By Melissa Wynn
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Welcome to the home base of Mountain Valley Living Magazine, the quaint and historic mountain community of Westwood. Just one mile off of Hwy 36 Westwood is a great stop for stepping back into a simpler time. A visit to the Westwood Museum in the 300 block of Ash St. tells the stories of our once thriving lumber mill and the amazing opera house that burned in the 1980’s. Just around the corner on 3rd St. looming carvings of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox stand guard as a reminder of the hard working loggers of old that pioneered this historic community.
Buffalo Chips for lunch or dinner is waiting one block away at 322 Birch St. with piping hot pizza on homemade crust, a wide variety of huge sandwiches, hearty homemade soups, salad bars and dessert just for fun. Open seven days a week, Ryan Gibbs and the gang are always happy to serve you.
Hospitality is the name of game at our classy bed & breakfast,The Walker Mansion Inn. Antique furnishings and some of the best quiche ever made make Walker Mansion a great home away from home after a busy day of outdoor fun. The Walker Mansion Inn was once the residence of the Walker family, founders of Westwood and the Red River Lumber Company. Upstairs, guest suites are immaculate and each decorated with a separate theme. It is a perfect place to hold a wedding or other special event as they have a giant lawn connecting to the garden. The guest suites overlook the grounds and beautiful scenes of Mountain Meadows and Dyer Mountain.
Supplies for all of your adventure are on hand at Lassen True Value and they are happy to provide all the goodies you will need.
Kayaking on Walker Lake is a favorite pastime of locals like Jan Cox who shares this little piece of her adventure. “We paddled closer to where the pelicans had been and then stopped quickly. There on the shore, partially hidden by the reeds stood another large bird, bluish in color with long legs. Well camouflaged, the Great Blue Heron intently watched the water. Then swift as an arrow, it shot its long neck forward into the lake and rose again with a frog dangling from its bill. As we silently watched, the frog was jostled into position and swallowed down the long outstretched neck. We paddled away, leaving the heron to its lunch.” Jan Cox
Water not your thing? Land lovers tend to enjoy the peace of wandering the woods along the Bizz Johnson Trail that winds across the mountain beginning just outside Westwood and can be meandered all the way to Susanville. Breathtaking scenery and sweet serenity keep you company all the way.
Whether you prefer world class stream fishing in the Hamilton Branch of the Feather River or kayaking on glassy Walker Lake where the Osprey do their fishing Westwood is your place to stay, dine and play.
