Thompson’s Corner is one of the oldest historic bars in Solano County.

Welcome back to my monthly column focused on local day hiking destinations, that with a little imagination, will take you back in time to when our local Native Americans lived in a Garden of Eden we now call home.  For more hiking ideas, go to www.eastbayhillpeople.com and read the “Travelogue Blog” tab.

This month’s hike features Rockville Hills Regional Park, just 20 minutes away from Benicia.  Rockville Hills is an excellent local park featuring wild flowers, two small lakes and caves.  Check out the website for directions and rules. Dogs allowed on leash.

On your way to the park, you’ll pass the Martin House, right across the street from Solano Community Collage.  This Gothic Revival style home occupies the site of an ancient spring and village.  Behind the cyclone fence in the backyard, there are 92 mortars, indicating a large, permanent village.  For the Native Americans, Drake coming ashore in 1579 brought an end to their lifestyle.  The Patwins were all but gone in a few short years.  In 1810, Spanish soldiers destroyed the village and wiped out the remaining Patwins living there.

The Spanish established a mission on the site of the massacre from 1818 to 1835. In 1837 the great Chief Sem Yeto aka Chief Solano, was given back the land by General Vallejo.  The Chief built 3 or 4 adobe structures on the parcel and 5 years later, sold it back to General Vallejo for $1,000.00.

In 1850, flush from the gold fields on the Feather River and a successful cattle drive from Missouri, Samuel Martin bought some adjoining land and eventually bought the old village site.  By using the local Tufa stone (cemented volcanic earth) and trading some cattle to German stonecutters for their work, he built his home in 1861.  Samuel named it Stonedene which is Scottish for “house of stone.”

There are several other structures in the area that feature the Gothic style and which were built by the same craftsman using the local Tufa stone.  Sam and his family lived there happily with the few remaining Patwins for many years, ranching and growing crops.  The rest is history.

For us, the next 45 days are a prime time of year to be hiking the hills around us.  The rains are gone and the wild flowers are exploding in color.

At Rockville Hills Regional Park, the wild flowers are just about to peak, so go now.  So many different types of flowers, it’s hard to count them all.  Some are edible, others have a bulb that is radish-like and very tasty.  Exotic mushrooms can still be found and the sun’s heat on the moist green grass sends a fragrance of life starting over again.  Just as it has always been.

Park in the main parking lot, pay your fee and proceed up the hill on the Rockville trail following the signs to the Lakes Trail, a short, easy 1/2 mile hike.  Along your way, there are several places to rest and enjoy the wild flower displays.

The first “lake” you’ll see is Mason Pond, alive with nature.  Following the signs to your right, keep going a short distance and “Upper Lake” comes into view.  At several acres, this lake is a real surprise.  For the first time in many years it is filled to the brim.  There are several picnic tables and a stroll around the lake to the North will bring you to a large rock by the water’s edge.  On it is a large mortar about 10” across that could be a natural mortar or one that was made by the natives.  Regardless, you can see how the natives would want to live here.

Look for the Cave Trail heading further north a few hundred yards from the lake.  There is a large grotto and several caves to explore.  Big fun.

On our last visit, we went looking for a ‘Western Message board” sculpted on a large rock, which was very hard to find and frankly, not worth the effort of going through the Poison Oak.  Western Message petroglyphs are not thought to have been executed by indigenous people, although some of the symbols apparently derive from Plains Indian symbology.  Sometimes, we just travel too far and it’s time to turn back.  The land has changed so much, the Patwins are all gone, so all we have are tidbits of history and our imagination.

You can take several trails back to your car or simply retrace your route.

For an after hike refreshment, you just can’t beat Thompson’s Corner in old town Cordelia.  Thompson’s Corner is the oldest bar in Solano County.  Built in 1902 along the first transcontinental road in the USA, called “The Lincoln Highway” it has had a nice run.  Thompson’s was bought by Henry “old man” Studer and his brother Jim in 1940.  Many lively times were held here.  Upstairs is a dance hall, and other rooms for the male clientele back in the day.  Ron the bartender, makes a great Bloody Mary and the historical decor is very interesting, especially if you like brassieres…enough said.

Seize the day.

Richard DeGraffenreid and his wife Anne are 35 year residents of Benicia. He is also a Drummer/song writer, photographer, cook, Dad and Grandpa. He can be reached at:
Richarddegraffenreid@comcast.net

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