Taking a walk, a bike ride or a healthy jog around the Ripon community can be a pleasant experience.
The streets are safe and the grasslands outside the city proper are welcoming just about any time of year although mornings are the best. Nature’s offerings include a walk to the banks of the Stanislaus River to the east from the downtown business district and to Stouffer Park where wild turkeys have been seen foraging for food. Contiguous to the park is the Spring Creek Golf and Country Club where creatures visit regularly.
Red foxes are also regulars that have been seen numerous times throughout the riparian forest that covers the banks of the Stanislaus. The area at one time was the home of a Miwok Indians years ago that made their camps in what is now the Stouffer Park. The stately park is just off Manley Drive that borders the Stanislaus River. It was donated to the city by Wes and Mauvis Stouffer – the site of their ranch. Wes has served for years as the principal of Ripon High School later becoming district superintendent.
Ripon has often been compared to the longtime TV series “Mayberry” where most everyone talks to each other and a new friend is often seen as close as just a handshake and a smile away.
Retired Manteca resident Tony Cardoza is one of the regulars getting some exercise with his dog “Duke” at his side. Tony drives to Ripon every week to make use of the many trails in the Riparian Forest that traverses the Stanislaus River. Cardoza says he enjoys the quiet atmosphere and sometimes travels as far as Oakdale for another of his haunts to the west of that community.
Groups of women can be seen on their predetermined routes every morning around the residential communities doing two to five miles before dawn. Their only real worry seems to be looking out for newspaper delivery vehicles that circle the residential areas.
A moment of excitement comes when a jogger on the sidewalk – unheard by the walkers – jets by them as they continue at a much slower pace. For a more vigorous walk or run there are the countless trails of Caswell State Park to the west.
A few of the Riponites have their dogs with them keeping a healthy pace. Some years ago one dog adopted one of those folks out for a morning walk with his Labrador on a leash at 5 a.m. The pooch forced her way into the family with persistence following the man home. The resident attempted to lose the dog by changing his route. It was about 10 a.m. later that morning when the man was driving to church. Looking up in his rearview mirror, he spotted the dog racing to catch up with his car – pulling away from the dog at 35 miles an hour.
Returning home in the south central part of Ripon, he went in the house to take the vitamins he had left on the kitchen counter. As he drank from the glass he heard a dog panting next to him. Somehow the pet had made his way into the house, claiming it as her home and bonding with the walker.
Walking daily is a trip in meditation for those needing to clear their minds trying to forget their troubles, and sorting out their challenges.
