This is an amazing landmark and art piece that's on the grounds of the Sheraton Redding Hotel at…read morethe Sundial Bridge. It's basically an old aggregate plant that took stones from the Sacramento River and used a miles-long conveyor belt to send them to be used in the construction of the Shasta Dam. It's a very cool piece of history that easily flies under the radar.

While driving through Sundial Bridge Dr, I saw a sign that says "Monolith". I had no idea what it…read moreis. We made a stop to check it out. It is located next to Sheraton hotel. Remains of Shasta Dam that was converted into art pieces. Learned a bit about the history of Redding during this quick stop. Free to explore and browse. Free parking as well.

The "Temple of the Forest Beneath the Clouds," also known as the Weaverville Joss House State…read moreHistoric Park, is a remarkable historical site due to how well it is decorated and preserved. It truly offers a unique glimpse into the lives of Chinese immigrants in early California. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a significant majority of Chinese emigration to North America originated from the Sze Yup (The four counties) region of Guangdong province in China. These counties are located on the west side of the Pearl River Delta. This region includes Taishan (Toi Shan), Kaiping, Xinhui, and Enping. Taishan was the largest source of these immigrants. The exodus was caused by severe ethnic wars. The Punti-Hakka Clan Wars were a conflict between the Hakka and the Cantonese people in Guangdong, China between 1855 and 1867. The wars were fiercest around the Pearl River Delta, especially in Toi Shan of the Sze Yup counties. The wars resulted in roughly a million dead with many more displaced civilians. Due to this immigration pattern, Taishanese was the dominant dialect of Chinese spoken in Chinatowns across North America up until the mid-20th century. While related to Cantonese, Taishanese has limited mutual intelligibility with it. Approximately 1.3 million people are estimated to have origins in Taishan. It's noteworthy that there are more overseas Taishanese than those living in Taishan itself, highlighting the significant diaspora. Taishanese immigrants played a crucial role in the development of early California and the United United States. For example, they constituted about 90% of the entire workforce (approximately 12,000 workers) employed by the Central Pacific Railroad to build the transcontinental railroad. They also worked in gold mines, fisheries, and various other labor-intensive jobs, contributing significantly to the state's economy. Even today, many older generations in Chinatowns in major North American cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, New York City, and Boston still speak Taishanese. However, more recent immigration patterns and the increasing prevalence of Mandarin and other dialects have led to a shift in the linguistic landscape of these communities. Despite their immense contributions, Chinese immigrants, including the Toi Shanese, faced severe discrimination and mistreatment in the US, culminating in acts like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which significantly restricted Chinese immigration for decades. The Weaverville Joss House, as a surviving example of a rural-style Chinese temple of that era, holds immense historical and cultural significance, especially considering that many similar temples in China were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Its preservation offers a tangible link to this important period of Chinese American history. I have many Toi Shanese friends, hence my interest in their origins and culture and as to why there are so many of them here in California.

State Park and Oldest Chinese Temple in California [Weaverville CA]…read more The Temple is located in the heart of Weaverville which is a small community that is some fifty miles west of Redding. When we arrived at the park the 1:00p tour had just started. We were able to catch up outside of the temple. The tour guide/docent was very knowledgeable in its history. He shared a lot of the symbolic exhibits and was informative in describing the Taoism study as we entered the 'Conference Room' first then the Temple itself, which was where we spent the most time. The temple is the oldest in California and has been in continuous use as a place of worship since its construction. At the end of the tour I was able to go back inside the Visitor's Center and take a closer look at the museum collection pieces on display including a beautiful "Chinese Lion Dancer's Headdress" and an old abacus. The park includes a visitor center, parking lot, and the Kuan Yin pool. Park hours are from Thursday to Sunday from 10:00a to 5:00p. The Temple and Visitor Center are open Friday to Sunday from 10:00a to 4:00p. Tours of the Chinese Taoist Temple are offered at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. Tour fee is $4 adults 18 and older. Review #3457

A really nice visit with gorgeous views of the mountains to start off. Waited in gift shop for our…read moretrip to the boat to go across the lake to go up to caverns. You can walk down stairs or take the ramps to get to boats. Nice easy ride across lake where your docked and take a bus up to lodge before entering the caves. If you are not able to climb a lot stairs, don't try the caverns. There are lots of stairs with narrow pathways. Sorry. Beautiful caverns with lots of history about how they were found and even some original paths in and ladders from founder. The light show at the end was fun. Worth the history, boat and bus ride up. Plus, Elsie, a boat from WWII Normandy sits in the harbor and is still used to boat stuff around and even has old bullet wounds to show. Reasonably priced adult ticket is $47.84 and can be purchased online or at the cute little gift shop. This is for at least 2 hours and if your a smaller group, lots of 1 on 1 with your guide for questions answered and they are very knowledgeable.

I had a wonderful time at the caverns. This is a must see if in the Redding/Shasta area…read more I purchased my tickets online. It was easy and quick process. You can also purchase tickets from the gift shop. The entire trip was smooth and super fun. It started with a ferry ride to the other side of the lake. There was a bus waiting for us. We loaded the bus, drove up to the caves, and met our guide. We met Jenna, tour guide, and began our tour. She was funny and very informative throughout the entire tour. The caves were fantastic to see. BEWARE: there are lots of stairs in the caves that you must climb and descend. There were loads of rock formations to see in the caves. The lighting system made it easier to each one. I especially liked the light show at the end.

The views are amazing and anxiety imposing!…read more You can walk out onto the dam and looking either way, the views are spectacular. To your one side, amazing anxiety driving views where even if you're not afraid of heights, you'll start breathing heavy. Then, on the other side, spectacular views of lake Shasta with imposing mountains in the backdrop. Connected to a cool visitor station, this is worth the drive to visit if you're around the area.

After a tour at Shasta Caverns, I was able to nerd out even more with a visit to Shasta Dam. The…read morearea is free to visit if you want to walk across the dam or check out the visitor center, which has a small theater with a really fascinating short documentary playing. There's also a gift shop and some displays. But what you really need to check out is their free tour of the dam. On the tour, you can go inside the dam itself and have a guided tour of the facilities and even the grounds at the bottom of the dam. I found it really interesting and learned a lot about the dam's construction and role it plays in water management from the heavy rains Nor Cal gets in the winter. Their website posts hours the visitor center is open and what times tours run. I caught the last tour of the day on a random Monday and it was just my boyfriend and I. The tour is free and even with just the two of us, our guide made it engaging and educational. The epic views of the river, lake and Mt Shasta are worth the drive over. Definitely a cool attraction and not too far from Redding if you're in the area.

I have known about the Sundial Bridge for a very long time but never took the opportunity to check…read moreit out. My boyfriend and I wanted to do a little getaway to celebrate our anniversary. We decided on Redding since I have never been there. We wanted to check out the Sundial Bridge during daytime and nighttime. Very cool and beautiful bridge. The walkway is made of glass panels. Nighttime, the bridge lights up. Easy pathway to walk through. The bridge crosses over the Sacramento River. Plenty of parking. No parking fee. No admission fee to walk across the bridge.

The Sundial Bridge is a nice bridge to visit in Redding. The 700 foot long bridge crosses over…read morethe Sacramento River and connects the north and south campus of Turtle Bay Exploration Park. The floor or deck of the bridge is made with glass so that you can see the river below. The bridge is a real sundial in daylight hours. We visited over the Christmas/New Year Holiday on a rainy cold night. We couldn't see much, except for the bridge lit up in holiday lights. The bridge was a little slippery with the glass and tiles. It was a little difficult to walk with a bad knee because of the slipperiness. It was a beautiful bridge at night. We need to come back in daytime.

I've been to where lava flows were before but never have I walked/climbed through where lava tubes…read moreactually are before. This was definitely an experience if you haven't done it! $15.00-25.00 to bring your horse, bicycle, motorcycle cycle, car or RV into the park. Doesn't matter how warm outside as the caves are cool to freezing with ice depending on which cave and how far down it goes. Headlamps/flashlights are needed but headlamps easiest so you can use both your hands. The fantastic Park Rangers will not only give you expert advice on what caves are best suited for you but the history about this amazing park. Skull Cave before you get to the visitors center was my first cave. After descending the short rock staircase then a rock floor then to a metal landing and down the metal staircase lower and lower into the cold dark earth. At the bottom is a Skull, bones and ice. The hand rails were freezing. Wish I would have brought my gloves. The visitors center can help with what caves are where and offer helmets, flashlights and other needs via borrow, rent or buy. Closed shoes, knee pads, etc for tight caves recommended. The others I tried weren't near that cold but still really incredible in different ways. To see all the melting of rock and burn scars through these tubes is spectacular. Our earth is alive and so amazing. There are some bathrooms at some of the sites but not all so take advantage. Also, make sure to wear clothing you've never worn in other caves. Transfer of biologicals is real and could very negatively effect the bats in here. An awe experience and I highly recommend it. Some spaces also might be a bit small in case you're claustrophobic. Many are not tight but pitch black. Better than any Halloween haunted house with the creep jumping out at you. A park experience not to miss!

One of the most underrated national parks in the country. You owe it to yourself to visit Lava…read more Beds National Monument at least once in your life! There are many lava tubes that are for all difficulties and they are all mostly along the road loop around the park or a short trail walk away. Some are easy to walk through upright all the way to those you have to crawl through requiring gear. Certain tubes can be closed seasonally to protect the bats that both migrate and hibernate there, so be sure to check with the park before you go if there is a specific one you would like to visit. The campgrounds are first come first serve except for the large group sites that can be reserved online, and the restrooms are decently kept with water refill stations outside. Overall a great experience, would highly recommend!

The water is hypothermia inducingly cold, the walk is treacherous and the falls aren't that…read moreexciting. You can take the long route which requires a lot more walking near the train tracks or attempt the river crossing which could end with you swept miles downriver or drowned. At any moment they could let water out of the down to send a surge down the Sacramento River and send you off through rocks and rapids below the falls. The trains come through fast and around blind corners and the roar of the river masks the sound of the train. It is a dangerous hike and people have died there. I don't recommend it for day trippers or casual tourists. Advanced hiking skills required and extra attention to safety and strong swimmers only. Even in mid August the water is high and freezing and the river crossing is very slippery and dangerous. If you know what you are doing and manage the trek there and back you will have seen one of the areas smaller but pretty waterfalls. There is talk of building a trail with a pedestrian bridge to the falls so once that is done it will likely be overrun with day trippers. I recommend going now but be careful.

A must visit in Dunsmuir! Live the cascading waterfall so majestic , calm and mesmerizing ! It's…read moreour second time here and definitely be more visit in the future ! We had the whole waterfall to ourselves

DIRECTIONS: Don't rely on your GPS to guide you here. I plugged Pluto's Cave into Google Maps and…read moreit led us down all these eerie gravel roads (there were private properties along the way but we couldn't figure out if they were residential or commercial; didn't see any humans). It was uncomfortable. In the end, it led us to the wrong side of the cave. You are better off looking at Google Maps and just following it manually. It clearly shows where the road to the trailhead is. You take A12 and then you'll see a small sign for Pluto's Cave where you turn onto 43N30. That'll take you to the trailhead. If you want something to plug into the GPS, use Juniper Flat OHV Area which is less than a mile away. Once you make that turn from A12, you'll see an official sign for Pluto's Cave. The parking area wasn't really much but there was only one other car so we managed to squeeze in. OTHER TIPS: ~Bring at least two sources of light. One back-up is generally recommended so you have something else in case your primary source of light dies. In my experience here, I'd recommend bringing a headlamp (mine was garbage so try to get a good one) as well as a flashlight. The thing is, there are some areas in the cave where you have to climb boulders and the terrain isn't flat. Your headlamp isn't lighting up the area where you are stepping unless you look down. Then it won't light up the area in front of you. Ideally, you'd want to use the headlamp to illuminate the space in front of you and point the flashlight at your feet. This may be a major DUH to regular cave explorers but this was my first cave. At the start of the cave area, you actually have some light where the ceiling has collapsed. It almost looks like a small cave but you want to keep moving forward as the cave continues. Eventually though, you reach an area with boulders that you climb to look around the bend. After that, it's DARKNESS. Not sure how far the cave actually continues....eek. I didn't want to risk it with poor/minimal lighting so I didn't go any further. ~Good shoes, obviously. ~Be aware that there are bats in here. Leave them alone. They shouldn't bother you. Don't bother them. This is their home. Also, they carry diseases. ~The trail from the trailhead to the cave is short but not well marked. Beware of rattlesnakes, per the sign. Overall, this is a pretty cool experience but spooky as heck. At least for me. There is a lot of graffiti on the walls which doesn't help. I went with my boyfriend and we didn't see any other people until we were headed back and already out of the cave. If I were to go back, I'd prefer to do it with a larger group.

Meh..The place is heavily graffitied and smells like urine. I got a very disturbing and somewhat…read moreevil vibe from the place. Your GPS may take you off an unpaved dirt road - glad we had a 4 wheel drive truck, about .4 miles to where you will see a sign for 'Plutos' Cave' and another dirt rood offshoot behind the sign with a lowered gate behind it. DON'T GO THAT WAY. Look around the little parking area for a path with rocks painted white on either side. THAT path will take you to the cave. Some smart person also painted several rocks white on the path to the cave. Look for those as there are several path offshoots.

Pulled over on the highway to check out this old courthouse. Staffed by a park employee, it…read moredoesn't take long to see everything, but you can stay a while if you read all of the interesting story boards. I recommend visiting this locale if you have any interest in the history of Shasta.

Right on the road to Whiskeytown National Recreation area. It was a short stop but interesting to…read moreread about the history this place brings to life. The signs explained how the town at one time was all built with brick. We would recommend a stop. It's not far from Redding and there is a nice park to enjoy a picnic meal.