I’ve been coming to Redding for years now, and never visited one of its best sites: Sundial Bridge. Visible from most of the valley, the sharp white needle soars into the sky above the black-bottomed Canadian geese that squawk through the Sacramento River below. We visited on a stormy afternoon. Murky clouds pressed against the spiky treetops and cast iron highlights on the river.

The long green-glass bridge grew slippery as tiny drops fell, while water beaded in my husband’s rich red beard and on my forearm, casting the fine hairs into relief. Laughing teenagers skated on the glass and families ran for cover. Our hearts filling with the serenity of the river and the majesty of the glowing structure, we held hands and wandered about until the bustling world called.

Redding, CA / late afternoon / Sundial Bridge