The next big stop after Yosemite was Portland, OR. We decided to break up the drive by stopping somewhere in Northern California. Our first thought was to drive over to the coast and check out the Redwoods National Park. After plugging in the route to Google Maps, we reassessed. It would have taken about nine hours from Yosemite, putting us there after dark, when we wouldn’t have been able to see or appreciate the trees anyway. Looking at the map, I remembered an email from my Dad who mentioned Mt. Shasta, a fourteener located in north California and not too far from Interstate 5. Perfect! We knew we wouldn’t have time for any hikes, but decided to camp in Mt. Shasta City, at the base of the mountain. We had no idea what the town was like, but were pleasantly surprised to find a quaint little mountain town situated with a stunning view of Mt. Shasta in the background.
What makes this mountain so special (to me) is that is stands alone from any other peaks. That just makes the view even more spectacular. The campground was equally impressive with tent sites canopied in an alpine, old-growth forest.
We loved this place so much that we decided to linger a little in the city before hitting the road for Oregon. We ate at the original Black Bear Diner and were impressed once again. This place knows how to do breakfast… like with their handmade biscuits or made-from-scratch sausage… and they aren’t stingy with their avocados, which I LOVE. You would never know this place was so good just by driving by. If you’re ever out West and come across one of the Black Bear Diners, give it a whirl. It’s awesome.
We hit up a few stores downtown before heading out, and loved those too. The downtown consists of one very short main street with about twenty very cool shops such as The Fifth Season outdoor gear shop, a specialty tea shop, and a map store. Mt. Shasta, you rock.Next Stop: Crater Lake National Park, OR
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