People will imagine palm trees, beach and the Holly Wood sign as the typical images of California. But THAT IS NOT THE TRUTH! California is more than that!!!
Whenever I travel to see my friends in Northern California, my Japanese friends ask me, "Did you go to Holly Wood? What about the Disneyland in L.A.?"
No kidding! The land size of California is about the same of the main island of Japan. Nobody would expect foregin travelers in Tokyo to drive down to Hiroshima or to Okayama for a day trip... right?
Anyway, my second home, filled with my school days memories, is in Northern California of green mountain area, crystal clear lakes, rice fields and the Bay Area. California is really big, maybe much bigger than everybody (in Japan) thinks. So is Northern California, as it will take more than 5 hours if you drive down from Mt. Shasta to Berkeley, the East bay of the Bay Area.
I usually drive straight between Mt. Shasta and Berkeley, except 1-2 times of coffee break. This time, too, I could take my Mother to Napa from Mt. Shasta within 6 hours. But I decided to stay overnight in Redding, one of the LARGEST cities in Northern California. (Mom is not really used to long-distance travel by driving.)
Ron recommended us to stop by the Sundial Bridge in Redding. Though I did not know anything about the site because the bridge was built only a couple of years ago at the Turtle Bay, I thought it should be a good idea to entertain Mother in a small city, where there is nothing special to host foreign visitors besides the newly built bridge.
By the time we got the Turtle Bay park, a popular camping field, the sun was about to drop over the mountains. The reflection over the water --Sacrament River-- was nothing else but gorgeous! I quickly opened my sketch book and grabbed a pen and a brush to paint the beautiful moment.
Here it is!
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