I ♥ Chico! (and photos of Chico)

Just discovered another Facebook photo site, Chico Illustrated, featuring "over a decade of photos capturing the colorful charm and tranquility that each season brings to this lovely town and beautiful Bidwell Park." I never tire of seeing photos of our beautiful Northern California Shangri-La.  (Bidwell Mansion photo above by Aimee Proel, originator of Chico Illustrated.)

Bidwell Park Arts is another Facebook site with great local photos.  Says photographer John Peters, "I wanted to give the nature of Bidwell Park its own voice through this 3 yr, 15,000 shot photographic study. To celebrate its wonders and hopefully inspire a renewed thoughtfulness in regards to it's future stewardship." Check out the "VodPod" video of some of John's wonderful photography as well.  (Sunset in Bidwell Park photo above by John Peters.)
 


Cruising around Chico a few years, ago, daughter-in-law Eva and I did a little "Chico Photo Shoot" of our own.  Click here and then hit "View Album" to view some of Chico's buildings, homes, murals etc.  Enjoy!

Polar Bear Swim 2010!

HERE IT IS, the long-awaited 2010 ChicoLaura VIDEO of the 2010 Chico Polar Bear Swim!   The bone-chilling fun began at 1:00 p.m. at One Mile in Chico's Bidwell Park.  (yes, I was JUST a spectator; well someone had to record the event!).  The Chico E-R reported the water temp at 40 degrees (the air felt MUCH warmer this year!) and that over 500 people took the icy plunge.

Speaking of last year, here's a link to my YouTube video of the 2009 swim.  Local news crew from KNVN filmed this segment at the event.

As we all take the plunge into the New Decade, wishing you a wonderful and amazing 2010!

Memory Walk 2009

What an amazingly gorgeous morning it was in Bidwell Park...perfect for the 2009 Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk.  My friend Karen Sinell and I were asked to record the event, and we were happy to oblige.  A complete album of my photos are posted on Flickr (click here to view them).  This worthwhile event continues to grow each year.  Once again, the remarkable duo, Holly Taylor and her husband Eric Peter entertained the crowd during registration (along with their ever-popular basset hound, Cooper), and a bagpiper helped launch the walk. 

In spite of the grief this devastating illness causes daily, everyone seemed glad to be there, sharing hugs and supporting the effort to find a cure.  To find out more about our local Alzheimer's Association, click here. 

(The photos I took this year are dedicated to our wonderful dad, Louis Burghardt.  We all miss you so much!)

The Green Gate

Pictured: Laura, Kelly & Doug Guererro, John & Andy Burghardt...

Wow! What a great hike we had this morning! Discovering some of the great trails around Chico is becoming a pre-4th-of-July-family-reunion tradition. This year we decided to do the Upper Bidwell Park "Green Gate" hike, which begins off Hwy 32 about half way to Forest Ranch. The good news: it's mostly downhill and shady during early morning hours (we started at 6:30 a.m.). The bad news: POISON OAK! Gobs of it. Watch for it on both sides of the trail, ranging from dark green to vibrant red. (Stay tuned for the itch update...hopefully we all avoided contact.)

The views were gorgeous, and the total time was 3 1/2 hours, with several rest breaks. The trail ends in a level trail along a rock wall overlooking the creek, exiting next to the Falcon's Point gated community on Chico Canyon Rd.

This is truly one of the nicest hikes I've taken. Just watch out for that treacherous 3-leafed devil plant!

Polar Bear Swim

If you missed it this year, mark your calendar for next year's Annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim at One Mile in Bidwell Park. It's a blast! I took along my handy little Flip Videocam this year; CLICK HERE to check out the fun video (complete with pre- and post-swim interviews of the brave swimmers!). In the 26 years I've lived in Chico, I can honestly say I've never once been tempted to take the plunge. But it sure is fun to watch (as evidenced by the throngs of cheering, towel-bearing fans waiting on the other side of the pool). Hmmmm... maybe 2010? Which reminds me, do you think we'll be saying "Two Thousand Ten" or shorten it to the simpler "Twenty-Ten"?

Run for Food

Because I was in Healdsburg enjoying our annual family "Thanksmas" (combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas) celebration at the lovely home of our gracious hosts sister Becky and her handsome hubby Steve (talk about FOOD!), I missed the 3rd annual "Run for Food" event held in Bidwell Park. How proud I was of our generous Chicoans when I read an online article in the Chico E-R about the success of the run! More than 2,600 runners pre-paid the $25 to $30 fee to make the five-kilometer run, and apparently about twice that number ended up participating, resulting in over $65,000 raised to help the Jesus Center in their ongoing efforts to feed those in need. Over the years, my fellow Soroptimist of Chico members and I have taken turns volunteering to serve meals at the Jesus Center, sometimes enlisting the help of our children (which I felt was a very valuable few hours spent with mine), and I have always come away feeling a renewed gratitude for my family, friends, home and the many gifts I enjoy in life. And isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about anyway? Happy holiday season to you and yours!

Delightful Dogs

Speaking of critters, my friend Bejay just shared this very fun video with me (click here to view). Reminds me of our sweet Sarah, the Australian Shepherd who was a cherished family member when my boys were young. If you're yearning for a little canine companionship but aren't in a position to give a home to one, do what my friend Barb does: volunteer to take one from the Butte Humane Society to Obedience School or for a walk in our lovely Bidwell Park or one of the parades held in Chico throughout the year. I guarantee it will make the doggie's (and maybe your) day! (Call 530-343-7917 ext 167 or email volunteer@buttehumane.org for more info.)

Is Chico an "Amenity Town"?

Have you heard the term "amenity buyer" yet? According to a recent story on NPR, "More Americans are living where they want to, not where they have to. They're making new lives for themselves by the beach, in the mountains, in college towns." Towns like Flagstaff, AZ, Aspen, CO, and "super-trendy" amenity towns like Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Park City, Utah are attracting baby boomers by the thousands, with no end in sight. (Having lived in the more densely-populated areas of the S.F. Bay Area and San Diego County, I can totally understand the desire to "get outta Dodge" and head for the hills!)

So is our little haven of Chico likely to become (or indeed already becoming) a draw for "amenity migrants"? Well, we do have: 1) The amazingly beautiful Bidwell Park (where my brother and I rode our bicycles just this morning), over 3600 acres of predominantly raw, natural beauty; 2) The gorgeous Chico State campus, conveniently located in downtown Chico, its stately elegance enhanced by Big Chico Creek which runs right through it; 3) The historic Bidwell Mansion, built beginning in 1865 by Chico's founder John Bidwell (Note: certain scenes in the film The Thin Man were shot inside the mansion--a little known piece of trivia I just now found out by reading the Wikipedia entry! I highly recommend taking the app. 50-min. tour of Bidwell Mansion, held daily except Mon.; just $4/adult, $2/children; click here for info); 4) A thriving and energetic arts community (with the upcoming highlight of the year: Artoberfest, a celebration of the arts, complete with the well-attended Open Studios Tour); 5) Proximity to the mountains, coast, and several major cities, but with a decidedly "small town" atmosphere, etc. etc.

I could go on and on, but those of you fortunate to live here, as well as past visitors & grads know what I'm talking about. While Chico has certainly had its share of Bay Area and SoCal "transplants" (my family and me among them!), the notoriously hot summers may keep some of those boomers away, despite amenities galore. It will be interesting to see what the next few decades bring in terms of growth and how it's managed...

"Charm & Character"

This 1940s "charmer" is located on one of my absolute favorite streets in Chico, E. Sacramento Ave. (I "scored" big time with my very first listing on this street 20 years ago!) Listed at $449,000, this sweet thing features original tile, hardwood floors, built-in bookshelves, tons of storage, large living and family rooms, and separate darkroom or office. A large guest house with separate bedroom and spacious living room looks out to a lovely patio with Koi pond. This wide, tree-lined street is in the heart of Chico, close to downtown, Bidwell Park and CSUC. For more info and photos, please visit my web site: ChicoLaura.com To view this lovely property, feel free to email me: Laura@ChicoLaura.com