Sure, California serves up Disney, Hollywood, surf and celebrities. But what about off-the-beaten-path pursuits? We’ve got a trio of ‘em for you, courtesy of visitcalifornia.com. Far northern California is the focus, north of Sacramento.
– Redding is ready to cater to outdoors travelers. A river runs through it, the spectacular Sacramento River to be precise. Bordering it are some 80 miles of paved and dirt roads, perfect for biking and hiking. In the area’s rivers and streams are fish, just waiting to take the bait. Learn the genteel art of fly-fishing from the pros at The Fly Shop, one of the country’s premier fly-fishing outfitters.
– Burney Falls is a gem, a 129-foot cascade that no less than President Teddy Roosevelt labeled one of the wonders of the world. Water falls from its heights year-round, but May and June are the best times to catch the show. That’s when Mount Shasta sheds her winter snows. Getting a good view of all this is easy. Burney Falls sports a half-mile paved trail to pad you along the way.
– Portola is the place to go if you’re serious about railroading, the old-time kind when rails ruled. The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is a 40-acre affair near the Nevada border. Built for train buffs, there’s no “no-touch” policy here. Climb aboard. Visitcalifornia.com says you can “sit in the engineer’s seat, explore cabooses, and stretch out in passenger cars.” Close your eyes and the years melt away, the elegance of another age engages you. One of the neatest things about the museum is that you can actually drive one of its vintage locomotives on tracks on the museum grounds. Try that at a mere amusement park.
All you’ve got to do is think out of the box a bit on your next California vacation and head north.
(Image: ihave3kids)
