Escalon, CA

Escalon is a small San Joaquin County city between Modesto and Stockton, in one of California's strongest agricultural regions. Before the railroad, travelers on the French Camp road toward the Stanislaus River would have crossed a rural landscape that later became tied to farming and shipping. Today Escalon is known for walnuts, including major processing operations, and for a surprisingly large number of churches for its size. It feels tidy, agricultural, and community-centered, with orchards and small-town routines close together.