When T and I got engaged, we made an unofficial vow never to lose our sense of adventure and the love for travel. The problem, of course, was we both have extremely contradictory ideas about travel and adventure. I, am a explorer by nature , and love to plan my adventures. I love research, details, precision, maps. T on the other hand, believes in letting the experience seep in, letting the adventure find you. He absolutely hates planning anything. so as a compromise, we both agreed that we both get to make at least one trip in our own little way.
This is his way..
This year my Valentine's Day gift for T was a weekend package to Mount Shasta, designed for the peak of winter.Going by the principle of never planning however, we ended up celebrating Valentine's weekend exactly two months later, completely off season and in the peak of spring. Hate to admit it, but the off-season retreat is probably just what I needed.
The Journey:
Mount Shasta is an easy 4 hours drive from San Francisco. Word of caution to the new comer: Time your exit from San Fran or you are in for a bad bout with the traffic stretching those 4 hours to 6 or 7 hours.. I would recommend leaving early afternoon-ish on a Friday. I would also carry sustenance in abundance. The road to Shasta is definitely one less traveled, so not too many towns and joints on the way to stop and grab food.
On the way, one could always stop on the shoulders for the gorgeous vistas of Lake Shasta. Breathtakingly beautiful, I think they just about make up for the lack of pit stops.
The Dwelling:
Mount Shasta Resort Chalets.We were absolutely thrilled with the Lakeside Chalets. Fully equipped kitchen, hardwood floors, crockery, cutlery, dining room, comfy bedroom with a king size bed, with TVs, free wi-fi, living room with pull out beds, an amazing fireplace and most importantly, the view from the porch. Nestled on the banks of Lake Siskiyou, the untouched beauty is enough to make one want to cry.
Our vacation package included discounts for food and the Spa.Nothing like a couple's tension tamer therapy to get one in the relaxed mood for the weekend.I wasn't too thrilled with the food discount. I am guessing there was a reason they could afford to include that in the package :). This is the kinda place where you would do good to carry your own stuff or do grocery and make your own in the aforementioned fully equipped kitchen.
Mount Shasta is a small town with limited number of food options. So for the picky eaters, please carry or make your own!
The Experience:
This off season spring experience is a sublime experience for anyone who really wants to "get away". The Mountain tops are still snow capped, but the grass is fresh and green, the lake is bright blue with the freshly melted snow water . It is a time to sleep in, snuggle , relax with a book, just wander about with no agenda or plan, enjoy the ultra-small downtown, chat with the locals.
It was a surprising discovery that Mount Shasta was a highly spiritual town. I could see an over-indulgence in all religions including Hinduism and Buddhism. Being a Hindu myself, I was supremely surprised to find a rather rare statue of Lord Ganesh, which we immediately bagged. It can be attributed to the nearby Mount Lassen. Locals speculate that a lot of people are drawn to the power of the volcano and associate it with the higher spirituality plane of Hindu and Buddhist religions.
A lot of local bands play in the town if one wants to enjoy some hot cocoa, and listen to some country rock.
It is nice to see a place where people still smile at each other and perform solely for charity. My motto is: Sip a little coffee, do a little good.
I highly recommend a four wheel drive to just drive up the snow capped mountains for the spectacular views. While this would also enable you to go higher up, it would be safer to traverse the snow covered roads. It is a tremendous feeling ; driving through a wall of piled up whipped cream.
For the more active folks, there is a ski park nearby and a hill where one could go tobogganing or sledging. A little more into Spring and Mount Shasta Resort offers a nine-hole course for golfing, tennis courts and boating on lake Siskiyou.
Our objective though was to do just about nothing but laze. Though there are fabulous walks in the evening which we did choose to take. There a couple of paths leading down to the banks of the lake, for taking photographs, to breathe in the fresh, pristine air, or to get a little exercise.
There are so many more places to go to, so many things to see. Maybe in another time, in another place. But for this visit, I was perfectly content sipping on my drink, cuddling in front of the fireplace, and staring out at Lake Siskiyou.
A weekend wasted isn't a weekend wasted
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