt. St. Helena. On clear winter days the snow-capped Sierras may be seen. Wild turkeys, hawks, deer, and other wildlife call the park home. In the spring cows are allowed to graze on the grassy hills. The park hosts a segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Great for a short day hike (1 to 5 miles / 2 to 8 km). Free. Hidden Lakes Park (Morello Ave at Chilpancingo Pkwy). This park has everything from rope swings to hills and even cool wildlife. There are also trails to Hidden Valley Park. Martinez Skatepark, North Court Street. A free 10,000-foot skatepark for skateboarders and roller bladers. Martinez Marina. Features trails, a marsh, a pond, two playgrounds and a fishing pier. Located in downtown Martinez near Ferry Street and the Amtrak station. Bicycling is allowed on the trails.

JP's Bistro, 522 Center Ave, ☏ +1 925-490-1627. French fries, etc. Aberdeen Cafe 香港仔, 719 Main St, ☏ +1 925 228-0100. In downtown Martinez. Sunflower Garden, 822 Escobar St, ☏ +1 925 372-0842. In downtown Martinez. Mangia Bene, 1170 Arnold Dr, ☏ +1 925 228-9123. In a strip mall off of Morello Ave. Advertised as "The Best Kept Secret in Martinez." Hanabi Sushi, 1155 Arnold Dr, ☏ +1 925 957-0407. Sushi and other Japanese dishes. Cinco De Mayo, 2250 Pacheco Blvd, ☏ +1 925 335-0960. M–Sa 10AM – 9PM, Su 10AM – 7:30PM. Restaurant and Catering La Tapatia, 536 Main St, ☏ +1 925 229-3866. Downtown. Family owned and operated business, with two restaurants: one in Martinez and one in Concord. La Primavera, 1311 Pine St, ☏ +1 925 229-2199.

Cue and Brew, 1029 Arnold Dr (in the Walmart shopping center). Great place for drinks and billiards. Ray's Lounge, 709 Ferry St, ☏ +1 925 229-4755. Mountain Grounds, 3750 Alhambra Ave.

1 Best Western John Muir Inn, 445 Muir Station Rd (On the corner of Muir Station Rd. and Center Ave.), ☏ +1 925 229-1010, toll-free: +1-800-338-1191, fax: +1 925 228-4810. (updated May 2017)

1 Martinez station, 601 Marina Vista Rd. Close to downtown, the station is well served by local buses. (updated Oct 2023) Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates train service around the United States of America. (updated Mar 2022) Routes stopping in Martinez: Coast Starlight operates daily between Seattle and Los Angeles. Stops include Tacoma, Lacey, Centralia, Kelso, Vancouver, WA, Portland, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, San Francisco (Emeryville), Oakland, San Jose, Salinas, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys, and Burbank. Capitol Corridor operates 11 to 12 round trips daily between Sacramento and San Jose, via Oakland. California Zephyr operates a daily train between Emeryville and Chicago. Martinez is connected by County Connection buses to the town of Concord, as well as the North Concord/Martinez BART Station, Pleasant Hill BART Station, and Walnut Creek BART Station. Bus 16 is free, and buses 16 and 98X both go by John Muir National Historic Site. Amtrak Thruway #7 goes up to McKinleyville via Vallejo, Napa, Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Willits, etc. See link for a complete list of stops along the 101. Accessible by Highway 4 and Interstate 680. The nearest airport is Buchanan Field in Concord (small aircraft). The closest major airport is Oakland International (OAK IATA). Note that San Francisco International Airport (SFO IATA) is the terminus of the BART line that serves the North Concord/Martinez Station.

Downtown Martinez is very walkable, and some other attractions, including the John Muir historic site, can be reached by County Connection bus service (+1 925 676-7500). Some of the nature in Martinez is easy to get to without a car, including Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline, Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline, and Mount Wanda.

Exercise caution in downtown during nighttime as it's dimly lit. It's the crime hotspot of the city, but just use smart judgement and you should be safe.