THIS CITY REWARDS DEEP EXAMINATION
>>> Isn’t there a time-worn adage about the unfamiliarity of the familiar? I’ve been through Redding maybe 50, 75, 100 times in my West Coast-venturing life, but for all I knew Redding might as well be Redding, Pa. This time … a change. I was hellbent to get to Bend, Ore., for a golf bacchanal, but not every drive on Interstate 5 needs to be a straight-through blitz. I made an effort to stop and learn a bit about a town I’ve often seen but never saw. The tab: Rewards points for the hotel stay; $35 for dinner with brews, tax and tip; and $26 for a cavern tour.
THE BED
I used Marriott points to secure a night at Fairfield Inn & Suites, but figure that the typical rate is north of $100 a night. The room was a tight squeeze for one guy, his golf gear and his bicycle but otherwise was well-equipped with a firm king bed, multiple pillows and the requisite plugs and USB ports demanded by the electronic cabal with which we travel. The continental/limited-hot, serve-yourself breakfast, which was included, got me back on the road fueled for the morning.
THE MEAL
Redding lags in the microbrew-establishment-percapita rating, but numbers don’t always tell the story. Woody’s Brewing Co. is the work of three brothers, each with a love for good suds and years spent in the industry. Tater tots are the bar-food rage, and at Woody’s they are hand-built, with a hit of garlic and mild Cajun aioli. Woody’s BLT arrived as a crunchy hoagie with fried tomatoes, avocado, righteous bacon and chipotle schmear — a winner. For fans of conversation, the open, high-ceiling space is devoid of televisions and droning sports analysts.
THE FIND
Natural Landmark, about 15 minutes north of Redding. The boat ride is part of the adventure, which is capped by a 50-minute guided tour through a geologic cathedral of flowstone and calcite curtains. It’s not the tourist trap I always assumed it was. Caves are cool and bring out the kid in all of us, even if we no longer can remember the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite. Not wheelchairaccessible; the walk includes 600-plus steps.
THE LESSON LEARNED
Every town is the sum of its parts. For Redding, a good measure of that sum is the Sacramento River. An obvious tourist draw is the Sundial Bridge, one of several attractions at Turtle Bay Exploration Park, a family-friendly do-all with an arboretum, zoo, natural history museum and arts programs. The admission fee for the park, not the bridge, peaks at $16 for adults and slides down to zero for the littlest ones. For more of a cardio experience, the riverside path extends nearly 20 miles upriver to Shasta Dam. travel@latimes.com