With Lake Shasta full, my family decided to finally explore this area of California instead of going to Tahoe. The Daisy Lane cul de sac had the only lakefront rentable properties anywhere on Shasta, so I booked Retreat 5, which was the only one available for the third week in June. Having only seen Shasta while driving by on Highway 5, none of us expected just how rocky the shore is. I had expected a week of swimming just offshore from our "Lake House". Even with the lake full, the shore does not resemble a "beach" in any way. The approach at the end of Daisy Lane is steep and rocky and there's nowhere to really set up for sitting by the lake. We went down the trail behind the house to the inlet to see the "raft" that is set up there. One of our kids (who is 6'4) joked it was just the right size for one girl trying to survive Titanic disaster. We walked down the other side of the inlet by Sugarloaf Marina but were chased away by a security guard from the Sugarloaf Cottages. It's critical you understand this is not an easy place to go for an afternoon swim. A kayak or paddleboard would have been great and some of the houses have them,but not Retreat 5.
Fortunately, I had reserved a ski boat for Sunday, at Antler's Marina farther north, so we could go tubing with our 4 twenty-something year old kids. That turned out to be a great decision! We started out tubing in the morning and then explored the whole west side of the lake and stopped for Father's Day brunch at Huff's at Bridge Bay. We moored at Bailey's Cove afterward, which was a perfect place for swimming and lounging. On the way back we did more tubing. We scouted out some places that would be easier to swim, also.
The house is comfortable, had plenty of room for 6 people and a small dog. Our dog enjoyed sitting on the deck scouting squirrels in the pine trees. Weather was perfect, so we ate mostly outside. The dining table is definitely not set up for eating for 6 people. It's a narrow plank of wood. Even when working, our kids had to sit diagonally to each other to have room for their computers. Kitchen was well equipped, great to have 2 refrigerators and lots of ice. Beds were comfortable and everything worked. Also, could use more comfy furniture on the deck. The two lounge chairs are super saggy, so you can't sit comfortably and read.
Because swimming wasn't an easy option, we ended up exploring other lakes - Siskyou, which is gorgeous but colder, Whiskeytown, which is also better set up for swimming but has parasites that give you swimmer's itch currently. We went to the Caverns, (worth it, but don't do the 2 hour boat ride) McCloud Falls, also gorgeous, and all the way out to Weaverville to check out the historic town and see the Trinity Alps.
It was not the vacation I had planned but ended up being enough fun to make me book Retreat #3 for next year. Being closer to the water with paddleboards and a kayak will probably give me easier access to being in the water and more of a "Lake vacation". Definitely getting a boat again.