Chico sits on top of one of the richest agricultural areas in the world and has thousands of acres of almond trees on its western edge; these bloom brightly every February and March.  A leafy canopy is thoughtfully provided by large oak trees that dot the city and the foothills to the north and west.   The Mediterranean climate is hot and dry; summers can see temperatures in the high-90s, but evening temperatures dip into the 50s, making for good sleeping conditions.  Winters are chilly (but January sees rain, not snow), and the sun shines nearly 80% of the time.  

Chico has a quaint downtown with antique stores, shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes and bookstores.  Historic sites such as the Chico Museum, the 1883 Stansbury House and the 1892 vintage train station, now home to a delightful art gallery, as well as eight small museums (including the National YoYo Museum), provide seniors opportunities to partake in cultural activities.   The Bidwell Mansion, a 3-story Italian villa that was completed in 1868 and currently furnished with authentic Victorian pieces, should not be missed.   More than twenty art galleries, including Orient and Flume Art Glass, the Chico Art Center Gallery and the Avenue 9 Gallery, are scattered about town and give Chico its reputation as a small-city arts center.   The city is also known for its brightly-colored public murals that are found throughout downtown and on the CSU campus. 

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The jewel of Chico, though, is Bidwell Park, which bisects the city for eleven miles and stretches up into the Sierra Nevada foothills for five miles.   This pristine, rugged, sprawling park is home to Big Chico Creek, Sycamore Pool, Bidwell Golf Course and Big Chico Creek Canyon and is often cited as the best thing about Chico.  Here seniors find an array of recreational opportunities and unique outdoor events, such as Shakespeare in the Park performances, the Chico Creek Nature Center tours and the Chico World Music Festival.  There are miles of  trails for bicycling, horseback riding and hiking, as well as picnic areas, playing fields and fishing spots.   Many movies, such as Gone with the Wind and the original Adventures of Robin Hood have been filmed in Bidwell Park, and it is a true oasis in the middle of this urban center.

Chico has often been cited for being a great bicycling city and was even chosen by Bicycling Magazine in 1998 as the #1 Bicycling City in America (primarily because of Bidwell Park).  The city also has six golf courses, four of which are 18-hole (two of these are private).  The Downtown City Plaza has a gazebo where free concerts take place each Friday night from May to September.  Car buffs will love Cruce's Classic Cars where a variety of classic autos, from FDR's parade car to Eva Bruan's Mercedes, are on rotating display.  Bird watchers will want to participate in the Owl Prowl Night Walk offered by the Chico Creek Nature Center, and everyone should visit the Honey Run Covered Bridge (built in 1894), the only three-level covered bridge in the nation.   Chico shopping is adequate; the Chico Mall is home to several department stores, and residents also patronize several big-box stores, including Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Costco.  

Public transportation is limited, but CATS (Chico Area Transit System) does offer some bus service.  Chico Clipper serves the area with nine modified vans providing transportation for seniors and the mobility-impaired seven days a week.  Rides are on a reservation basis.  

Passages Adult Resource Center (800-822-0109) is associated with California State University and works to provide guidance and assistance to seniors searching for local resources and services, including governmental benefits, legal help, care in the home (housecleaning, meal preparation, etc.), financial management and more.   This group works with the Area Agency on Aging (530-898-6768) and also sponsors a foster grandparent volunteer program and a senior companion program.  The Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) provides senior programs as well and is a good place to volunteer in activities ranging from Kite Day to the Spring Jamboree to the Senior Nutrition Fair.  More than 100 churches, representing all denominations, and a handful of synagogues provide further volunteer opportunities.

391-bed Enloe Medical Center is Chico's primary medical facility and offers a full continuum of health services including cardiac care, cancer care, emergency medicine, rehabilitation, home care and hospice care.    Enloe is currently in the process of building 191,000 square feet of additional space onto the hospital to create larger operating and patient rooms designed for advanced medical capabilities.

Chico has a few drawbacks.  The city can get a little smoggy during the summer, and it has a risk of earthquakes.  Crime is slightly above the national average, but violent crime is below the national average.  Growth is a problem, but city authorities are working to manage it by hiring new police officers, expanding medical care, adding more parks, creating a new sewer system and building two new fire stations.  As more high-tech firms move in, Chico is slowly being transformed from an agricultural center to a more urban community.  This may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on one's point of view.

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