Join host Soterios Johnson as he gets to know a Northern California region that has shown incredible resilience: Butte County. This region is recovering from last year’s Camp Fire, and as we learn on this episode, your vacation dollars will play a huge role in helping it bounce back.
Johnson talks with travel guide author Tracy Salcedo, who suggests visiting Chico, home to the world-renowned Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Salcedo also recommends a variety of outdoor adventures, including hiking at Bidwell Park and birding in the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area.
"The Feather River runs through it, and it's spectacular," Salcedo explains. "There are many, many sites along the Feather that you can go, and you can do birding, you can do hiking. Swimming, swimming holes, things like that. One of the things that I think about is Feather Falls. It's a 400-foot waterfall that falls into Lake Oroville. It's outside of the town of Oroville, which is another pretty large community in Butte County. It's a beautiful trail, one of the most lovely, well-built trails that I've walked on."
After that, our host learns about Temecula from a local: Thom Curry, co-owner of the Temecula Olive Oil Co., reveals his favorite things to do and places to go in this Inland Empire mecca. Curry recommends places for dinner, wineries that are worth a visit, and an essential activity in the region: hot-air ballooning. The episode wraps up with San Diego magazine editor-in-chief Erin Glenny, who strongly encourages visitors to get outdoors, hit the beach, do some yoga, and enjoy the vibrant cultural scene in this southwest corner of the country.