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Wow, someone else from Redding. Toys-R-Us is no longer in business here, its now a PetSmart.
I myself have used Redding as a starting point for a zed campaign. Since obviously its a place I know. The Mt. Shasta mall is still there, but you'd be hard pressed to make it a safe area. Too many glass doors. It does have a food court now though. Most of the shops inside the mall have those flimsy metal pull down gates or just big plexi-glass store fronts. Depending on how "safe" of building you want to use, Costco is pretty good, Winco in their new location, or Food Max(used to be Food4Less). Redding IS pretty big, if need info on specific locations I can give it to you.

Toys-R-Us closed down about 6 years ago when the parent company closed down some 500(?) stores. Redding just happened to be one of them. Shasta College is still there its built up a bit. As far as the radio tower, idk. Havent been out there much. Its fenced-in in some sections of the campus, but still has large open areas where the roadways in to it are. It might be difficult to secure, but it just depends on what your going for or have in mind for your game. I used the senior center over on the opposite side of highway 299 right next door to Simpson College. The senior center is nearly all fenced in. It has a huge kitchen(we used it for caterings out there), and walk-in food lockers and freezers. If your going to use Shasta College, you may be able to get there latest campus map online. It probably wont have the detail you want though, and google maps hasnt updated the area in years.

No factories anymore... Its all part of Turtle Bay now, Carter House museum is gone, the Plunge is now the Aquatic Center and Skate park. The Civic Center would be a good place to make a safe area. Used to play laser-tag around there 20 years ago. The area around the Civic is now all part of Turtle Bay and the Sundial Bridge. Carter House was essentially "moved" or integrated into the Turtle Bay museum. Much of the area around the Sacremento river has been turned into housing. The river trails do go all the to Hillltop drive, and maybe 2 miles short of Keswick dam. But if your gonna secure the dam(s), might as well go further up to Shasta dam.

How long has it been since you were here? Woods behind Enterprise HS are gone and housing is there. I started my players at home, they played as themselves. They ended up like i said at the SSNP/Mercy Oaks out on collegeview drive. After that they decided to go 'nomad' and left heading towards Susanville and the old Honey Lake Weapons Depot. It ended there with zeds getting them just outside of Reno.
As for the school idea though its one i was toying with. I wasnt going to start them there, but maybe end up there. Unfortunately, things changed. Enterprise HS is pretty well fenced in, except for the parking lot. Theres numerous apartment buildings around there though. Several doctors offices and the Redding Rancheria Clinic. If i were to use a school for a 'safe house', it would either be Enterprise HS, or the old Nova/Foothill HS campus on Eureka way. Nova/Foothill is pretty much one big building, very few windows low enuf to climb into, and all the doors would be easy to secure. Theres also numerous resturants on Eureka way that can be raided, and a couple of medical clinics, and gas stations. Just a suggestion. The school idea would be good though.

No diesel pump. And Nova/Foothill is on Eureka way/299 West going towards Old Shasta, French Gulch, etc. Mistletoe i dont get over to that area much. I can check any location you want info on. Those woods may still be there, but they're probably surrounded by housing now, and Safeway/Lowes shopping center. On the nice side, Jones Fort(Gun store) is not that far from that general area. I can check tomorrow(today its 1:30 am), it just depends on how accurate you want your game to be. When i ran my game i was using google earth and maps(was feeling to lazy to check out the locations), i then found out just how out dated both are when i drove by those locations. So... again if you need your game to be accurate or if you just want general info, it shouldnt be a problem to check a locale for you.

Try google Earth for Ideas.

Edit: He beet me to it.

Sounds scary as hell.... I think I'm going to leave town.

Too bad you didn't still live here, it'd be nice to play a game instead of gm once in awhile.
Anyway like i said google earth/maps is out of date, but i used it, until i drove to those areas the players went to and realized just how out of date google is. In the end its your dead reign world and you can do or make up what ever you need anyway. Thats what i did for areas i hadnt been to in quite awhile.
I currently have my players in Lancaster, CA, and i'm using google for that since i've never been there. I didnt know Edwards AFB was right next to Lancaster, so that will make it even more interesting for them.
I like your idea though... except if i heard that annoucement over the cb/radio, i'd be leaving, quickly.

I would just find a Bicycle and some supplies and then I would leave the City via the sewer.

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Or go to the the corner of Airpark and Gold.

You'd be doing alot of crawling and crouching. Redding's sewer lines are on the small side.
Me, I'd probably head for Shasta Dam.