Galt, CA

Galt is a Highway 99 town at the southern end of Sacramento County, with Elk Grove to the north and Lodi a short way south in San Joaquin County. The town was founded in 1869, when the Central Pacific Railroad established a town here, and that rail line is the reason the old center sits where it does. Fields and farm roads begin almost as soon as the last subdivision ends. On Houseberry, Galt is one neighborhood, but the town has two clear halves. The center runs along C Street and Fourth Street, with the original grid and the downtown shops. Out past it, newer subdivisions with curving streets reach toward Lake Canyon Park and the Greer Basin area. The city runs a long list of parks, from Harvey Park to the Sports Complex. History fans can tour the Rae House Museum and the McFarland Living History Ranch, both run by the Galt Area Historical Society, which keeps the town's 1800s story on display. Eating here leans local and casual. Pastosa By Lucia on Industrial Drive is the Italian pick for ravioli and lasagna. Cafe Latte Company on C Street is the coffee order for many people, and Mariscos Guamuchil on the same street serves ceviche, tostadas and molcajete. River Rock Brewery is where the beer drinkers meet. The Galt Market is the town's best-known draw, a flea market and produce row on Chabolla Avenue that runs Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7 am to 2 pm. On the first Saturday of the month from March through November, the Saturday Market Series brings more than 75 vendors downtown. People drive in from other towns for both. Almost everything is a drive, and Highway 99 is the single artery. Jobs in Sacramento and Elk Grove mean a commute on that road, and big retail trips usually head north. In exchange, the town keeps a small footprint and a calendar built around its own events, so a weekday morning can mean produce shopping at the market before work.