Two mighty California rivers converge, delivering a river town on the eastern rim of the Bay Area. A patchwork of tree-lined streets expand from the banks into downtown Antioch. It’s a lively confluence where the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers intersect, but on a recent Friday afternoon, a stolid mood pervaded downtown.
Few people milled about to absorb the Delta breeze or take advantage of Antioch’s nautical backdrop. Instead, a teenager asked for help with directions to leave downtown and venture into the suburban sprawl.
Antioch has never been a tourist attraction as such, but it’s far more than the dead end of the yellow BART line. The neglected hinterland has legitimate appeal to the wider Bay Area through its exceptional public park. The Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve is worth the hike, both for its above- and below-ground attractions. There are tours through historic mining tunnels and a hike to a lost town preserved in tombs…