Butte County

Butte County is rebuilt country — Paradise ridge rising from ponderosa to black oak, Chico’s valley spreading wide below. The upper Sacramento Valley sun bakes zinfandel and barbera; cool nights off Lake Oroville pull the acid back in. Small family wineries pour from tin-roofed barns along Honey Run and Skyway. Bidwell Park in Chico runs nine miles through the middle of town — shaded, leashed, and the finest municipal dog walk in the north state. Pair a barbera with a creek-side stroll and a sunset off the canyon rim. Butte rewards the detour, and tasting rooms here remember a dog’s face.