Benicia, California: "A Great Day By The Bay"

Looking for a quick day-cation in the Bay Area? I recently discovered Benicia and I recommend it. Well, "discovered" isn't really accurate. I always knew it was less than an hour from Oakland where I lived, but I never thought to explore the city until not long ago.

Benicia Waterfront

Benicia is located about 40 miles northeast of San Francisco, on the north bank of the Carquinez Strait in Solano County.

Benicia, as the sign says, is a California Main Street city, which means that it is part of a network of small towns that are working to revitalize their historic, commercial districts. Participating California towns range from as far south as Leucadia in San Diego County to northernmost cities like Eureka in Humboldt County.

Downtown Benicia

The first time I visited Benicia was actually years ago, but I was just passing through. I do recall driving through the tree-lined, downtown, commercial district with its cute shops and restaurants and thinking it was absolutely charming. The city seemed idyllic, like a wonderful place to grow up. In fact, some of my favorite people did grow up there.

"Yesteryears Mural"

On my more recent visit to Benicia, the charm of the downtown area once again impressed me. Just as I had the thought that it looked like something out of a storybook, I came across this mural entitled "Yesteryears," painted to look as though it was on the pages of a book. Hmmm ... maybe I was onto something. "Yesteryears," which is adjacent to Benicia's First Street, gives you a pictorial representation of the street's history from the city's founding through 1970.

Location

As I mentioned, Benicia is located near San Francisco on a waterway that is part of the San Francisco Bay system.

In addition to being adjacent to the Benicia-Martinez Bridge, it is also located next to a railroad bridge that carries trains across the Carquinez Strait. Benicia's slogan, "A great day by the Bay," references its location on the Carquinez Strait, the chokepoint between the two mini-bays of Suisun and San Pablo, which are fed by California's two largest waterways, the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers.

From Vista Point, a dry hilltop hidden among the trees and freeway ramps, you can get sweeping views of the bridge spans and the Bay.

For bridge views of the Carquinez, marshlands, and rocky beaches, as well as opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding and more, visit the Benicia State Recreation Area.

History

If outdoor activities don't appeal to you, Benicia is also a great place to come and learn about early California history.

Benicia was named by Mexican General Mariano Vallejo in 1847. He desired to name the city "Francisca" after his wife, but decided against it when the nearby city of Yerba Buena changed its name to San Francisco. Instead, he opted to honor his wife by using her second name, "Benicia" to name the city. He then sold this parcel of land for $100 to Robert Semple, its first European-American resident.

The Clock Tower

Benicia was officially founded in 1847 and became the third city to incorporate in California in 1851 when San Jose was the state capital. By 1850, there were upward of 100 homes in Benicia and the West Coast's first arsenal and munitions depot was constructed in the city. That building, pictured above, still stands today and is referenced by locals as the "clock tower."

Commandant's House

In 1852, President Lincoln commissioned a military compound to be constructed near the arsenal. Approximately, 20 of the original buildings in the compound are still utilized today, including the Commandant's House, an example of classic Georgian architecture, pictured above. Today, this building is the site of Arts Benicia, a non-profit dedicated to visual arts.

Benicia State Capital Building

In 1853, the California state capital moved from San Jose to Benicia and into the red, brick building, constructed in just four months and pictured above. Benicia remained the California state capital for a mere 13 months before the capital was moved to Sacramento, where it remains today.

Fischer Hanlon House

Directly next door to the old capitol building is the Fischer Hanlon House, another historic landmark. This building was originally constructed as a hotel during the Gold Rush and was located on First Street. It was later moved to its current location where it was adapted as a single family home.

Today, the house, a great architectural example of East Coast Federalist styling, is a museum where you can see how a middle class family in the 1800s would have lived.

One House

One House Bakery

After exploring the city all morning, I stopped for lunch at One House Bakery. This bakery is so popular that I had heard about it from two people in Oakland and three in San Francisco. That is uncommon given its distance from those cities and the fact that Benicia isn't necessarily on the radar of people who live in The City (San Francisco) or The Town (Oakland).

I walked in to see what all the fuss was about and I was accosted (in a good way) by the warm, inviting smell of baked goods.

What wasn't on display within the glass cases, was beautifully wrapped for take out.

Iced London Fog

In addition to desserts, One House also makes a variety of savory items including sandwiches, pot pies and soups. I ordered my lunch and sipped on a London Fog while I waited for my meal to be prepared.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, so I chose to enjoy my lunch on the back patio, under the canopy of the trees and magenta bougainvillea.

B.L.T.

For lunch I ordered a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and it was the best B.L.T. I can recollect eating.

It was made with smoky, thick-cut bacon, frisée, tomato and house made aioli, all stuffed between the bakery's freshly made and lightly toasted Levain bread.

For dessert, I ordered the strawberry tart. Everything about this tart was amazing.

The strawberries were sweet and fresh, the crème pâtissière was creamy and rich with vanilla bean flavor and the pâte sucrée, or crust, was crispy yet tender. Clearly, I think this place lives up to the hype.

Benicia Waterfront

After a very late lunch, I wandered through the shops on First Street, the main street in downtown Benicia. Walk all the way to the end and you will arrive at the Benicia Public Pier, also known by locals as the waterfront.

I suggest coming at sunset, like I did, for gorgeous views of the sun setting over the Carquinez Strait. It was a peaceful and beautiful way to end my trip to Benicia, California and it was indeed "a great day by the Bay."

See you soon with more food and travel adventures.