Things To Do
Monkey Face View | Upper Bidwell Park
Upper Park is full of several great hikes with amazing views! Monkey Face is one of the popular shorter ones, but there is so much more to explore around here.
Chico Certified Farmers' Market
The Saturday market is from 7:30 am-1 pm in downtown Chico, which also has lots of fun shops and restaurants.
Bidwell Park One-Mile
This is a great local swimming spot! This expansive pool is fed by local creeks. It's a great place to cool off during hot summer months!
Caper Acres
This is a great playground for kids that Bree grew up going to with friends and family. It's also located in Bidwell Park near One Mile.
California State University, Chico
Chico State is the local CSU and has a beautiful campus to walk around and explore.
The Grateful Bean Coffee House
This is by far Bree's favorite place to grab coffee and chat with friends. Some of her other favorites around town include Bidwell Perk, Sweet Bean, Daycamp Coffee, and Stoble.
Beatniks | Coffee House & Breakfast Joint
This is Bree's favorite breakfast spot. Her maid of honor, Natalie, currently works here! They have amazing drip coffee and plenty of great food options. Some of her other favorite breakfast places in Chico are Deja Vu, Sin of Cortez, Mom's, Morning Thunder, and Bellachino's.
Sierra Nevada Taproom & Restaurant
Sierra Nevada is local to Chico! Come here to try their famous beer and great food.
The Pour House
This is our favorite restaurant in Chico for any event! They have the best drinks and appetizers (don't miss out on the sweet potato fries!) and a great atmosphere. Some other good lunch and dinner spots are Fresh Twisted Cafe, Cocodine, Wine Time, Farmer's Brewing and Nama Sake Sushi.
La Hacienda
Chico is known for its Mexican restaurants and this one is a Smith family favorite. This also happens to be where Max met Bree's family the first time he visited Chico! Sol is another top spot for Mexican food.
Madison Bear Garden
This is Chico State's classic burger joint located in the heart of downtown. Some other great restaurants in downtown Chico are Tres Hombres, Sicilian Cafe, 5th Street Steakhouse, The Banshee, Broadway Heights, and Parkside Taphouse.
Shubert's Ice Cream & Candy
This local ice cream place is great for cooling off on a hot night downtown. Some of our other favorite spots for ice cream or froyo are Savor, Gelayo, and Jon & Bon's.
Lake Oroville
Bree's family grew up boating, swimming, and paddleboarding at this lake, which is about half an hour from Chico. We highly recommend checking out the Forebay and Aquatic Center that are part of the lake, as well as the Oroville Dam in Oroville.
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is full of amazing hikes featuring waterfalls and canyon overlooks. It may be hot this time of year so plan accordingly. Phantom Falls is Bree's favorite hike here and has decent shade and misty places to cool off under the falls.
Feather River Canyon
This canyon offers a beautiful, scenic drive. We also recommend visiting Riverbend Park nearby in Oroville.
Redding
Redding is about an hour and a half from Chico, so this is a great place to check out if your looking for a quick day trip. Be sure to visit Turtle Bay Exploration Park and the Sundial Bridge, or drive up to Whiskeytown Lake.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
This national park about two hours from Chico offers incredible hikes and features volcanoes and hydrothermal areas. It's also filled with mountain lakes and meadows and is absolutely gorgeous.
Old Sacramento
Sacramento is about 2 hours from Chico (where the SMF airport is). Old Sacramento offers lots of fun shops, places to eat, and even a railroad museum near the waterfront. This is another great place for a day trip.
Burney Falls
About 2.5 hours from Chico, this breathtaking waterfall makes for an incredible and refreshing must-do hike.
San Francisco
If you're up for a longer adventure, San Francisco is a must-see. Be sure to drive across the famous Golden Gate Bridge, ride the classic cable cars, walk Pier 39, and enjoy some clam chowder in a fresh sourdough bread bowl, followed by Ghirardelli ice cream of course!
Lake Tahoe
If you have time for a 3-hour drive be sure to visit the place where Bree and Max met and fell in love! On the north shore, you can stop by King's Beach and rent e-bikes in Incline Village to ride the East Shore Trail to Sand Harbor. If you visit South Lake you can drive by Emerald Bay, stop at Pope Beach, watch a sunset at Cave Rock or hike Mt. Tallac if you're up for it (our proposal spot).