>Recently, I went back to Vacaville to visit some high school friends. Being there made me realize how quaint it is, something I couldn’t appreciate as a kid. I really enjoy the Old West/”out in the country” sounding places like Mix Canyon, Steiger Hill, Lagoon Valley, Alamo Creek, Fruitvale, Ulatis Creek, and Gibson Canyon. It seems though there are lots of canyons in that area.

My uncle took me and my sister up in Gates Canyon in his jeep to go “off-roading”. It was fun, but too damn bumpy. I still remember that warm early summer evening. The sun was setting and the shadows of the oak trees were in stark contrast to the baking golden hills. I call them hills, but they are probably closer to mountains. Some of the peaks are 2,000 feet above sea level.

Oddly enough, there was an area called Leisure Town, which sounds like a fun-park or bar, but was actually a retirement community. Some people might remember the Wooz (a giant maze) and the Nut Tree (a giant fruit stand). Both are no longer standing. One was burned down by the local fire fighters in a training exercise after the place closed. The other is now a strip mall.