Three Rivers is about 40 minutes from my home town in the Central Valley. It's one of my favorite places in the world. I always try to go back whenever I can, typically with some of my best friends or my cousins. It's an amazing corner in the world that's right before the Sequoias. I love how far from the city it is and the small town feel it has. It feels safe, like home. Places I've stopped by that are typical favorites from those in the C.V. includes Reimer's ice cream shop, which has locally in store made ice cream. If you're from the Central Valley you also know it's well known for its dairy, such as from Rosa Brothers Milk Co. (so you know it's worth the trip).
Then there is my favorite restaurant called River View Restaurant and Lounge. My favorite slogan is "You need three livers to live in Three rivers!" which you can find on their t-shirts. At this restaurant you can eat on the deck by the river surrounded by gorgeous trees that remind you of fall as they change in color and fall right by your table. The mist of the river floats also floats all around you. Or if you'd prefer you can eat inside by the bar and pool table with plenty of televisions to watch any of the latest sports games, typically football. I love the small town bar feel of the restaurant, it's one of my favorite ambiants.
You can enjoy a refreshing beer or a fountain soda. As someone who is vegan, there was also an option for me, however I do not recommend for any strict vegans as there is cross contamination. Sometimes I'll allow myself to enjoy something that is not vegan (as long as it doesn't have meat) and in this case I enjoyed a vegan friendly burger with a side of non-vegan friendly onion rings, but it was soo good.
Another place that my friends and I love that is also by the river is called Three Rivers Brewing Co. My friends are obsessed with their Bluerazzmatazz drink, and I can't help but agree. It's sooo good and I love how it doesn't have a strong alcohol taste. But be warned, it sneaks up heavily on you, so make sure to slow down and keep track of how many you drink.
There's also a pupusa truck that my friends love to eat from out on the patio. I heard that they also invite other food trucks throughout the month, so I recommend following their instagram page for further information on that. They also serve cold brew for those who want to wake up after a long day of hiking.
When it comes to venturing the area, there are two places that I typically go to. In the winter or fall, I'll explore the basin that usually gets filled up with rain water and melted snow from the mountains. It fills up so high that during the summer and spring that it even covers the trees!
It's pretty crazy, but amazing to see. So whenever the water is running low, my friends and I will go down and explore or even get in the low parts of the water.
Then there's the hiking trail. I've gone through this hiking trail only a few times, but I always recognize it by how steep the mountain is and then just how silent the entrance gets (like a horror movie).
Last time I went it was so beautiful it had all the fall foliage with little streams running here and there. Unlike the other times, my friends and I were able to find several waterfalls and climbed one of them. It was amazing. Definitely recommend bringing water and snacks even if it's a small hike, and grip shoes instead of Converse. The climbs can get pretty steep or take a long time if you get lost or if you're not conditioned for the steepness or long walks.
I honestly prefer Three Rivers over Yosemite or the Sequoias anyday. There's more community, it's not that far from any city. There's more options of what to eat. It's not a heavy travel, as I get nauseous from heavy drives, and there's a lot of curves and high altitude the further you go up. And I like the simple mountain beauty more than a few large rocks and trees. Even better, it's free where as the other parks typically have an entrance fee and are filled to the brim with tourists. I have yet to explore more of the community in Three Rivers, but someday I would like to check out their motels/camping grounds and other community centers that they may have.
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