Destination bachelorette parties are definitely a thing now. Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe you name it are all popular places for the bride-to-be to spend a wild weekend with her bridal party, but they can also take a hit on your wallet. My friend was getting married, and she wanted to go someone fun, where there was wine, not expensive, and nearby so no one had to take time off work. We live in Reno, so the only place for us to go to a city is west. San Francisco was out of the question, and I didn’t really want to go to Sacramento, so I suggested Chico. It had everything she wanted, less than 200 miles from Reno, cheap, a fun nightlife and nearby wineries. PSA: We went before the Camp Fire. I do not know the hotel and Airbnb situation post Camp Fire.
Where to Stay
The town of Chico is not very big, and taxis and rideshare are both available and relatively inexpensive. You can stay in a hotel downtown, however, the nicer ones and the branded hotels are closer to the freeway and maybe 10 mins from downtown. We voted for the Airbnb option, so we could all stay together. It was a cute little house near Bidwell Park. We felt like we were miles from town, but really it was maybe 10 minutes. We liked that we didn’t have to split between hotel rooms, and having a kitchen was great – one of the girls made us a delicious pancake breakfast one morning.
The Wineries
Chico is not your usual wine destination. And technically, the wineries are about 30 minutes away in the foothills of Orville, CA. We went to Hickman Family Vineyards first. Not only did they have delicious wines, but they have a pet pig that roams the grounds, and they rent out an onsite Airbnb. The view from here was absolutely gorgeous, and we took some obligatory bridal party photos. We picked up lunch from Wagon Wheel and went to Long Creek Winery and Ranch. I loved their tasting room. They have some cute hay barrels and trucks out front (again perfect for photos), and a pond nearby. The third winery we went to was an urban winery called Purple Line Urban Winery. It also happened to be Cinco De Mayo, so they had drink specials in addition to wine tasting. One of the girls doesn’t drink, so she was our designated driver, and we all fit in the explore. It was such a fun outing and perfect for our group. I can guarantee that the wine tasting fees in Oroville are nowhere near the same price and Napa or Sonoma. Plus, since we were the only bridal party, we got all the attention.
Where to Eat
Chico has some great places to eat. I grew up nearby and lived in Chico for a bit before moving to Reno, so I was excited to be heading back, so I could show the bride around. We chose, Tres Hombres for Cinco De Mayo and their avocado margaritas, B Street for breakfast and Burgers and Brews for dinner the first night. Other places I love are the Sierra Nevada Brewery, Madison Bear Garden, Moms and the Pour House.
Chico Nightlife
Chico is a college town, so the bars and the nightlife are plenty. Our first night we bar hopped a little bit hitting up places like Argus and the Bear (Madison Bear Garden). On our second night, we wanted to get a little country and spend all night at the Crazy Horse Saloon. If there is one thing Chico doesn’t lack, its bars. And since it was also Cinco de Mayo, there were drinks specials and people everywhere. It might not be your traditional bachelorette party destination (everyone thought we were celebrating a birthday), but it should be. It has everything you want minus the hefty price tag.
Depending on what time of year you go, or how much time you have to spend, floating the Sacramento River and exploring Bidwell park are other activities I recommend. In early May, the weather is basically perfect, but it can get quite hot in the summer, so anything in or near the water is always encouraged. Have you ever been to Chico for a bachelorette party? What did you think? Tell me in the comments below.
Until next time….
Cheers!
Keelie
Adventures and Life with Keelie 