Category: Things to do

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An Autumn visit to magic Burney Falls finds solitude

Waterfalls are magical, always. Ask any keen traveller and fan of nature and they will probably tell you that Iceland goes down as the best place to visit to witness stunning waterfalls, which is understandable when you consider it is home to both Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. If you have never heard of them, take a moment to find some pictures online. You won’t regret it, as they are simply incredible. The best time to visit Iceland to witness these natural wonders is September – particularly if you want to see the Northern Lights as well (find out more on https://www.rent.is/blog/best-time-of-year-to-visit-iceland/). But, despite Iceland’s famed waterfalls, we have somewhere local which is just as much a must-see.

Nearby Burney Falls has no equal as the most magical of all local waterfalls. Water springs forth from the earth itself, only to fall to mist from a beautiful basalt cliff. With Summer’s tourist season over, but before new snow falls, you can enjoy the pristine magic of Burney Falls State Park almost to yourself.
BurneyFalls1280Click to expand. Certainly, one of the most photographed of local landmarks. It’s only just about an hours drive from Redding. So in some way the familiarity makes it easy to forget. But the magic beckons.
BurneyFallsA1280A few hundred yards upstream, the creekbed is dry at the surface. This water gushes from a lavabed aquifer to an azure pool 129 feet beneath. And then it goes on to fill Lake Britton.
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LakeBritton3-1280Fall. Magic. Solitude. It’s Really Redding.

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View salmon at Lake Redding’s fish ladder

Redding has a fish ladder at the dam for Lake Redding that serves to divert water to the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation canal. It allows salmon and other species to get upstream when the dam is up. At the ladder are a few windows into their watery world. Structures such as these are vital in the effort to sustain the salmon population. Without structures such as these aiding salmon to swim upriver in order to lay their eggs, it could lead to the decline of the wild salmon population ultimately eliminating it as a food source. With the ever growing human population, food sources such as salmon need to grow as well in order to provide enough food for people, both wild and farmed. The demand for fresh fish has led to practices such as salmon farming in order to keep up with the demand, however, these practices are not always sustainable as farmers attempt to get a bigger yield each season. There have been strategies put in place as a way to cap these practices, sites like www.globalsalmoninitiative.org/en can show efforts that have been taken to preserve the salmon population throughout the world by many fishing farms.

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Of course viewing fish is like any kind of fishing expedition. Sometimes you get skunked.
No matter.
You know what they say about the worst day fishing being better than the best day working.
Visual fishing. It’s ReallyRedding.

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Waterworks Park in Redding

Redding has a water based amusement park, Waterworks Park. Great place to be on a hot day like today.
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According to the Waterworks Park website, these are among their rides:

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Perhaps ironically, Redding is surrounded by lakes and rivers for water based fun. But Waterworks Park remains a popular destination, especially if you have kids. Many of the locals purchase Season Passes, so it is generally full of people having fun in the sun.

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