To the Heaven we went: Mount Shasta

Mt. Shasta, CA

“When I first caught sight of Mount Shasta over the braided folds of the Sacramento Valley, my blood turned to wine, and I have not been weary since.”
— John Muir, 1874

So true, citing this stunning mountain from 100 miles away justified our decision to take this vacation. Mount Shasta is a unique experience. This place has sense of its own unique soul that will touch you instantly with is view. I can't imagine the bond that the locals share with its magnificent existence.
I'm not a spiritual person yet, but I know I want to be touched by the feeling of oneness, and visiting this place brought me closer to this feeling.
Mount Shasta is not connected to any nearby mountain and dominates the northern California landscape. It rises abruptly and stands nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above the surrounding terrain. On a clear day, Mount Shasta can be seen from 150 miles away. The mountain has attracted the attention of poets, authors, and presidents.
From Sunnyvale,CA it took us around 6 hours to reach Mount Shasta valley, but surprisingly none of us was tired. The journey was smooth and was a delite in itself. My glorious moment of the trip was to site Mount Shasta from 100 miles. you can feel the rush of adrenaline when you see such a grandeur. You will cross the great Lake Shasta before reaching the town Mount Shasta. The lake is huge and is one of the destination of private sailors, kayakers etc. The famous Caverns have their home through this Lake. It is one of the must visit destinations. You can explore these extraordinary natural caves and understand the anatomy of our earth. The guided tour takes around 3 hours and is pretty inexpensive.
Mount Shasta itself have many scenic lakes, Lake Siskiyoui being the biggest. The lake is surrounded by many camp sites and walking trails. There's also Castle lake, Heart Lake and Mini Castle Lake to upbeat your urge of adventure.
Some of the finest waterfalls are too located in near vicinity to Mount Shasta. A trip to Burney Falls, the famous trip of Mc Cloud falls and the lost Mosbare falls is sublime. There aren't any GPS coordinates for these elusive places, just update your local information and drive into these mini heavens.
Many climbers attempt the summit of Mount Shasta. The summer climbing season runs from late April until October,although many attempts are made in the winter. The most popular route is Avalanche Gulch, also known as the John Muir Route.

Accomadation and Food:There are plenty of little Motels and Comfy Inns in the this small town. The best of all are Mount Shasta Resort and Best Western Tree House. We Stayed at the Mount Shasta Resort to enjoy the abode of nature. The resort have 3-4 options for different Chalets as per the requirement and people. Few with a feel of your own living room and Kitchen. Room service was pretty good. 3-4 Night Stay might cost you around $400-500 (all inclusive), but you can ask for their weekly discounts while booking. It works!!
There are couple of super markets to help you with all your basic needs, my personal favorite ' Ray's Place' as it opens early and close late at night around 11pm. You can find regular eateries with the likes of Subway and Round Table Pizaa, and some great locla joint like Lily's for American food. Indian's like me..book a chalet with kitchen and get few Indian snacks and food along.
Go explore this spiritual abode, it is a getaway glorious in every season. Just pick your favorite and bag pack this marvel with an open mind.