After two rainy months in Eugene, Oregon we were excited to be headed back to California. California did not disappoint by welcoming us back with sunshine and beautiful weather. Our first stop was near Redding to visit my extended family which I hadn’t seen in over five years. My family gave us some great information and we had a lot of fun during our week's visit.

Looking for things to do in Redding, CA? We recommend: 1) Visiting Shasta Dam and hiking Shasta Lake, 2) Checking out the Sundial Bridge, 3) Hiking Whiskeytown Falls and 4) Purchasing meats and seafood from R&R Quality Meats. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!

Visit Shasta Dam and Hike Around Shasta Lake

Shasta Dam with Shasta Lake and Mt. Shasta in the background

I remember walking across Shasta Dam probably twelve years ago being amazed at its size and the beautiful Shasta Lake, and this trip was no different. On your way to Shasta Dam keep a lookout for the Vista Point on Shasta Dam Blvd as you near the dam. We pulled over and got this great shot of Shasta Dam with Shasta Lake and Mt. Shasta in the background.

Visitors can usually take the free Shasta Dam tour but the tours are currently closed for maintenance. Check the Shasta Dam website here for the latest information. Instead, we walked around the visitor center and read about the dam construction. The visitor center has a great, unobstructed view of the dam and a free video regarding the dam’s construction.

We left our car parked at the Shasta Dam Visitor Center and then walked across the dam. While walking across I was reminded of how small we are as I looked down at the massive dam. We wanted to keep things simple so we opted for the Dry Fork Creek Trail since it starts right near the dam. After you cross the dam head right along the lakeshore through an opening in the fence gate. As you walk along the lakeshore you will eventually see a sign for the trail on your left. This trail is over 4.5 miles one way and we were on a schedule so we opted to hike two miles around the lake and then turn around.

This trail has great views of Shasta Lake with Mt. Shasta in the background but the trail can be a little rough. Some parts were narrow and overgrown. There was no shade that was perfect on this cool February day but it wouldn’t be nice on a hot summer day. About halfway through our hike, there was a small peninsula with no trees and multiple fire rings. The perfect spot for an evening campfire and you can easily reach the lakeshore from there for a dip. We saw a few boats on the lake but for the most part, we had a peaceful hike just the two of us.

For other hikes around Shasta Lake check out this Shasta Lake Trails document from the U.S. Forest Service.

Check out the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay Exploration Park

The Sundial Bridge as you might guess by the name is an actual sundial, but according to the Turtle Bay website “the sundial shadow traces such a large arc that it can record only four hours a day, from 11 am - 3 pm. It is not accurate in winter because the shadow is too far into the arboretum (trees) to be seen.”

This unique bridge spans the Sacramento River and was very tall at 217 feet. Parking was free and there are multiple hikes in this area such as the Sacramento River Trail and Arboretum Loop Trail. Check out the Visit Redding’s trail page here and I recommend you order the free trail map or pick one up at the Shasta Dam Visitor Center as we did. This was one of the better trail maps I have seen with detailed hiking and bicycle trails, points of interest, and waterfalls.

Hike Whiskeytown Falls

Whiskeytown is a National Recreation Area of the National Park Service. Due to the Carr Fire three of the four waterfall trails were closed but the trail to Whiskeytown Falls opened just a few days before we left. This was a great hike but it was sad to see all the fire damage as we drove through Whiskeytown. The Carr Fire started on July 23, 2018, and spread quickly eventually burning 39,000 of the 42,000 acres of Whiskeytown :(

The highlight of this hike was Whiskeytown Falls which is a 220-foot waterfall. The hike up to the waterfall was a steep and strenuous 1.7 miles. We had to take a couple of breaks on the way up, there are some stone benches you can use. Maybe we shouldn’t have eaten at Burrito Bandito before this hike. (Definitely eat at Burrito Bandito just don’t do it before a hike as it is a lot of food. It was so delicious that we couldn’t stop eating but an overly full belly was not great for a challenging hike).

At the end of the hike, there were some stairs that lead up to the waterfall. Hold on tight as it was slippery from the mist but definitely worth the climb. The hike down was of course easier and fun except I got going a little fast at times and I was worried I might trip but I didn’t.

On your way to or from hiking, Whiskeytown Falls stop at the Visitor Center overlooking Whiskeytown Lake. In the Whiskeytown Lake picture do you see those buoys? They keep the warm water from the cold water. The cool water from the lake flows underneath into the Sacramento River and makes the difference by a matter of degrees for the Chinook salmon whose eggs require temperatures below 56 degrees to survive.

So how does it work? We learned that “the buoys are attached to a rubber curtain that drops 100 feet below the water surface. A smaller curtain anchored at the upper end of the lake forces the cold incoming water toward the lake bottom.” This traps the warm surface water and keeps it from mixing with the cold water which flows below the curtain.

Get some meat and seafood from R&R Quality Meats

Wow! We were surprised by the selection and prices at R&R Quality Meats & Seafood. After walking up and down a few times and checking out everything they had to offer we decided on the chipotle garlic bacon, garlic tri-tip, pineapple chicken thighs, London broil for beef jerky, and fresh oysters. Everything we made was delicious. It is hard to say what my favorite was but if I had to pick one it would be a tie between the chipotle garlic bacon and the beef jerky my cousin’s husband made from smoking the London broil.

For the bacon, we have always preferred baking instead of pan-frying as it is a lot less messy and basically fire and forget, but we recently switched to an even more low and slow method in the oven. This means we bake at 300 degrees for 35-50 minutes and man does this bring out the chipotle garlic flavor.

Out of all the things we did my favorite by far was spending quality time with my family. I am so grateful we had this opportunity together and for the memories we made.

Looking for things to do in Northern California? Take SR 299 and head West to the coast! Get all the details in our CA Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip by RV route. Interested in places to visit in California? Take a look at our California articles. Where are we going next? Don’t miss an adventure, subscribe today.