Visit the Courthouse Museum in Old Shasta

Before Redding existed, Shasta was the queen city of Northern California. Shasta’s mostly fireproof main street now lies in ruin. But you can catch a glimpse life in the Gold Rush era and more at the Courthouse Museum.
Courthouse Museum Christmas 2013The ruins are now Shasta State Historic Park. There are also live demonstrations of pioneer skills like blacksmithing that go on in the park. Here are a few images I captured of what the museum typically has on display.



Keeping in touch with the past. Just a 6 mile ride west of town, it’s Really Redding.

Family baseball fun with Redding’s Colt 45s

Baseball season in Redding has begun again. If you are a fan of this sport, you will already know that. Our family loves playing and watching baseball so we’re all very excited about the new season. I’ve always been a baseball fan, even from a young age. I remember my parents bought me a pair of team baseball pants and a baseball so that I could join the local team. I had such great fun, however now that I’m older, I definitely prefer watching baseball to playing it! What better way to begin the season than to watch college basketball players show their town what they can do. If you like playing baseball yourself, that can make for even more fun than watching! If you’re looking to improve your baseball skills, take a look at these Homerun techniques! Soon everyone will be watching you in a stadium get an impressive homerun. If you have been following this sport for a while now, you may be someone who would be interested in checking out companies such as FanDuel, to start playing Baseball virtually. With the rise of technology, this was going to happen sooner or later. Whether you choose to take on players across the country or your friends, you can become part of a team. Plus, you can even win points, just like the real game!

On the pitch, Tiger Field has served Redding now for 91 years, and currently hosts our Colt 45s. We attended last night’s game and had a blast! From the Redding Colt 45s website:

“Every summer college baseball players from across the country come to Redding for two months of intense competition in a minor league-like atmosphere.”

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C458I’ve never photographed a baseball game, so that was really fun. Tiger Field is very clean, and the food was great. The lovely Karry had a prime rib sandwich prepared by none other than our friend Cal De Mercurio. Not surprisingly, we saw lots of friends here. Here are some images.



On this perfect weather night, the home team won by a comfortable margin over their opponent Santa Rosa Rosebuds. I saw a lot of good sportsmanship and spirited baseball. It’s cliche to say we were all winners last night, but so true.

Pro tip: Don’t park too near the gate, unless you don’t mind your car catching the occasional foul ball.

91 years of baseball. It’s Really Redding.

Foot Golf comes to Gold Hills in Redding

So this is a new sport to me. But apparently it’s big. Click on the image to go to the Gold Hills Golf page.
Gold Hills Foot Golf

From the FootGolf website: About FootGolf

FootGolf is a combination of the popular sports of soccer and golf. The game is played with a regulation #5 soccer ball at a golf course facility on shortened holes with 21-inch diameter cups. The rules largely correspond to the rules of golf. FootGolf as a game is played throughout the world in many different forms, but as a sport, it is regulated by the Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG). The American FootGolf League (AFGL) is the exclusive member of the FIFG and governing body for the sport of FootGolf in the United States. The AFGL is organizing tournaments throughout the country working with golf courses to bring FootGolf to their clubs as another avenue for revenue and to develop the game further.

Another excellent marketing image from The Address Realty

Always more info about the Gold Hills Golf course at http://www.goldhillsgolf.com

And if you are looking for a home in the Gold Hills Golf neighborhood, we keep a list of all the homes presently for sale at GoldHillsHome.com

Hedge Creek Falls in Dunsmuir

Image from Hedge Creek Falls from a few days ago. A beautiful short hike in Dunsmuir California.
Hedge Creek Falls 2You can walk behind the falls pretty easily. Just about an hour or so north of Really Redding.

The Fantasy Fountain at Kids Kingdom

Imagine this water wonderland from the eyes of a child. Here’s a look at Redding’s Fantasy Fountain at Kids Kingdom park, as seen for the first time by grandson Talon, age 1.

Free Fantasy Fountains for kids. It’s Really Redding.

Starry skies over Silverthorn Houseboat

Love this photo by Tommy Higgins as seen on Facebook. Nice work! Silverthorn Resort posted it. Click to slightly enlarge.
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The houseboat scene on Lake Shasta is just one of the things that makes our region so special. Warm summer nights on the lake.
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Click on the image and Like Silverthorn’s FB page. The lake will drop this year, but it is still a huge body of water. A huge body of fun.
Starry skies on Lake Shasta. It’s Really Redding.

Camden House offers a glimpse of Shasta history

Merry Christmas to you and yours on this holiday eve in 2013.
Here’s the historic Camden House just west of Whiskeytown Lake with some holiday decor.
Tower House Christmas 2013-2Tower House Christmas 2013
There are historic tours listed at the Whiskeytown Ranger led tours page. This from their web site

“Walk In Time (2 hours)

Wednesday and Saturday at 3:00 pm
Discover how pioneers/prospectors Charles Camden and Levi Tower reshaped the landscape to create a home for their families and an “oasis” for many travelers during and after the California Gold Rush. After a tour of the Camden house, built in 1852, enjoy a leisurely stroll through the area, then try your hand at finding gold the old-fashioned way-with a gold pan in the creek! Please bring a bottle of water and extra clothing if you choose to get wet. Meet the ranger at the Tower House Historic District parking lot in front of the bulletin board kiosk.”
Tower Camden House bridge

Eaton House in Redding dressed for Christmas

The late Judge Richard Eaton’s home is being turned into a local museum. It’s really looking good these days, and now decked out for the holidays. Click to slightly enlarge.

Eaton House Christmas

Eaton House Christmas side

Eaton House front Christmas 1280Behrens-Eaton House Museum. Open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 am – 4 pm, and Saturday 1-4 pm. Closed Holidays.  Admission Free, Donations Accepted. 1520 West Street in Redding California 96001. 530-241-3454

Some Victorian and other interesting homes in Yreka California

Below are a few photos I recently captured in Yreka California. Lovely buildings remain from Yreka’s golden era, including Victorian, Neo Classical, Edwardian, and Craftsman styles of architecture. Yreka is a small town located about an hour and a half north of Redding on Interstate 5. It’s currently the county seat for Siskiyou County. It’s sort of a sleepy village, alongside a busy interstate. But in the early part of the last century, it was evidently a bustling gold mining center. Click on any to slightly enlarge.Yreka1

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Yreka13Yreka14Yreka is worth a visit from Redding. The drive is one of the most beautiful 90 minutes in the Northstate. And Yreka’s gilded glimpse into our mining past is worth a look. Redding never achieved that sort of style, even in our timber and mining boom years of the last century.