By Melissa Wynn
Joy Lyn’s Candies
Our first stop on our last day in Paradise was Joy Lyn’s Candies at 1183 Bille Rd. The scent of warm caramel invited us in to this classy little cottage filled with sweet delights. Several years ago I discovered my new favorite candy treat, salted caramel. I had heard that Joy Lyn’s made the best so I couldn’t leave Paradise 
without giving them a try. Made with a touch of Sierra Nevada Stout and topped with coarse Hops Salt they were a melt- in -your- mouth, creamy delight. Just big enough for two decadent bites and covered in dark or milk chocolate you might have to try two of each before you can pick a favorite. Don’t ask me how I know.
Owner Bill Hartley was in the back making Pumpkin Pie Truffles, a seasonal favorite. We enjoyed watching him roll each one by hand, preparing them for their bath in either milk or dark chocolate. His son Glenn was busy stirring that aromatic caramel in a huge copper kettle, over a burner built in 1914, talk about old fashioned candy. This particular batch of caramel was for their tempting Gold Nuggets, soft spoon caramel made from both brown and white sugar and loaded with crunchy toasted pecans. Tho
se that prefer walnuts should try the Sierra, soft spoon caramel from only white sugar and loaded with tho
se walnuts we all enjoy during the holidays. My companion picked up a bag of pumpkin seed brittle, slightly sweet and just a touch salty, a perfect choice for those that don’t like it too sweet. I got my salted caramels and we walked out
a bit saddened that our sweet road trip to Paradise had come to an end.
Find your favorite shopping buddy and make a day to explore Paradise. Sweets or antiques, shop till you drop!
Powell’s Sweet Shoppe
Candy in the Christmas Stocking is a long held tradition that kids of all ages look forward to year after year. Chocolate Santa is great fun but why not include your loved one’s blast from the past favorites? Powell’s Sweet Shoppe in Chico is that eclectic little place to find those old favorites that seem to have disappeared.
Remember root beer barrels, necco wafers and Christmas ribbon candy? You can find them all at Powell’s along with a treasure trove of other nostalgic goodies.
Looking for something special? How about hand made candy apples and Jelly Belly Beans in every flavor you can imagine to put visions of sugar plums in their Christmas Eve dreams?
From mouth watering chocolates to slow churned ice cream, old fashioned caramel kettle corn to Nehi soda, Powell’s can transport your holidays to sweeter place in time.
121 W. Third Street, Chico
530-332-9866
The Candy Shoppe in Chester, California
Sweet treats make great gifts and at The Candy Shoppe in Chester, they offer candies from around the world. Whether you are looking for 
festive shaped goodies and old fashioned rock candy for the children, or perfectly crafted, gourmet chocolates for your sweetheart, you’ll find them at The Candy Shoppe in Chester.
For decades, the owner, Vickie has been carefully selecting quality candies to make Chester a slightly sweeter place to live, shop and visit throughout the year and for the holidays.
Locals rave about the chocolate covered cherries and limitless flavors of salt water taffy that never go out of style. Come sift through the glass jars of goodies so reminiscent of the old country stores and bring your holidays a blast from the past in Chester.
Sweet Swirls in Corning, California
Fresh baked goodies dot the path of Candy Cane Lane and those traveling in the Corning area can find the best 
at Sweet Swirls Cakes and Confections. Whether you want home made divinity for your holiday table or a batch of snowman cupcakes for a school celebration they are whipping it up as we speak.
They say great things come in small packages and the treats infused with owner Shelly Hargen’s love of the trade is proof that it’s true. Danishes, cookies, pastries and pies are all made from scratch and grace the display case in a rotating fashion, leaving us guessing what the treasures will be today. Bring a friend and sample the sensations!
Holiday pies to order are a local Corning favorite, flaky crust and topped with cream if you please. Order a few for your celebration. No one needs to know you didn’t make it, homemade is homemade and Shelly will never tell. Don’t forget the scones, muffins and coffee cakes for breakfast. This special season, let the sweet memories swirl.
Scoops In Red Bluff, California
The holiday season is a time of indulgence. Why settle for ice cream when Scoops has decadent gelato? Located in Red Bluff, this family favorite has fabulous frozen flavors to suit every picky palette. Step outside the box and 
try something new, perhaps the Ginger Pear or Champagne Peach?
Milkshake Mondays and Waffle Cone Wednesdays offer a great way to spend some sweet quality time with those near and dear to your heart. Take the grandchildren and share the old fashioned soda fountain ambiance that you enjoyed back in the day.
From banana splits to Italian sodas, cheesecake to candy, Scoops has the perfect treat to sweeten up your holiday season. Drop in and sample a scoop! 905 Walnut Street, Red Bluff 530-528-1698
Shubert’s In Chico, California
Practice makes perfect has proven to be true time and time again and is the reason everything is so delicious at 
Shubert’s. Leonard Shubert opened this Chico classic in 1938 and they have been offering tempting treats ever since. His nephew, Charles Pulliam, Sr., joined him three years later and eventually bought the business from Shubert’s widow in 1951.
Famous for their seasonal flavors such as boysenberry sundaes in the spring, watermelon sherbet in the summer, and pumpkin ice cream in the fall, Shubert’s uses locally grown produce to give them that distinctive homemade taste.
Shubert’s outstanding candies and chocolates are still hand made, just like Leonard did it, using many of the same local ingredients. Butter, cream, honey and nuts are still purchased from family-owned farms surrounding Chico. The best things in life often remain the same.
Decades later, this business is still in the in the same family, with the fourth generation of Pulliams currently making ice cream, rolling out candies and dipping chocolates at the same address.
Drop in and taste the perfections of their practice. 178 East 7th Street 530-342-7163
