Population: 87,300  Elevation: 400'  Visitors: 800-874-7562
Redding Convention and Visitors Bureau, 777 Auditorium Drive, Redding, CA 9600  
Visitredding.com

Redding, Calif.--Sundial Bridge, the gleaming structure and architectural wonder that opened on July 4, 2004 in Redding, California has created quite a buzz. Not only did it help put Redding on the radar for Southern Californians, it recently became more accessible to 15 million travelers who can now hop on an Horizon Air flight out of LAX and be in Redding in just 90 minutes. Horizon Air offers daily flights to and from Redding for affordable prices. alaskaair.com

While Redding has long been known as the Houseboat Capital of the West, Southern Californians haven't enjoyed this region and its assets for easy weekend getaways. With a nine hour drive by car and 600 miles distance, you need more than two days a weekend affords to see the region and its attractions.

Horizon Air's new routes to Redding and Eureka have given a boost to those tired of covering the same ground, same weekend trips to familiar places and towns.

At the same time the newest flights have opened, Redding has also enjoyed accolades for the unveiling of attractions that reflect outdoor themes that Shasta County is recognized for  beautiful mountains, lakes and streams ideal for boating, fishing and outdoor recreational activities.

With many fantastic hotel options such as Oxford Suites with its free breakfast, free evening cocktails and appetizers, free internet service, two televisions, a refrigerator and microwave in each suite, your stay will be enjoyable and relaxing. The hotel has a small swimming pool, exercise room, firm beds, good shower heads and several shopping centers nearby that include a Starbucks Coffee. oxfordsuitesredding.com

The Bridge! Designed by world famous architect Santiago Calatrava of Zurich, Switzerland, the Sundial Bridge spans the Sacramento River near Redding's Turtle Bay and Redding Convention Center.

Redding is situated along the banks of Sacramento River and is nestled between several ranges of mountains. Framed by nearby Shasta Mountain and close to Lake Shasta, it offers lake sports such as fishing and water skiing, seasonal mountain skiing, an annual rodeo and nearby Redwood forests for camping and hikes. 

The largest city north of Sacramento, Redding is the county seat of Shasta County (see map), and the center for government, retail trade, wholesale trade, commerce and recreation. Redding, bisected by the Sacramento River, is located along Interstate 5, equidistant between Seattle and Los Angeles, 160 miles north of Sacramento and 230 miles north of San Francisco.

Warm dry summers, mild winters and an average 285 days of sunshine provide enhance the visitor experience. In the summer, days can be quite warm, however, so be sure to pack a few bottles of water in the car if you are driving to Redding. Elevations range from 400 to 10,466 feet in Shasta County.

There are numerous major shopping areas including 2 enclosed malls, multiple major shopping centers and a factory outlet center. National chain retailers include: Barnes & Noble, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Circuit City, Costco, Gottschalks, JCPenney, K-Mart, Longs Drugs, Mervyns, Office Max, Rite Aid, Sears, Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreen Drugs, WinCo, Home Depot, Macys, Office Depot, Ross, ShopKo, Mens Warehouse, FoodMaxx, Safeway, Raleys, Toys R Us, Best Buy, and more.

Shasta Lake is located 12 miles north of Redding on Interstate 5. As the largest manmade lake in California, it features over 365 miles of shoreline and is extremely popular for houseboats. This "Houseboat Capital of the West" draws more people to Redding each year than any other attraction. Camping, boating, picnicking, swimming, waterskiing, and fishing are enjoyed in this vacation paradise that overlooks Mount Shasta. The average water temperature is 77 degrees and the maximum depth of the lake is 517 feet.

Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay is free of charge to visit and walk on. There are public restrooms located next to the Turtle Bay Cafe where delicious fresh salads, sandwiches, soft drinks, coffee and desserts are served in a casual atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating providing large, sweeping views of Sundial Bridge. Take Interstate 5 exit at Central Redding Exit 678, then Hwy 44 West to Auditorium Drive (Exit 1). Turn right to Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Sundial Bridge Facts: The Sundial Bridge was completed and opened on July 4, 2004. Its dimensions are 700 feet long, 23 feet wide and 217 feet high (pylon). The bridge weighs 3.2 million pounds (1,600 tons) and is composed of steel with galvanized steel cables. The deck materials are non-skid glass panels in steel framework with granite accents. The foundation consists of 115 tons of rebar, 1,900 cubic yards of concrete and a superstructure of 400 tons of steel. 200 tons of glass and granite were utilized in deck construction. The bridge contains 4,342 feet of cable and the pylon is 580 tons of steel.

The Project Team was Architect Santiago Calatrava (Zurich), Project Manager Omni Means (Redding/Roseville, Calif.), Margaret Zech, General Contractor Kiewit Pacific Co. (Vancouver, Wash.), Steel Fabricator Universal Structural, Inc. (Vancouver, Wash.), Steel Detailers Tensor Engineering, Erection, Engineers Buckland and Taylor, Other Consultants and Contractors Sharrah Dunlap Sawyer, Stimpel-Wiebelhaus, Northstate Resources, Carr Kennedy Peterson Frost, Coyote & Fox, Pace Engineering, Shasta Water Action Group, Tom Micoh Engineering Services, and others.