Family-Friendly Redding, CA
More than just a rest stop on the I-5, Redding offers an explosive (literally!) natural-history experience. With more than 200 days of sunshine each year and the Sacramento River running through its center, it’s little wonder the city was chosen to be the site of one of starchitect Santiago Calatrava’s works.
Turtle Bay Exploration Park
Santiago Calatrava’s sculptural Sundial footbridge leads over the Sacramento River to this combination science museum and arboretum aimed at families. adults $13, kids 4–12 $9
Café at Turtle Bay
Lunch on a chicken-spinach-feta sandwich on homemade panini.
Jack's Grill
This Redding institution is known for its 16-ounce New York strip steaks.
Hilton Garden Inn
The 93-room hotel is kid-friendly, with an outdoor pool and in-room refrigerators, and overlooks the river.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
The park is a miniature Yellowstone (complete with fumaroles and mud pots, as well as a new LEED-certified visitors’ center) created by the massive 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak.