sbrobert
By Robert Bernstein
After experiencing the eclipse in Oregon we made a point of relaxing at Shasta Lake on the way back.
Here are all of my photos.
We stayed at Bridge Bay at Shasta Lake which was surprisingly affordable and offered beautiful lake and bridge views as well as many boating opportunities.
The highlight of our stay was venturing to Lake Shasta Caverns. The tour started with a beautiful ferry ride as we left the check-in area:
We came ashore…
…to an interesting sight. A building with a banner welcoming us to the State of Jefferson which is a proposed state combining parts of Oregon and California
From there we boarded a bus that offered views that at times were rather precarious
And always beautiful
Taking us to the visitor center for the caverns
The group listened intently
as our excellent guide Susan gave us instructions.
Most important: Never touch anything in a cave as the oils on your fingers will do huge damage to the delicate structures.
We then entered the wonderful world of the caverns!
Lake Shasta Caverns are formed from water erosion of limestone. Our guide explained various kinds of features that we observed.
Cave draperies form from slow dripping of water. The water forms sheets and builds on the edge of the sheets, depositing calcium carbonate from dissolved limestone:
And we posed with a big sheet of draperies in a large room
Stalactites are conical structures that form in a similar way from the ceilings of cavern rooms
Stalagmites form when drips deposit calcium carbonate onto the floor and form spikes growing upwards. Sometimes stalactites drip to form stalagmites and they can even meet in the middle
Stalactites typically take 200 years to grow one inch. They are quite delicate. Here is what a broken one looks like in cross section:
Flowstone results from faster water flow rates and deposition rates
This “Peanut Brittle” is formed in this way
At the other end of the growth scale are “soda straws” which are hollow and very delicate
Some cavern areas are, well, cavernous, with huge open areas
And intricate high ceilings
Caverns discoverer James A Richardson left his mark on November 11, 1878
But it was not until the 1960s that the cave was modified and opened up for the general public.
After exiting the caverns at the top, we descended a rocky path with more spectacular views
For our ferry ride back
Past red shores
Where a blooming lotus greeted us
I should note that there were about 35 people on our guided tour. As far as I could tell, every single one of them had been in Oregon to view the eclipse and were also taking a break on their way home!
After visiting the caverns we continued south a short distance to Redding. On the advice of our friends in Ashland (and on display at the caverns visitor center) we stopped at Turtle Bay. Many offerings were there for visitors, including a museum, aquarium and science center, as well as hiking trails.
We just had time to visit the most visible feature: The Sundial Bridge, which indeed forms a sundial across the bay!
This colorful young couple posed for us at the far side of the bridge
Where we also saw swallows nests high up on the structure
We will have to stop by another time and explore some more!
