Time for another multiple page entry. If you have the time, I recommend a stop at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Just off of Interstate 5, the park sits on the Sacramento River in the town of Redding. There is plenty to see here. It makes a nice stop to stretch you legs and get a little culture.
First stop is the visitor center. You can pick up a map of the park and buy tickets to the museum exhibitions. However, it is possible to see some of the park without purchasing tickets so take a look at the map before rushing to invest.
My guess is that this is the oldest part of the park. The inside of the Paul Bunyon Forest camp doesn’t have a lot going on. There are some old saws, a few taxidermied animals, and some information on logging. There is a some renovation going on so maybe the goal is to dress this place up a bit. Stop in if you have already paid the admission, but it is the weakest section of the park.
This was a great surprise. During the summer months, the park opens two special exhibits. In one exhibit, you can wander and feed birds.
This was an especially aggressive parakeet.
The park imports a collection of butterflies for the second park of the exhibit. Very nice.
On to The Turtle Bay Museum
The Turtle Bay Museum is a well put together place with permanent exhibits themed around the Sacramento River and two traveling exhibits.
This is a great aquarium featuring fresh water fish found in the Sacrament River watershed.
Luckily, the day we happened upon Turtle Bay, the museum was hosting one traveling exhibit called “A T. Rex Named Sue” and one featuring Lego art.
Aside from being one mean pile of bones, Sue is supposed to be the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil ever found.
Right next door was a display of art made by using Lego bricks.
Listen up, architecture fans. Right here in Redding, you can find an example of Santiago Calatrava’s work.
Not familiar with his body of work? Don’t worry, neither was I. The important thing is that you don’t have to know who he is in order to appreciate his work.
The Sundial is a footbridge that spans the Sacramento and joins that northern part of the park with the southern. One impressive think about it is that is does not make any direct contact with the river.
Another is that it really is a working sundial.
