Run DMZ

"Seven miles ahead to something truly amazing," the entrance station ranger said as we grabbed our map and fell into a caravan of cars, RVs, and trucks twisting their way toward the main attraction. After watching one rec van careen into the oncoming lane on a sharp turn and another continually crawl to accommodate cyclists without a bike lane, we opted to go the opposite way in search of better conditions to view one glorious hole filled with calm, clear, centuries-old snowmelt. This was our third attempt to visit the southern Oregon national park. The past two trips were thwarted by wildfires, now common during summer travel in the West. The first time, the park was open but smoke was so thick from nearby blazes that it made no sense to drive that far out of our way with limited visibility. The second time, two years later, it was a wildfire itself that closed roads to park entrances. Third time's a charm We decided at literally the last minute to turn off highway 97 to...

Every time we stop in Redding on our way to somewhere else, all of the restaurants off the 5 freeway are packed with CalFire crews battling one blaze or another. It's easy to see why: Redding experiences sunny days 88% of the year, so it stays hot and dry. And Redding is a great home base for flame fighters because it's the biggest city beyond Sacramento and situated within wilderness prone to wildfires. On our summer roadtrip, we decided to drive a little deeper in this Northern California city two hours (give or take) north of our state capitol to see what it might offer besides long wait times for a table. After checking into our hotel, we drove to Turtle Bay Exploration Park to take in the famous Sundial Bridge over the Sacramento River. The free attraction is both pedestrian bridge and public art that actually marks the passage of time. The bridge spans a complex of museums (and electric car charging stations) on one side and an arboretum and botanical garden on the othe...