Let's see, lots of good info in your responses.
20,000 points is good for a pretty long one way sleeper trip on the Coast Starlight, so I'm saving them. The minimum 750 points is not worth using for the low-priced trip day trip I'm talking about here.
The last Amtrak I took was the east coast gathering in 2018 so I'm already taking into account the extension. I'm going camping starting the end of next week so this weekend or early next week is better. With the weekend heat spell, probably next week actually.
Both the Antioch and Fresno stations are downtown in the old sections, near city halls, art deco theaters, murals, and such. At least on maps. These are not likely to be daytime ghost towns. I've been to both by car but not train. Of course lots of places are safe in the car but not on foot. The Tower District (for the restored Tower Theater) in Fresno is a real gem and a blast at night but I haven't been there during daylight in ages.
Stockton is even sketchier than Fresno.
Davis is a much better place, great little College town!
Davis is boring! They have planted too many earthtone houses and apartments in the fields! When I want to stop along I-80 now I go to Dixon or old Suisun (which has the It's It factory outlet a block from the station), or detour up to Woodland and skip Sacramento on the way home.
I'm a little leery of parking my car in Stockton. The thing is, there is no longer any train between Sacramento and Stockton, just buses. The San Joaquins head west from Stockton and meet the Cap Corridors in Martinez. If I want to go south, I need to drive to Stockton (2 hours), Antioch (2 1/2 hrs), or Martinez (3 hrs). I usually park at Martinez for long trips but it would really cut into the day for this trip. Of course, the most sensible thing is to park at Davis (1 hr 40 min) or Sacramento (1 1/2 hr) and take a Cap Corridor. I'd rather go someplace new.
Theres plenty to see in downtown Fresno walking distance from the train station, although many of the unique businesses may be closed due to COVID.
Id walk a block up to City Hall, and then take Mariposa Mall west to Fulton. Then walk north on Fulton to the Cultural Arts Park, and then back down along Fulton to Inyo, where there are a number of breweries with outdoor seating.
If you have more time, the Fresno Zoo is well worth a visit, but would require a short bus or cab ride (unless you have a bike).
I agree about the Fresno Zoo. That is a bit far for this trip. I've made note of the walking tour you suggest. I think I'll look at the buses between Sacramento and Stockton, maybe I can figure a way to park at Sac instead of Stockton, take the bus one way to get on a San Joaquin, then get a train back through Martinez, or the other way around. Then I wouldn't be tempted to park in Stockton.
Do you live near Fresno? I'm a huge fan of Simonian Farms, Best Raisins Anywhere!, plus old farm equipment and caboose outside the store, a vintage model train running around the rafters inside, and a shooting gallery that also has old time candy and Fresno State ice cream.
Or, you could also have a Hopefully short stop in Lodi.
Anumberone, I know you are joking but I actually like Lodi and it is on the way to Stockton when I'm driving. Besides the wineries, there are some creameries making fine cheeses.
I would go with a round trip to Bakersfield to get more train time. Or a round trip to San Jose. I’m assuming there is service on the corridors that allows this. Not sure what’s going on with COVID service reductions.
I looked at the schedule for Stockton to Bakersfield and it does not leave much time for the turnaround, 15 minutes. That is okay if it is the same train, or I could get off a station early if running late. Sacramento to San Jose has a one hour layover, or 2 1/2 hrs if I wait for the last train. Both of these are good ideas. It has been several years since I've been in either of those stations. As I recall, I'd best carry a picnic.
Usually there are interesting loop trips in central California with some combination of Amtrak, ACE, BART, SF ferry, and CalTrain. I could not get any such schedule to work. There are not even enough trains to take SAC-MTZ-FNO-MTZ-SAC unless I get up really early and mix with the commuters.
Does anyone have local knowledge about how safe parking is in Stockton? My car is full of camping gear I'm not going to remove. This is still a staffed station. Parking there would sure simplify things.