OUT IN THE WORLD WITHOUT A CAR: Going for the weekend to Chico, CA
By Steve Price
Janet and I took a car-free trip over the Memorial Day weekend to Chico, California, proving once again that fun travel can happen without a personal car. Beautiful, tree-covered Chico — population 101,000+, on Highway 99 between Sacramento and Redding — has lots to offer for the adventurous. We traveled to Chico by transit, Amtrak train, and bus. While there, we rented bicycles, walked, and took some Lyft rides around town.
The Capitol Corridor train stops in Davis on the way to Sacramento.
In El Cerrito we hopped on the AC Transit 72M bus to Richmond BART where we caught a Capitol Corridor train to Sacramento. There we transferred to an Amtrak bus to Chico and arrived in time for lunch.
Janet and I took a fascinating tour of the Sierra Nevada Brewery.
We went on an afternoon hike on the upper part of Bidwell Park.
In Chico, we bicycled on rented bikes along the Esplanade and in Bidwell Park, visited handsome California State University, Chico, took a tour of the Sierra Nevada Brewery, did a walking tour of the historic downtown, spent an evening stargazing at the Chico Community Observatory, and went on a long hike in upper Bidwell Park, which starts near downtown and extends nearly 11 miles northeast along Big Chico Creek. The town also a very cool community swimming hole fed by Big Chico Creek, a great used bookstore (called The Bookstore), cafes and diverse restaurants (college town!), and several museums (science, art, and the world’s largest yo-yo collection).
Charming Chico is a great destination for sensuous adventure without the sensory deprivation of car travel.
California State University, Chico, is a handsome school with a creek, rose garden, and many beautiful mature trees.
Chico has gorgeous street trees with a rich mix of species. We biked on the Esplanade, a grand boulevard and the city’s main north-south corridor.
Chico’s Bidwell Park starts near the downtown and extends nearly 11 miles northeast along Big Chico Creek, making it one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.