A landscape photographer's tour
Shasta, CA to Lakeport, CA

Keith's travels in California and the Pacific Northwest - April-May 2007

This photo-diary covers a driving trip up the coast from San Francisco in April/May 2007 along the Pacific highway. Now I've returned, I've included some of my travel photography from this trip in the main Gallery, and updated any info that may be of help to people who come across these pages as part of their planning for driving tours of the California and Oregon coasts, looking for places to stay or sites to visit. It's a great place for a vacation, or just a road trip up the Pacific coast to photograph some of the scenery. If you've any questions about the hotels/inns/motels where I stayed, then please do feel free to drop me a line.

Starting out from Shasta, the weather doesn't look too good for a trip to Lassen.

However before leving I have to wait for a train to cross the road

Now I know that Mike back home will want more details, so here are both power units (with numbers) and one of the sleeper cars

It's about 90 miles to Lassen, and the weather started to look a bit better in the distance

and then a lot better

Lassen (one of the big Cascade volcanoes) is the more distant snow covered peak

Here's the view at the entrance to the park.

...and here is what met me 10 miles into the park - Doh! I'd forgotten that it's only the first of May :-(

Last time I visited it was late September...

It's a fair old drive to the other entrance, and chatting to someone at the sign, I found you could only get 7 miles in on the other side (it's a 33 mile drive through the park)

So this is about the closest I got to the peak today :-(

I did think of travelling round to the other entrance, but the weather was clouding up from the west.

This is a view looking back to the mountains, as I headed west to Redding to take I-5 south... it started raining not long after.

Travelling down I-5 there are the usual adverts

That's more convenient gift ideas...

I also spotted these (another pic for Al and Steve back home)

I came off I-5 at Williams and called in at Granzella for a snack.

Hang on though, what's that on the wall? (rather noisy pic at 1250 ISO)

Yup, Watneys Red Barrel - a true relic of just how bad beer in the UK was in the 70's. I believe they had Double Diamond on draught as well...

Williams looks to have seen better times

here's a detail...

I thought people looked rather smartly dressed ;-)

Heading West out of Williams, there are lots of flooded fields - I remembered that this is where a lot of rice is grown.

After travelling through the mountains, you come the the impressively large 'Clear Lake'

Quite stormy and raining in the distance

I'm staying in Lakeport, and tomorrow I need to end up in San Francisco - not sure of the route yet, but probably back across the Golden Gate bridge.

NEXT DAY