Published 2012-11-29T08:00:00Z”/>
Samantha Youngman
I spent about $100 when a friend of mine recently visited Chico for the first time. Luckily, most of my friends live in Chico or out of state so visits aren’t often, but what do you do when friends come into town and want the whole Chico experience?
My friend was here from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. That included two dinners, one lunch, one breakfast and a lot of free time.
I think I’m a pretty good Chico tour guide. I made sure to take a walk around campus and talk about the haunted floor of Butte Hall and the seven foot bridges across Big Chico Creek, look at the Bidwell Bowl Amphitheater and show off Shasta Hall, where I lived my freshman year.
We also took a peek into Bidwell Mansion, and I explained why the family is so important to Chico.
After the campus tour I like to take my visitors downtown.
The first stop has to be the National Yo-yo Museum. Where else can you find a yo-yo larger than a child? It’s possibly my favorite thing about Chico.
Window shopping is also a fantastic alternative to spending money, even though I was distracted by a good sale at Robyn Marie’s Shoe Closet this time around. Do as I say, not as I do.
On a nice day, Bidwell Park is a must. Go hiking, swimming or have a picnic. All options are cheap, and the park has some good stories to go with it.
Good thing you learned about the Bidwells earlier, because Annie Bidwell gave the park to the city of Chico in 1905, and it is one of the largest municipal parks in the nation. In 1938, “The Adventures of Robin Hood” was filmed there.
After all that walking, it’s time for a beer if you are old enough.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. brews some of the world’s best beer. The tour is free, and beer samples are provided at the end. The brewery is home to a jaw-dropping number of solar panels and makes every move it can to be sustainable.
The food at the brewery is good, but expensive on a college budget. My favorite restaurants include Tres Hombres, Crush and Madison Bear Garden, which all include happy hours so you can save some cash. No trip to Chico is complete without going to The Bear.
Where are your go-to places in Chico?
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<strong>Samantha Youngman can be reached at </strong><a href=”mailto:[email protected]”><em>[email protected]</em></a>
