There and Back in a day, The Chico Story

Much like how Paul Simon sang, "I've reason to believe we all will be received in Graceland," and early American settlers firmly believed in manifest destiny, I have long felt spiritually drawn to the great city of Chico California.  The better part of the last decade I have stood idly by and watched friends and loved ones make their pilgrimages to Chico.  Scheduling conflicts prevented me from attending some of these trips, while others I passed up because I didn't consider myself mentally, physically, and dare I say, sexually prepared for what lay in store for me.  Part of me wanted never to experience Chico so that I may keep its mystic alive in my mind.
Apparently all I needed was a weekday off from work and two willing traveling companions to change all of this.  On a whim, Riley, Jesse, and myself took a day trip up north to fill that empty space in my heart that was Chico.

Riley is seriously as raw as they come.  He is also a raw uncooked tube steak.

We stopped off in Yuba City to skate a "street plaza," but somehow ended up at this ancient ruin of a skatepark.    

Our first pint of Sierra Nevada upon arriving in Chico.  I swear it tastes better here than anywhere else on the planet earth!

The Bigfoot Ale door opening device is perhaps the greatest bathroom invention since the hand dryer.  Although I still love the hand dryer. 

Mini taster beers ensure that you won't get totally wrecked, or they help you decide what is the appropriate beer for you to get totally wrecked off.  

Chico skatepark is a whole different type of bizarre, and do not even get me started on the Loccs there.

With a couple beers in him The Raw Hot Dog can accomplish anything.  He managed to sneak us into an Atmosphere concert for free.  Even after building up Chico in my mind for the past six years, it far surpassed my expectations.