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NOTE this article is 1998 (information not current)

 

 

Published Aug. 9, 1998, Reno Gazette-Journal

 

ROAD TRIPS

 

You can count on a warm welcome when you stop in Chester, Calif.

 

By Nancy Peek Ives

 

SPECIAL TO THE RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL

 

We were eating breakfast in Chester, Calif., when the couple at the next table struck up a conversation. With small town openness, Ronald and Betty McClish told my husband and me that they had been married 62 years and had lived in town more than 50 years.

 

By the time we had finished coffee, we felt like old friends. McClish had been in the building industry and also flew fire patrol planes; Betty taught elementary school; the couple raised two children and two grandchildren in Chester; their son, Laurence, is an orthopedic surgeon in Reno. The McClishes love Chester ‹ there’s even a street named after them.

 

Having visited there many times, I know the McClishes are typical of Chester’s friendliness.

 

About two hours northwest of Reno in a basin near Lake Almanor, the area is perfect for quick getaways or long vacations. It’s best known as a recreation paradise and gateway to Lassen Volcanic National Park. It’s also where the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges meet.

 

Boating, swimming, biking, hiking, horseback riding and golf are nearby. In winter, Nordic skiers and snowmobilers come from miles away to enjoy a network of groomed trails.

 

Downtown Chester is textbook small town ‹ antiques, gift shops, sporting goods stores.

 

The community enthusiastically sprinkles festivals, fairs and craft shows throughout the summer. Its Mile High Century attracts hundreds of bicyclists each spring. A big September event is the car rally, when streets filled with shiny hot rods offer a small version of Reno’s Hot August Nights.

 

History buffs enjoy the museum and other sights. The latest attraction, “Dinky,’’ sits proudly on the main street. Less than 15 feet long and weighing 8 tons, the tiny Porter 0-4-0T locomotive survived 73 years under the waters of nearby Butte Valley Reservoir. Details of its history, raising and preservation are at the nearby Chamber of Commerce.

 

Chester eateries range from trendy to nostalgic, all moderately priced. Even with a population around 2,200, Chester has a couple of good coffeehouses. I can sit for hours at Ernest & Jessie’s Coffee Lounge and Tea Room, where tables are tucked in cozy nooks throughout the odd-shaped building.

 

I also love reminiscing about the “good old days’’ by sipping a Coke while sitting on a stool at the Lassen Drug Store soda fountain.

 

The McClishes and other locals gather regularly for breakfast at the Kopper Kettle Cafe. It dishes up more good food than you can finish at coffee shop prices.. The cook will even create animal-shaped pancakes for youngsters.

 

You can get ethnic dishes and California cuisine in Chester, but barbecue is a specialty. I can never finish large portions served at the Timber House Restaurant.

 

There are many motels, resorts and campgrounds, but in my opinion, Chester’s top lodging is the historic Bidwell House bed and breakfast. Decorated in country luxury, rooms are cozy, the food is to die for and it’s home to many special events. One time we watched cowboy poets perform on the lawn.

 

Nearby Lake Almanor and Lassen Volcanic National Park are mandatory for nature lovers. Hiking and bike trails also wind throughout the entire area. Our favorite trek is the little-used Caribou Wilderness, replete with dozens of lakes, lakelets and ponds.

 

Nancy Peek Ives is a free-lance writer living in Truckee, Calif.

 

If you go

 

Events schedule

 

Aug. 12-16 ‹ Plumas-Sierra County Fair, Quincy

 

Aug 14-16 ‹Chester Community Chorus Summer Concert

 

Aug 15,16 ‹ Arts & Crafts Show, Bidwell House lawn

 

Aug 22 ‹ Chili Cook-off, 1:30 p.m., Chester Park

 

Aug. 29 ‹ Ramp to Ramp Swim, USFS boat ramp

 

Sept. 5 ‹ Plumas PineFest Craft Faire, Plumas Pines Resort

 

Sept. 6 ‹ Annual Pancake Breakfast, Chester Fire Station

 

Sept. 6 ‹ Merchants Sidewalk Sale

 

Sept. 11-12 ‹ 13th Annual Street Rod Extravaganza, Chester Park

 

For information, call Chester/Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce, (800) 350-4838, or the Almanor Ranger District, (530) 258-2141.

 

The Chester/Lake Almanor Museum, 200 First Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; from noon to 5 p.m. and from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays; and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call (530) 258-2742.

 

Lassen Volcanic National Park in Mineral Calif., is open year-round with limited road access in winter. It has eight campgrounds (fees depend on amenities). The park is open to hiking, camping and backpacking in summer, and to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. The Historic Loomis Museum Visitor Center is open in summer. Call (530) 595-4444. Or visit www.nps.gov/lavo

 

Food and lodging

 

Ernest & Jessie’s Coffee Lounge and Tea Room, 346 Main St., is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Call (530) 258-2238.

 

Lassen Drug Store, 220 Main St., is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and form 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Call (530) 258-2261.

 

Kopper Kettle Cafe, Main and Myrtle streets, is open from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Call (530) 258-2698.

 

Timber House Restaurant, First and Main streets, is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Call (530) 258-2989.

 

Bidwell House B&B, 1 Main St. Call (530) 258-3338. Double rooms, including breakfast, start at $75, with a shared bath.

 

Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal

 

 

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Media and tourists discover Lake Almanor

 

June 18,2003

By Marian Liddell
Chester Editor

The skies are blue, the snowy mountaintop is overlooking the big lake packed with fish. There aren't crowds or traffic jams, except at the local market, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Sound familiar?

The Chester Chamber of Commerce office manager Suki Hock told the board of directors, at its June 11 meeting, that the Lake Almanor Basin has been "discovered."



People are calling and coming into the chamber office to say they "found" Lake Almanor and Chester on television and in their paper.

The Reno Gazette's May "Escapes" had a feature, "Destinations in the West" touting Lake Almanor as "The Other Tahoe" offering "beauty, tranquillity and lots of family fun.

"Lake Almanor has the beauty of Tahoe without the crowds, noise or the expense. There are great restaurants, great shopping and great RV parks ... (with) small-town charm and abundant campsites."

Another article in the same publication offered an "Escape" adventure for antique hunters originating in Reno and traveling through Chilcoot, Portola and Quincy to Crescent Mills, Greenville, and Chester, returning to Reno via Susanville, Janesville, Milford and Doyle.

A third article in the same publication featured fishing at Lake Almanor, with photographs of local fishermen Reuben Chavez and Paul Garido.

Television crews were also in the area recently for several media events.

The television show "Best of California" shot a segment this spring featuring the scenic route from Chico to Lake Almanor.

The Chico television station covered the Chester Air Base ribbon-cutting ceremonies. The recently upgraded Chester Air Base is one of six full-time air bases in the Pacific Southwest Region with aircraft tankers available to support fire-fighting efforts nationwide. Chico and Sacramento television crews and Sacramento public radio joined the local news reporters for the June 5 ceremonies at the Hamilton Branch hatchery and new public fishing access area.

At the event, the Department of Fish and Game recognized the Lake Almanor Fishing Association for its extraordinary efforts over the past 14 years to enhance fishing at Lake Almanor. See the complete article and photo feature in the "Regional News" section of this issue.

The recent addition of Mount Lassen and surrounding areas to the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway "All American Road" designation and map, is expected to attract attention nationwide to the Lake Almanor Basin. Local representatives were at the ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the byway May 31 in Weed.

On the local front, Plumas County Visitors Bureau Director of Tourism Suzi Brakken said the 2003 edition of the Plumas County Visitors Guide features an "expanded" Chester/Lake Almanor section.

The Chester Progressive, with a distribution of more than 2,500, regularly carries features and scenic photographs which appeal to locals and tourists alike.