July Stop: Chico, California

I absolutely love my home town. Being home is so special for me, and I feel very lucky to love where I grew up. Every time I visit I am filled with nostalgia and memories of my rosy childhood. So, I was really happy Connor and I got to finish our year and a half of travel in Chico. Connor is from the Bay Area, so he also got to visit his friends and home town while we were there.

Being home does mean a booked calendar though. There’s lots of people and places to see. I loved how much we were able to do and wish we could’ve done more, as usual. We saw family, friends, favorite hikes, and must stop bites. The first week of July was a whirlwind.

Of course there was the normal chaotic driving and unpacking, but it was also the week of Fourth of July, my mom was in town, we stayed with family friends, my friend was in town, and we had hikes planned.

So busy busy right off the bat! I wouldn’t have had it any other way though. I’m so happy we got to fit in as much as we could.
Getting to see my mom was amazing. She just happened to be in town when our travels crossed, so that was awesome. We got to hang out quite a bit and catch up before she had to leave. Then, my friend was also in town too, seeing him was a fun surprise! We grabbed dinner with his family and hung out in downtown Chico for a fun evening. We also went to their house for a Fourth of July pool party!

Fourth of July was a blast. We started out in Los Molinos watching the holiday parade with a big group of family and friends. My mom and I used to go together, so it was fun to be there together again. The parade was a blast. If you haven’t gone to a small town parade, you are missing out. There were antique tractors, dancing horses, and a cat running for mayor. After the parade, we went over to our friend’s for the party.

He was my next door neighbor growing up, so I’ve always felt like he was my older brother and his family is the best. I love them all! Being at their house for the summer day felt like I was back in high school having the time of my life. I really felt like a kid again with all of our parents hanging out, a potluck out for everyone, and us kids playing games in the pool. It was the perfect summer day.

Speaking of summer days, Connor and I took my grandpa to Manzanita Lake in Lassen National Park the following day. I had really wanted to spend the day there with my grandpa because him and my grandma used to take me there all the time when I was younger. My grandpa and brother would fish on the lake, and my grandma and I would hike around on nature walks. The area is so beautiful and alpine lakes are top tier.

The weather was so nice, cool enough at the higher elevation to eat our lunch at a sunny picnic table without being too hot. We had the perfect picnic table to get a full view of the blue lake and all the activities. It was super busy being the holiday weekend, but that made the people watching more fun.
We just ate our lunch and hung out enjoying the lovely day lakeside. It was amazing. After a few hours of fun, we packed up and made our way home for dinner, but I’m so happy we got to go and enjoy the day together.

That Sunday was another full day for Connor and I because we made the trip out to my favorite waterfall, Mossbrae. It is in Dunsmir, CA, which is about two hours away. I’ve been visiting these falls ever since I was a little kid and they’ve never lost their magic. I don’t think I will ever get tired of those falls. Even with all the falls I’ve seen during my travels, Mossbrae is special to me.

The hike along the train tracks can be a little toasty from the lack of tree cover and the heat radiating off the metal tracks, but the hike itself is easy and quick. I don’t mind it at all. The train tracks make it more unique anyways. However, the tracks are operational, so people have to be cautious and alert for any oncoming trains. The tracks follow the river which is nice to hear and see as you hike along. Once you get to the right area, you leave the tracks and go down into the trees. The temperature drops like five degrees immediately. Then there is a tiny walk on a dirt trail before getting to the falls. A clearing opens up to a full view of the sparkly water cascading over the fern walls of stone. It’s a shower of glittering droplets against the lush green foliage that takes up a whole side of the rock wall. It is stunning. I stood there in awe for a few minutes just taking it in.

We set our stuff down to get into the icey pools. You can swim at these falls, but the water is numbing. I love to get in for a few moments to connect with the water and nature. I am not able to stay in long though, I’m not actually a fan of ice plunges or polar swims. The pain and numbness from the chilling water aren’t pleasant. I dunked my head under before turning back to stumble out of the current. Connor swam for longer than I did, and he put his head under the falls. I filmed it laughing while the pins and needles faded from my freezing body. The rest of the time I spent laid out on the rocks soaking up the sun and spirit of the place. I love watching the falls. I think I spent at least an hour just watching them. The roar of the rushing water is music to my ears too. I closed my eyes and let the sound wash over me. It is healing being there.

After a few hours of playing around and relaxing, we had to pack up for the couple hour drive home. It’s hard for me to say goodbye and leave, but hopefully I will get to return within the next year or two.

So after all of the craziness of the first week, we were able to settle into a routine. Instead of an AirBNB this month, we house sat for family friends.

They are super important to me, and I’m happy we got to see them and stay with them. I wish we could hang out with them all the time. It was the perfect situation for our past month. I wouldn’t change a thing. The place was paradise with a pool, puppies, fresh eggs, garden harvests, and more.

They got to travel for a month while Connor and I got to stay in paradise and save money. It was extra helpful because they let us use their house as a home base even after they got back.

We were able to travel back and forth to Denver to look at apartments without dragging Princess and our stuff around. They were so gracious to help us out. I’m very thankful. I love them and am so grateful for their hospitality. It felt like a win, win, win, win situation. Thank goodness it all worked out for both parties!

The second week’s routine was full of gardening, journalism, yard work, marathon training and yoga. Gardening was so fun! The owner has a beautiful garden that Connor and I had full access too which was amazing. We got to have fresh fruit, herbs and veggies the whole month. Her blackberries, mint and cucumbers were amazing. My journalism efforts were fun and exciting as well.

I had three stories total. The first was for my column in Montana Craft Beer Connection about the decline in demand for barely and what that means for farmers. I love learning about these issues through hours of researching and interviewing. It is great getting to talk to farmers and brewers who are dealing with these topics first hand. My second article was a profile on the Chairman for the National Cotton Council. Speaking to him was super interesting. I loved hearing his story, and I feel like I learned a lot. My third article was about a Wisconsin Master cheesemaker and a Wisconsin creamery owner. I got to learn more about dairy in Wisconsin and how these artisans use it to make their amazing products. Handmaking cheese and ice cream with local dairy sounds magical. I need to make a trip out to Wisconsin now!

Hopefully these articles will be available to read soon! I will keep you updated!

It felt great to be in stride with our routine though, and I am sad it didn’t last long. It was the second weekend of the month, and I went on the longest run of my marathon training so far.
It was a trail run out in Upper Bidwell Park. This area is super helpful to train in, but I wish I had gone during better weather. The 100 degrees did not help me tackle the 19 miles, and unfortunately I got poison oak on the beginning of the run. I had no idea and continued to spread the poison oils all over my body during the very hot, very long run. This caused me to get borderline toxic burns with the poison oak and I had to go to urgent care a few days later when my body lit up.

It ended up being a full three week ordeal healing the insane burns I got. I couldn’t sleep longer than four hours, and I had to sleep with ice packs to keep the burns cooled down. It was one of the hardest things I’ve gone through.

Unfortunately, while I was battling the poison oak, I had to cancel a bunch of plans and hide away at home. Even wearing clothes or being outside was horrible. I wish I could’ve gone on hikes, seen friends, spent time with family, played in the pool, and all kinds of fun summer activities I had planned. I got sick for a few days after the poison oak disaster as well. I am really sad I lost so much time at home to the poison oak, but I am happy to be healed now. I learned my lesson at least!

It was hard to take time off of training and yoga. I could barely bend my legs or touch anything, so it was unavoidable.
My marathon is in just a few weeks, so I’m extremely nervous about the break in training I just had, but maybe the break was needed. Sometimes everything works out in odd ways. I wouldn’t have chosen pain and discomfort, but it is what it is. As soon as I can get back into a training schedule, the better.
The one plan we didn’t cancel during that time was having one of Connor’s childhood friends come visit us. He came to stay with us for the third weekend of July.

I got to show him my hometown and some iconic Red Bluff spots on the first day which was super fun. I love showing people around my hometown. We finished the day with some trap shooting, family dinner, and night swimming.

The next day was a Chico day that started with breakfast at my dad’s and ended with lunch at Sierra Nevada Brewery. Lots of records were bought during the light shopping we did in downtown Chico as well.
Our last weekend in July was packed of course.
We had a family day on Saturday where we went to the Blessing of the Grapes at New Clairvaux Winery with my aunt, uncle, and grandpa. That was such a fun morning. I love getting to spend time with them, and the weather at the little festival was so beautiful.

The Blessing of the Grapes is an annual event at the local winery where monks will literally bless the grapes with holy water and prayers. Visitors get to watch and listen as the tradition is played out on a stage in front of acres of grapes. It is a really interesting ceremony, and not one you get to see every day. I’m glad Connor and I were in town to see it this year, especially because it was also their 25 anniversary.

The area is lined with little artisan booths full of wine, cheese, oils, plants, lavender, and more. We got a couple local goodies as we meandered through the crowds. There are other fun activities such as wine tastings and tours. My family did all five tastings which were placed throughout the venue as almost like a scavenger hunt. Everyone liked the wines of course. I wish we could’ve gone on a vineyard or church tour, but I was really sick and couldn’t hold myself upright for much longer. Plus, my family had to get going in the afternoon, so none of us were able to go on the tours. The event is so well managed, and all of the people there are there to have a good time and drink wine. So, the atmosphere and weather made for an enjoyable event.

Once we left the winery, we went to my dad’s house to do art with him. He is an artist by trade, and he wanted our help with a new technique he is working on.
It was super fun to be in his studio again and do experimental art with him. We loved it. We also stayed for a lovely dinner and fire. His house is outside of Chico up in the mountains, so they get to enjoy dinners on their deck surrounded by pines with the sunlight filtering in as it sets.
We had such a great time and didn’t leave until it got dark.

Sunday was all about spending quality time with family and friends in Sacremento.
We had a yummy breakfast at my godsister’s apartment which was so much fun. We chatted over coffee before cooking up a french toast, bacon, and eggs breakfast. I wish we didn’t have to leave, but the good news was that we were going over to my friend’s house to hang out with her afterwards.

We got to chill and hang out with her and her husband before grabbing dinner with them too. We had such a great time! It was the perfect way to spend the day, getting quality time with the people I love.

We stayed an extra week in my hometown because we still had lots of family and friends that we wanted to see! It has been incredible to be at home this past month.
Spending quality time with family and friends has meant the world to me. Plus, summer at home is so nostalgic, it has been a blast.
Another reason we stayed an extra week was because we started looking for apartments in Denver! Connor and I will be moving to Denver for a year in mid August! So crazy! We still cannot believe our months of travel are over! It is absolutely unreal.
We are both extremely excited to live in Denver though. It will be our live’s new adventure. The closing of the monthly travel chapter and the opening of a year of home making.

What does that mean for this blog? Well, there are still lots of adventures to keep you updated on! Not only our move to Denver, but all of the fun stuff we get up to there. There will be lots of hikes, exploring, and adventures to tell you about. I may not post lengthy monthly posts anymore, but I will continue to post.

The format will change, along with the frequency. Also, I obviously won’t be talking about living in a new state every month! I will post about the adventures in Denver and life. I want to keep you updated on my journalism articles, my future book publishings, my hobbies, and whatever else I want to share. So, this chapter is closing, but there is so much on the horizon to tell you about. Stick around to read about it!

Going into that first weekend of August was life changing, and I mean that literally. On Thursday, Connor, my brother, his girlfriend, and myself spent the day in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

We hiked to Bumpass Hell to see the unique, volcanic landscape which is always so cool. I grew up going to this park, but I hadn’t taken Connor yet, so I was really excited to show him the area and hikes. After the first three mile hike, we hiked to Lassen’s peak. It was a super hard hike. I was sick and struggled to the top, but I had no idea the surprise waiting for me at the top.
For those of you who follow me on social media, you already know what happened at the top. Everything was perfect, and I was swept off my feet. Thank goodness I had been sitting down resting!

I won’t go into any more details in this post because I want to write a separate one about the surprise. So, if you want the story, you can find it in my blog section as a separate post!
So after that perfect day, we hopped on a plane Friday to go look at apartments in Denver! Everything has been a whirlwind!

We toured nine apartments and found our place on Saturday. We are super excited to move in! When I can take a breath, I will share all of the details.

We are loving all of these massive life changes. It is such a happy, joyful time in our lives, and the future is bright. I will continue to fill you in even though my posts won’t follow the traditional monthly schedule that it has in the past. Thank you all for reading and supporting!

WE ARE ENGAGED

June Stop: San Diego, California