Redding, CA--Two Days on the Road

Redding is a deceptively small town with deceptively big-city amenities. There are very few places left in California where you can have a good old-fashioned steak dinner that will knock the socks off of any Ruth's Chris, pop downtown for a street dance, then sidle over to enjoy the art of a world class architect. An active arts community insures plenty to see and do throughout the year, whether it is a visit to Sundial Bridge or a concert at the downtown Crest Theater. The residents are very proud of the area, and in all of our visits here, we have never met anyone who was less than helpful whether we needed directions, advice, or help finding a quiet place to spend an afternoon.

Redding's proximity to the Cascade mountain range provides spectacular views even when stuck in traffic. Shasta Lake, snuggled in the foothills within sight of Mount Shasta, is a weekend warriors dream for fishing, swimming and camping, and is an easy few minutes drive from town. Travelers who aren't able to spend time in the area will still appreciate an hour or two rest at this pristine lake.

The once thriving downtown area is a bit sleepy now, but for the more adventurous, a drive down highway 273, which parrellels I-5's north-south route, will reveal some great off-the-beaten path stops, including old-fashioned drive-ins, hole in the wall antique and thrift stores, even a book lover's book store the puts it's city cousins to shame. At the south end of the highway, in Anderson, California, sits the Jolly Giant Flea Market. You can't miss it--it is big. And green. Very, very green. The flea market hasn't gone the way of it's SoCal bretheren - you can still find collectibles and honest to goodness junk mixed in with the dollar store deals, beautiful rugs, pirated designer gear, and computer parts. Admission is a nominal fifty cents, and a fun stop even if you aren't searching for anything in particular.

Quick Tips:

Redding is unofficially divided into two sections: The old part of town, including the downtown area, parks, and civic and convention center, are on the west side of I-5, while the newer part of town, with nearly any corporate and big box store or restaurant you might be looking for, on the east side. The I-5 freeway creates an easy to navigate north-south corridor, while state highway 44 takes you on an easily navigable east-west route. Most of the hotels and motels are in the vicinity of Hilltop Drive, right off the I-5 Cypress Avenue exit. Good deals can be had here by booking through "opaque" travel sites. There are still a few places to stay downtown, but they are on the run down side. A good option to avoid a corporate stay is the Thunderbird Motel. This family run establishment is well-kept, and within walking distance of a good Mexican restaurant and a well-hidden watering hole.

Best Way To Get Around:

The Redding Area Bus Authority, known locally as RABA, runs a comprehensive and convenient route throughout town. Their rates, hours and stops are posted on their web site at http://www.ci.redding.ca.us/raba/rabahome.htm. However, odds are that if you end up here, it will be by car, as the area is serviced by only one airline (United) that flies to and from the San Francisco bay area on a limited schedule. A car is a must if you plan on visiting the sites outside the city limits.

We booked this stay through a popular opaque travel site by bidding two stars in Redding, California. Our price was fifty dollars a night, half off the rack rate, and twenty dollars less than any of the popular online hotel resellers. This was a nice place to stay compared with other motels I've frequented in the area, and I would have happily paid more to stay here had I realized how comfortable it would be.

All rooms have interior hall access, and the building has been recently refurbished and is very well kept. The furniture in our room showed a bit of wear, but not enough to offend most travelers, especially at the price we paid. The spacious lobby hosts a very average continental breakfast that is kept well stocked throughout the morning. The pool area is beautiful and inviting. Set into a central courtyard, it offers a lot of privacy from the traffic of Hilltop and the freeway.

Chasmo says that La Quinta is Spanish for unsecured wireless internet access. The property has excellent high speed wireless internet connectivity available in all of its rooms at no charge. It was easy to connect to, and a big improvement over T-mobile wireless, our usual mobile ISP. This La Quinta does not offer wired internet access.

One caveat: The official hotel policy is that all rooms booked through the internet are full sized beds only, despite what it may say in the site's hotel description. I was told this by the afternoon clerk when I called to inquire about securing a king sized bed. I haven't slept in a full sized bed since I was 12, and Chasmo is built like a lumberjack, so for him it might as well be a twin. Unofficially, upon check-in the desk clerk told us that if they weren't fully booked she would be happy to give us a free upgrade. Keep that in mind - the staff is friendly, so it is worth asking for a bump at check-in if bed size is a concern for you. I imagine a well placed box of Godiva chocolates wouldn't hurt, either.

Overall, it is the best deal in town for the price.

Rack rate on this member of the Choice Hotel family is $70 to $80 a night. Although it is an okay place to flop for an evening, it isn't worth that much money. This is a $50-a-night inn, tops. The rooms are small and dark, and a bit on the threadbare side. Management has been trying to spruce the place up a bit and offer a very comprehensive continental breakfast, including decent coffee (rare in Redding), but on our visit, the staff couldn't keep up with demand, and as fast as something was put out, it was gone. Guests also had to wait for coffee to brew, as the few pump pots they put out every few minutes were emptied as quickly as the thirsty crowd could reach them.

There is no restaurant on-site, but there is a pizza place next door. Most of the chain places you would expect in a high-traffic motel area are out of walking distance, as are the mini-marts. When we were there in the middle of summer, the pool was open, technically, but trying to figure out who had the key to the gate was a bit of a chore, and we finally gave up. Our room key didn't work, and the staff was nowhere to be found. Seating in the breakfast area was inadequate as well, and many guests, including myself, sat on the curb outside the office to eat. I would have taken food back to my room, but they were slow to refill the buffet and I was hungry.

On the plus side, it is easy to find off the freeway--just take the Cypress Avenue exit east off I-5, then head north on Hilltop Drive. It is a short drive to shopping and decent dining, and the staff was friendly when we were able to get their attention. There were no bugs in the room and all the lamps worked. It was not horrible, just not the best value in town.

Lemmee Hear You Say, "EEEEWWWWW"

The title is no exaggeration, folks. I have been working in Redding the last few weeks and have had the pleasure of discovering some new favorite spots. I am adventurous by nature, so last night, after a grueling 13-hour work day, I decide on the spur of the moment to book a room online and spend the night rather than face 2 hours of freeway traffic home.

Normally I book through my favorite opaque website, but at 8pm it was too late to get a room through that venue, so I hopped over to A Certain Expedited Booking Service.com, punched in Redding, CA, and sorted by price. The winner? Howard Johnson's Inn on Bechelli, at $45 per night, pre-tax. I'll keep it short:

 

-- When I pulled up, the marquee was advertising the same room I booked for $30.

-- The security latch on my door was missing. And where it should have been, there was a big hole in the wall. I don't mean that it didn't work, I don't mean it was defective, I mean there was a hole in the wall where it had been ripped out. (NOTE TO SELF: Move to state that allows personal use of handguns).

-- The room had exactly two working light bulbs, and neither of them were operated by the switch near the door. There was one bulb over the bathroom sink, but at 40 watts, I might as well have been putting my makeup on with a flashlight.

-- I checked in at 9pm. The toilet was running when I opened the door. Obviously it had been running since it was last cleaned (and who knows when that was?). It took some serious plumbo-gymnastics to make it stop, including jiggling the handle, flicking the chain in the tank up and down as if I were playing with a cat, and finally, moving the hole cover thingy around until it caught a good seal.

-- I was on the second floor. Every time someone walked outside my room, it sounded like a Mac truck was driving through the building. In a way this was fortunate, though, as it allowed my to develop a very intimate relationship with the local cable TV service.

On the plus side, the shower had good pressure and lots of hot water, the bed was clean (believe me, I checked), and the courtesy shampoo was not Wella Balsam.

While corresponding with a friend, I toyed with the idea of calling this review, "This place put the Ho' in Howard Johnson's," but this is a family publication, so suffice to say, I wouldn't recommend this property to my neighbor's noisy, angry pit bull.

This family-owned, regional chain serves a good steak dinner at a reasonable price. The Old West atmosphere is family-friendly, and so is the staff. Our waitress was very attentive--I had the distinct impression that no matter how rude a customer may be, she would just smile and say, "Yes, sir. How can I make it better?"

The chain was started by a real Arizona cattle rancher and his son in the 1960s, and they continue the tradition of a quality meal at a reasonable price to this day. Dinners run from $12 to $30, with a great dinner for two priced at $54. We each had a sirloin with all the fixings and a drink for $50 with tip.

The menu is basic steakhouse fare and features Harris Ranch beef. All meals include cowboy beans and your choice of potato, with a green salad and warm, fresh bread. We weren't rushed through our meal, as some places do, but allowed to actually finish our salads before the entree arrived, something I appreciate very much.

Cattlemen's specific gimmick is that they age and cut their beef on the premises. The meat is definitely better quality than your average chain steakhouse fare, and cooked correctly for a refreshing change. You can peruse the whole story at their website, BestSteakintheWest.com.

Cattlemen's is conveniently located next to the La Quinta Hotel on Hilltop Drive. If you normally look for Applebee's, Red Lobster, or similar big-box eateries, you will find Cattlemen's to be a nice diversion from the usual I-5 offerings. They also have properties in the Sacramento and Santa Rosa areas, as well as one in Carson City, NV.

This local favorite, a decrepit building that looks like it may or may not be occupied, is not for the faint of heart. It is not Applebee's or Logan's. It is a real, down and dirty, old-fashioned steakhouse, with loud music and a rowdy atmosphere. You have been warned - if you are looking for something bright and cheery, see my review of Cattlemen's. If you are adventurous, and love a good steak, read on.

We first visited Jack's years ago, en route to Dunsmuir, California. Jack's holds mythical status among Northern California old-timers. They do not advertise, business is word-of-mouth. If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't give it a second glance. So, on that particular trip, we made a special stop to have a steak at Jack's.

The building is ancient white stucco with neon that glows to passersby. This part of town is quiet, and as we approached the door, we weren't even sure anyone was inside. The windows are blacked out; not a sound could be heard.

When the door opened, though, it was like another world. Music blared from ancient speakers, crackling and buzzing. The place was so full we barely fit inside. We paused to allow our eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. I mean dim. Candles on the tables provided most of the light. Chasmo finally spotted the hostess and got us on "the list." We looked for a seat at the crowded bar that shares space with about ten dinner tables. I have never waited less than an hour for a table at Jack's, but the bartender is friendly and pours with a heavy hand. Seats at the bar are hard to come by, but they do open up, so be patient. Keep this in mind if you need to eat now--there is always a wait.

The menu is limited--steak, in varying cuts, served with potatoes, green salad and bread. The salad is family style, mixed with dressing and left on the table. The real treat is the meat. The secret may be a special ingredient, a local beef supplier, an old grill, or a combination of these. I don't know. It melts in your mouth. It was close to two inches thick, and cooked so perfectly I thought I was dreaming. This is, hands down, the best steak we have ever had. Highly recommend.

Some warnings: The restrooms are scary. The people are friendly--don't be surprised if a stranger plops down beside you and asks where you're from. The staff is moving at breakneck speed, but will make sure you get what you need right away. And it is loud. Between the music and the big crowd packed into a tiny place, it is not a place to go for a quiet evening with the wife. Think boisterous. Think party. Think roadhouse. Think best steak you have ever had.

Located at Turtle Bay Discovery Park near the Redding Convention Center, the Sundial Bridge is an architectural work of art that is beautiful and unexpected in this out-of-the-way burg. Although the entire 300-acre Exploration Park is worthy of its own journal, the Sundial is a must-see if your time here is limited.

Designed by world-renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, this is the first bridge he designed for construction in the United States. This project was so controversial that it warranted a PBS special, "Angle Of Inspiration--Santiago Calatrava's Sundial," which is still being broadcast around the country. The gist: old-time locals didn't see why they needed a fancy bridge. The cosmopolitan transplants didn't understand why the old-timers didn't want to support the arts. Controversy ensues. The transplants win. The show is a great peek into northern California politics.

Both functional and aesthetic, the bridge is a real sundial, and points of time are marked on the north side of the river with brass placards. The Sundial is an artistic marvel as well. The staff is quick to point out that as a way to keep time, it is only accurate one day a year. Who cares? It's still fun to check your watch against the shadow of the majestic span.

The green glass bottom of the bridge inspires awe as it echoes the color and feel of the Sacramento River it crosses. It appears as a sail from the distance, and all surfaces of the bridge, save for the glass bottom, are covered in pure white mosaic tile that glitters like colored glass at sunset. Cross the bridge from the south and you will see the All-American Trials garden on the north side. There are restrooms and tables here for relaxing. Paths through the gardens provide a peaceful afternoon. Follow the path to the right and there is a small amphitheater under the bridge for musing with the river.

On the south side of the bridge is the Turtle Bay museum and cafe. For a complete list of current events and ongoing displays, visit the Turtle Bay web site at TurtleBay.org.

Admission is free. Take Highway 44 west and follow the signs to the convention center and Turtle Bay. The best parking is the lot directly north of the convention center. Follow the flag-lined path to the bridge.