It had been a long time since we went on a weekend road trip. So we embarked on a road trip to Southern Oregon this past weekend. There’s something about the lush greenery and abundance of natural resources in Oregon that brings joy to my heart. You know you are in Oregon when the terrain changes from dry, flat lands to lush green forests and damp roads!

There are some amazing sights and really cool cities north of San Francisco that we did not explore before! I have been to Northern California before but did not enjoy the beauty as much as I did in this trip.

A few things that struck me about Northern California and Oregon:

Crater Lake

Surreal is the word! The fact that it was formed by Volcanic eruption and there is no access to the lake waters (other than a boat ride to Wizard Island) makes it mysterious and pristine. Did you know Mount Mazama’s eruption left a crater as deep as 4000 ft and the ashes spread as far as Canada?! Learning few of these unbelievable facts about Crater Lake made it even more mesmerizing.

We visited Crater Lake several years ago around the same time but were welcomed by a cloud of fog that made the lake completely invisible. We were fortunate enough to catch just one glimpse of the lake through passing cloud before we left. That was a unique experience but I am happy that the latest trip was totally different! It was sunny with no cloud cover whatsoever and we got to view the lake on a totally different level. The deep indigo blue lake, still water and reflections of surrounding hills were magnificent… and we got a chance to fly our new toy!! Check out the bird’s eye view of the lake and the surrounding valleys that it captured!

Klamath Falls, OR is another cool stop just north of CA. A town south of Upper Klamath Lake, it has a really cute downtown and amazing food. I was impressed by the Thai food we had there. It was a surprise to see so many restaurants with different cuisines in this town, let alone taste so good. I felt silly that I once thought there wasn’t much to explore north of San Francisco beyond wine country (even though we visited the area before). I am glad I was wrong!

Redding, CA is a cool city as well. Sacramento river flows through the heart of the city and makes for a nice scenery. There are so many things to do and see like lakes around the city and hiking and biking/walking the Sacramento River trail. We spent most of our Sunday exploring Redding.

We visited the Sun Dial bridge and spent some time along the riverside. Being near water brings me so much joy and peace. All the thoughts in my mind vanish as soon as I step into water and the sound of water is music to my ears. 😀 See the crystal clear water and you’ll know what I mean!

The highlight of our Redding visit was star gazing! We drove to a dark location nearby at midnight to star gaze and take pictures. We spent an hour in the dark staring and capturing the gorgeous night sky. After several attempts, my husband successfully captured the night sky full of bright stars – don’t you agree?! 🙂

Shasta Lake and Dam are a stone’s throw away from Redding. We visited the dam on our way back and spent time enjoying the cool breeze of the lake. I love the blueish green color of Shasta Lake. I wonder how different water bodies come in different shades of blue. That is nature’s miracle I guess!

Sometimes surprise and unplanned trips are the most memorable. We had so much fun exploring and goofing around on this trip.

All our stops were perfect; like our stop at Mt Shasta during golden hour or the cool breeze of Lake Shasta on a hot, sunny day.

I am glad we took this trip and got to experience NorCal and Southern Oregon in a different light. We will definitely visit again!