Chico is a mid-sized city in the Sacramento Valley at the foot of the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 90 miles north of Sacramento. It is best known as a college town — California State University, Chico anchors the downtown — which gives the city an unpretentious energy and a lively bar and restaurant scene that belies its size.
Bidwell Park runs through the heart of the city and is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States, stretching for miles along Chico Creek into the oak-covered foothills. Swimming holes like One-Mile and Five-Mile attract locals on hot summer days, and the upper park offers hiking and mountain biking. The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, one of the country's pioneering craft breweries, is based here and offers tours and a well-regarded brewpub.
The surrounding area produces almonds, walnuts, and olives, and the Saturday Farmers Market downtown is a good place to find local produce. The Bidwell Mansion tells the story of the city's remarkable founding family. Chico also hides an oddity: the National Yo-Yo Museum, which contains the world's largest working wooden yo-yo. The city makes a reasonable base for exploring the upper Sacramento Valley or the volcanic landscapes of Lassen Volcanic National Park, about 90 minutes to the east.