Redding California

Sundial Bridge: If you have ever viewed photos or traveled to Europe you would have seen bridges or buildings of similar design to the Sundial Bridge which crosses the Sacramento River in Redding, which was designed by Santiago Calatrava. The bridge was completed in 2004 and has become one of the places in Redding to visit, the Sundial also gives access to the Sacramento River Trail. This trail is a 17 mile walking/biking trail giving access to Caldwell Park, the Aquatic Center, and continues up to Shasta Dam. Much of it is wheelchair accessible, especially around Turtle Bay and the Sundial Bridge, and if you use a hand-cycle there are more lengthy portions that are relatively flat. In this area is the Redding Civic Center where concerts are held, McConnell Arboretum is just across the Sundial Bridge, and Turtle Bay Exploration Park. There is a charge to enter Turtle Bay the others are free. The Sundial Bridge is truly a sundial with it’s shadow falling to the north showing the daily hours on the ground markings.

 

 

Turtle Bay Exploration Park, has a collection of buildings with educational exhibits  and activities for visitors of all ages. There are wildlife demonstrations, a visible under water river aquarium, Native Peoples history, and rotating exhibits from around the country and world. There is a seasonal butterfly exhibit you are able to walk through, botanical gardens, access to the Sacramento River trail, and a museum store and coffee bar. Also there is a well worn concrete building called the Monolith, where gravel was ground up and sent by conveyor belt to Shasta Dam during its construction in the 1930’s, this gravel was taken from the Sacramento River at Turtle Bay. The area is completely accessible with a 1 mile wheelchair accessible trail encircling the Turtle Bay area.

 

Cascade Theater: Originally built in 1935, in an Art Deco style, this facility provides concerts, symphonies, art styled movies, and plays. It is a beautiful building with accessible seating and restrooms and the costs or entry depend on what is wished to be enjoyed. The Cascade was closed down and not functioning between 1997 and 2004 until Southern Oregon University and Jefferson Public Radio helped to save and restore it. We have enjoyed many wonderful events there, such as: New York Film Festival, Banff Film Festival, Chinese Ballet, music concerts, and informational events concerning our local area and from around the country. It’s a beautiful building, inside and out, and is a land mark of our downtown  which is undergoing a revitalization, with mixed use buildings being introduced, a great food truck location, along with new breweries and restaurants.

 

 

 

 

Shasta Lake and Shasta Dam: Shasta Lake is the largest reservoir in the state of California. The lake provides a place for incredible recreational activities: fishing, water skiing/boarding, or house boating. Shasta has a shore line of 365 miles. The summer in Redding is long and hot with temperatures into the hundreds for weeks at a time. Accessible tours can be taken of the dam, you descend in an elevator down to a tunnel which leads to the turbines that generate electricity. The water from the lake flows down the Sacramento River to the San Francisco Bay, this water is mainly used for agriculture in the valley. The side photo shows the three Shasta’s, Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, and Mt. Shasta.

 

Mt. Shasta: This mountain is found at the lower end of the Cascade Mountain Range, with a ski park located on its south side and during the summer hikers may climb to it’s peak at a little over 14,000 feet. The Mt. Shasta Ski Park offers adaptive ski lessons and I have spent a number of days there enjoying hot chocolate and a snack while my wife and children have skied. During the summer there are Scenic Chairlift Rides, Mountain Biking, Disc Golf, etc. and it is located just east of the city of Mount Shasta.

This view of Mt. Shasta is from Bunny Flat, Mt. Shasta City.

 

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