California has many unique and interesting cities, counties, towns etc. but my favorite place to live is in Shasta County. It is located in the valley about 3 hours north of Sacramento, and here are just a few reasons I prefer to live in Shasta County.
There are four seasons, although weather-wise we can't always predict when a season begins and ends. As an example, summer heat often lingers from three to five months but air conditioners, water coolers, and fans help to endure the heat while at home. The best cooling "systems" of all are Shasta and Whiskeytown lakes located 15 - 20 minutes from Redding! Shasta County has everyone's favorite water sports including; swimming, skiing, knee boarding, fishing, houseboating, patio boats, paddle boats, sailboats, and a Waterworks Park! The easy access to mountains, streams, and nearby waterfalls offer alternative ways to escape from the summer heat.

The pleasantly warm Autumn weather is a wonderful time to explore the natural wonders of the area. Shasta Caverns, spelunking caves, lava beds and backpacking, are just a few possible autumn activities. Annual Fall Events include Oktober Fest and Holloween's Haunted Houses
Winters are considered mild although there are some harsh rain and wind storms. Occaisionally, light snow falls in the Redding-Anderson city area. The heavier winter snowfalls, which occur in the Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen Skii Parks, provide a good snowbase for downhill & cross country skiing. This is the time of the year many cultural presentations are held in our very uniquely designed Auditorium and Convention Center. Broadway shows, operas, and ballet companies from San Francisco are presented here. The local dance schools, High Schools and Shasta Community College offer a large variety of seasonal Holiday entertainment.

Spring in Shasta County, with its' beautiful flowering shrubs and trees, showers the area with a multitude of colors everywhere! It is also the time for many favorite annual events including Rodeo Days, Whiskeytown Sailing Regatta, Shasta County Fair, Jazz Festival, Cool(cars)April Nights and the Annual Mothers Day Arts & Crafts Fairs in Old Shasta.
Although this area is surrounded by an abundance of nature's splendor, almost everyone loves to visit the ocean. Therefore, one of the most frequently asked tourists' questions is, "How far is it to the ocean?" It is approximately 3 1/2 scenic hours west of Redding, via Highway 299 West. During the summer coastal residents come to Shasta County to warm up and the locals ramble over the mountains to the coast to cool off!

Redding has many outdoor cafes but my favorite is located in a small park on the Sacramento River, across from Redding Convention Center. The scenery is the coolest! The menus are unlimited---your brown bag of choice! And there is no waiting to be served but you may have to 'wait' for a table as it is a very popular dinning spot at lunch time. During the weekends, when there are no scheduled activities, kites, remote control planes and inpromtu games are played on the large lawn area near the auditorium. In the early morning hours large flocks of geese stop over for breakfast.

The Sacramento River Walk Trail and the Redding Park that parallels the river, are very popular places with visitors and residents. Anderson River Park Trail is not as well known but close to my home and my dog and I walk and de-stress there each day. Some late afternoons or in the early morning hours, a deer or two will surprise us with an unscheduled visit.