Road Trip, Day Three

Today was day three of my road trip with my daughter Becky. For a recap, see day one here and day two here.

We started this morning in Redding, Calif., where we had spent the night. Becky really wanted to see Turtle Bay Exploration Park, so off we went. Good things happen when I listen to her!

It's on both sides of the Sacramento River in Redding and includes the Sundial Bridge, an arboretum, museum, walking trails and much more.

The Sundial Bridge is phenomenal.

The cantilevered tower casts a shadow that points to different markers adjacent to the arboretum throughout the day, each showing a different time. It was quite cloudy today in Redding so there wasn't much of a shadow at all. Here's the 12:00 marker:

Becky on the bridge with the Sacramento River behind her:

We strolled through part of the arboretum:

I like this lilac-colored fire hydrant that blends in beautifully:

After about an hour and a lot of walking, which felt great, we hit the road and headed north.

After a while we made sandwiches at a very nice Caltrans rest stop near Weed, Calif. (now that's a name!): turkey with fresh spinach and tomatoes. Yum!

Last night I read about Montague, Calif., a little town with a big history involving the early railroad, cattle country and the Gold Rush. It was on my list of places to see today, so we took a little side trip.

Shortly after we left Montague, we found ourselves driving through Shasta-Trinity National Forest, with magnificent views all along the way and bald eagles flying overhead.

Imagine our surprise when Mount Shasta suddenly loomed before us, dramatic and majestic, with its head literally in the clouds!

Eventually we crossed the border into Oregon and loaded up with maps and booklets before continuing our journey.

We went north to Ashland and Medford, then headed west to the Oregon coast.

Where are we tonight? Coos Bay, Oregon. It was a long drive from Redding, Calif., but well worth it. Tomorrow morning we'll explore Coos Bay and then head to our next destination with whatever adventures present themselves along the way.

Read all about it tomorrow night!