Search hotels in Lodi, CA

Lodi has a wonderful old-American town charm that feels warm and welcoming, paired with great local food and a relaxed atmosphere. There is so much to do nearby — from beautiful wineries to nature preserves and scenic walks. It’s an easy place to enjoy both culture and nature at your own pace.

I love Lodi, Its a big friendly town, with lots of fun things to do from attending festivals, to family fitness at the in shape family center, to yellow stone camp resort, last but not least Micke Grove Park which is a good place for a barbeque or picnic, and if arrive early enough they have a great zoo full of exotic animals for the kids to see.

Lodi is a farm town with major highways nearby. It has some sights to offer, and decent strip mall dining. I went for birdwatching at nearby wildlife refuges, which frankly could be visited just as easily by staying in a number of towns in the area. Best visited on your way to somewhere else.

Lodi is a pretty average town. There is a one block area in the downtown that is attractive, with nice street trees and some interesting restaurants, but overall it’s not a town I’d want to spend a lot of time in. The wineries are the highlight of the area,

You have to have reason to come to Lodi. A good one is the famous Lodi Pinball Festival, held for three days every May at the fairgrounds, with over four hundred games all on free play. It’s great for all ages, but especially for those of us that played pinball in the old days.

I drove in from San Francisco for one night/2 days with my two pups. We started at the Visitor Center where I enjoyed the super high-end bathrooms, and then I took my pups for a walk through the vineyards and attached park. From there, we went to Vinewood Dog Park. It was HUGE! Completely fenced in and so much space for big dogs and small dogs all to be in there together. It was so large I was even able to play fetch with one of my dogs without other dogs trying to get his ball! The people at the dog park were super friendly - I met 5 or 6 others easily. From there we went to the Lodi Mission Arch for a photo opp. We learned about the arch's construction and meaning behind it. Then, we went to Jeremy Wine Company. They have a large, sunny patio in the back and they allowed my dogs back there. I did the Company tasting and my dogs snacked on a special treat, tied to umbrellas on the patio. We walked around downtown some more and scouted out a place for me to have an early dinner - The Dancing Fox Winery and Brewery was perfect with their outdoor seating in front so the pups could join me. I tied them to the fence and was able to have a peaceful meal (burger and fried for the win!). On the way to the Econolodge, I got some Coldstone. We had a comfortable night at the hotel and stopped by a donut shop across the street in the morning. A half-dozen donuts for $8!!! This is not your San Francisco price! Before returning home the next day we went to Lodi Lake. Part of it is under construction and it looks like the lake is almost fully drained so it wasn't the prettiest, but still a nice walk along the path that circles the lake. Again, we met many dogs and their owners. All were friendly. As a solo female traveler (with my dogs), I felt completely safe in Lodi. Even better, I was gone for one night and I feel like I had a vacation. I will definitely go back!