Antique dealers from all over the Northwest come here to buy for their shops. It’s because of the bargains.
China, glassware, pottery, jewelry, silver, clocks, paintings, books, maga-zines, sheet music, fixtures, quilts, figurines, dolls, toys, tools, records, trunks, and every type and style of furniture can all be found. Whether you’re adding to a collection, wanting to buy a gift for someone else, or just looking for a classy way to add to the decor of your own home, do take the time to treasure hunt in these shops.
The mission of the Artists of River Town is to share art with the people of all ages in the area, offer a space to local artists to share their work with the public and educate those who wish to know more about art. The organization sponsors a “Kids Art Day” every March, gives kids the opportunity to make “Mom’s Day” cards for their mothers during parade day of Feather Fiesta Days, classes of various sorts and workshops at the gallery.
The gallery is open from noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, is open First Friday of the month until 7 p.m., and participates in other special events such as the Wildflower Festival, Salmon Festival and has a juried ”Mystery Show” during Perry Mason Days in October.
Artists of River Town
Cultural Center, Arlin Rhine Dr. Next to Municipal
Auditorium Hours: Tues-Sat, Noon-4 p.m.
(530) 534-3227 www.artistsofrivertown.org
The Lantrip Ashtray Museum, inside the gallery, opened in spring 2013 and features over 10,000 unique ashtrays from around world, including ashtrays from the White House and House of Representatives. It is the collection of the late Dean Lantrip, who served as Oroville’s Postmaster from 1980-1993.
Lantrip Ashtray Museum
Inside Artists of Rivertown Gallery Cultural Center, Arlin Rhine Dr. Next to Municipal Auditorium
Hours: Tues-Sat, Noon-4PM
(530) 538-2415
To view Jon Shult’s award-winning art, visit Broken Color Art Gallery in downtown Oroville. Shult works in a variety of media including drawing, printmaking and painting. He explores the landscape and figures (clothed and nude) using a style influenced by Impressionism.Prints of paintings are also available, as well as cards and illustrated t-shirts, and Shult welcomes Commissions. He is teaching art classes for the Chico Art Center, as well as conducting private lessons.
Steve Nielsen local artist known for his realism in the making of metal sculptures of dinosaurs, butterflies, dragonflies, salmon and steelhead, designed and built a stainless-steel eagle now on display at the CCC. Every feather in this unique sculpture is hand cut, sanded, shaped, polished and applied one feather at a time. The city of Oroville recently gave the innovative and creative talent a grant to create large metal sculptures for the park along the river near the Nature Center where you can view his work.
Broken Color Art Gallery
1360 Montgomery St.
(530) 534-5474
Opened by Julee Spohn and Bob Thomaston the summer of 2013, La Petite Galerie offers a variety of media for viewing and purchase. It also offers periodic classes in acrylics and year round provides a room available to those who wish a place to paint. The room, as of late summer, holds a still life display for painters to use as a subject, and later those who wish can participate in a still life exhibition.
If golfing is your sport, Oroville offers three courses with widely differing terrains. The Lake Oroville Golf and Event Center course near Lake Oroville is tight, challenging, and offers a rolling, parklike setting with lovely foothill views. It also features a netted driving range, a pro shop and practice putting greens.
The Table Mountain course has hosted the Women’s Pro Am Tour, but don’t let that scare you away—amateurs play there year round. It features water hazards, sand traps, and a driving range and putting green.
South of Oroville, off Hwy. 70, Dingerville USA is an Executive golf course. Their shortest hole is 90 yards, their longest 192. Pull-cart and club rentals are available. This course opened in 1993.
A great family pastime, because it’s free and all ages can play, is a round of disc golf at the Riverbend Disc Golf Course. The course was designed by Ed Hedrick, the father of disc golf, and was a project of Sunrise Rotary Club. Discs can be purchased at the Feather River Recreation & Park District office at 1875 Feather River Blvd.
Completed in 1996, this trail provides 41 miles of scenic off-road recreational riding for All Terrain Bicycles. Over 30 miles of the trail are flat with some slightly rolling terrain. There are two steep grades within a 2-mile distance from Lake Oroville on each side of the Dam. In fact, the trail on the North side of the Dam was the site (1 of 7) of the California State Downhill Championship Series Race, a 1.5-mile single track trail with 37 turns and 750 feet of vertical drop.
All segments of this exceptional trail have their own elements of beauty. Rolling oaks, scattered pines, beautiful meadows (filled with wildflowers in the Spring), creek crossings, panoramic views of Oroville, the Sacramento Valley, and the Sutter Buttes, lovely park, river, and afterbay scenes, and many species of birds are all found here.
The Outdoor Fitness Course is state-of-the art and is designed for low impact cardio-vascular health and fitness for all levels. It consists of four stations, each with directions for the various activities. A project of the Rotary Club of Oroville, it is accessible for all, including the disabled. The sports clubs offers facilities for just about everything for anyone interested in getting or staying in shape: aerobics/fitness programs, weight-support programs, etc.
If you prefer a park-like setting, try Bedrock Park for eight lighted tennis courts.
Anytime Fitness
1124 Oro Dam Blvd.
(530) 533-7770
Outdoor Fitness Course
Riverbend Park, W. end of Montgomery/HWY. 70, along the bike trail
(530) 533-2011
Oroville Sports Club
2600 Oro Dam Blvd.
(530) 538-0123
When Oroville Dam was built, several miles of spawning grounds were no longer available to salmon and steelhead trout returning to their home stream to spawn. To compensate for this loss, the Dept. of Fish & Game and Dept. of Water Resources opened this state-of-the art facility.
The hatchery can accommodate 9,000 adult salmon and 2,000 adult steelhead. The incubators can hold 20 million eggs, and 9.6 million fingerlings can be reared in the eight concrete raceways. During their Fall-run (heaviest in September-November, but extending into February) the fish can be seen, through windows built into the wall, jumping the ladder-like steps leading to the gathering tanks, providing an aquarium-like view.
If you’ve never witnessed this life cycle, try to find time to watch nature in spectacular action at this official California Watchable Wildlife site.
Built of stone and sitting beside the river just across from the hatchery on Old Ferry Road, the 1930’s WPA bath house has been restored and converted into a Nature Center. Beautifully constructed from nature’s gifts, it’s our favorite structure in the county and a wonderful place to commune with nature during any season of the year. Picnic tables are provided along with the nature!
Feather River Fish Hatchery & Nature Center Park
Off Tabe Mountaiin Blvd. at Feather River Crossing
Visiting Hours: 8am to Sundown
Fish Ladder opens the day after Labor Day.
Tours: (530) 534-2306
Three of Oroville’s gardens are featured in Garden Getaways-Northern California (1989, Tioga Publishing Co.), which is quite a compliment for the city. “Closed off to the world outside its gates, the garden is a mystery from outside but a place of shelter and tranquility within,” is how the author describes the Chinese Temple Garden after listing dawn redwood, ginkgo, wisteria, bamboo, waterlilies, and other specimens to be enjoyed here.
After discussing species in Sank Park, “…a rose garden…a trellised gazebo, and wide lawns with beautiful specimen trees… the garden today is ideal for strolling, sitting, and for more formal gatherings,” the author wrote.
One of the historic garden spots in Oroville is the former California Display Garden at Western Pacific Brewing & Dining. The garden was originally used to “greet and introduce” rail travelers to the huge variety of California fruit trees. After traveling through the snow in the Sierras, we bet they were impressed.to see avocados, palms, a fig, olive, persimmon, and pineapple guava. Little remains of the garden now, but you can use your imagination and understand the thrill that rail travelers once experienced.
And you just haven’t seen Spring until you view the 165 varieties of azaleas in April bloom at Minasian’s.
Chinese Temple Garden 1500 Broderick St.
Lott Garden in Sank Park
1067 Montgomery St.
Minasian Azalea Gardens
1681 Bird St.
Western Pacific’s Calif. Display Garden
2191 High at Oliver
This new state-of-the-art facility features 15 campsites (two horses per site), a restroom with shower facility, a horse washing station and horse tethering and feeding stations. What more could you ask for?
The area features 44 miles of riding and hiking trails traveling from an elevation of 200-1000 feet. The trail meanders by many sights, including an old settler’s cabin and an 1850’s water flume. It’s a beautiful ride.
A trail map, developed by the Lake Oroville Mounted Assistance Unit, is available for $1.50.
Loafer Creek Horse Camp
Lake Oroville Recreation Area
(530) 538-2200
Reserve America,
(800) 444-7275
Some folks prefer sunrises, but we’re partial to sunsets, and we don’t think they come any better than those shining their colors across Lake Oroville. Since they’re twice as nice if you’re surrounded by water, why not enjoy one the best way, viewed from the deck of a houseboat.
Both marinas have party boats, ski boats, fishing boats, wave runners, skis/toys available for rent at a nominal charge, and Lake Oroville Marina rents houseboats. You can get snacks to take along, as well as bait and tackle if you want to fish, in their grocery store. And then there’s the party barge — huge patio boat/dance floor/campsite/conference room — it’s all of these.
Camping and picnic facilities are available near both marinas. Call ahead to be sure of a boat when you arrive.
You may have seen wildlife museums that contain a nice variety of area wildlife, but Oroville is home to one with over 100 “trophies” from all over the world. Many photographs taken during the hunts are also displayed, and in the cases surrounding the museum room is an outstanding and unique collection of firearms.
Huntington’s also has cases filled with memorabilia from Oroville’s past: antique bottles and many Indian artifacts, including an exceptional collection of baskets. It’s easy to see why it’s called “Northern California’s Most Unique Sportsman’s Store!”
Prints of paintings are also available, as well as cards and illustrated t-shirts, and Shult welcomes Commissions. He is teaching art classes for the Chico Art Center, as well as conducting private lessons.
