Adventure awaits: Lassen Mineral Lodge

We enjoy hiking and camping. When we planned our summer adventures, we knew that the outdoors would be a part of it. At first, I considered the idea of camping in Lassen volcanic National Park, but knowing that I would be going on my own with my two small children, I looked for an alternative. That's when I found the Lassen Mineral Lodge. It offers camping, but it also has a motel, including rooms with kitchens. As I looked at the pictures and read more about it, I was reminded of childhood trips to Ripplewood Cabins in Big Sur. I knew this would be the right choice. I was right.

Although they were all booked for their kitchenettes, they had a room available with two beds and a refrigerator. That would do. As it turned out, our room also had a nice table with three chairs, a comfy chair, and an oversized checkers game. We were in heaven!

As we checked in, our first stop was the general store. We stocked up on cereal and milk for breakfasts, picnic supplies for our lunch at Lassen, and a few other little items. Then, we settled into our room. It was across the street from the general store, restaurant, and other lodging. Outside the room, next to the door, were two chairs and a small table. It felt like a cabin. We enjoyed our breakfasts in the room, grabbed morning coffee at the restaurant, and got to know our neighbors because we wanted to talk to them.








Television, telephones, and WiFi are non-existent, and that's ok. It took us slightly off the grid, but having my cell phone and talking with other people, I felt safe.

We ate our dinners at the restaurant, which was definitely family-friendly. In fact, it's family-run. The cook's small children greeted my kids, one of the waitresses was her sister, and her children were older and helped with serving tables. The arcade and restrooms were welcoming and nice. Everyone had a smile and something nice to say. I had hoped to prepare our own meals, but since we ended up in a room sans kitchen, this worked so well. We all had a great time. We talked to others staying at Lassen Mineral Lodge. We met scientists, a doctor, a Methodist minister, a couple traveling. We learned that many people are repeat customers.

Lassen Mineral Lodge sits just nine miles away from the park and the drive was beautiful and relaxing. We enjoyed a day hiking and exploring Lassen and the volcanoes that make it. We learned some of th scientific history and my children returned sharing stories. They talked with others at Lassen Mineral Lodge and shared experiences.

We will return.





If you're looking for a national park adventure. If you love science. If you just want to get away from it all. Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lassen Mineral Lodge offer something for you. It was a great adventure for us! And, more adventure awaits!

The Tech brings science alive

You're a science teacher, a writer, a lover of technology, and a mom. It's Spring Break. What do you do? Something that puts it all together, of course.

For me, that meant a trip to San Jose with my two small children to take a look at The Tech Museum of Innovation. What a great investment of time!

Augmented reality inspires amazement

It all started when I offered extra credit to my students if they saw Island of Lemurs: Madagascar. I looked up where it was showing and found it at the IMAX in Sacramento and the IMAX at The Tech in San Jose. I shared this information with my students at which point one of my sixth graders informed me of the greatness that is The Tech. I looked into it and found it looked like a perfect outing with the kids. Of course, I had to go sooner rather than later as part of my initial purpose of going was to see the documentary I offered as extra credit. So onto the calendar it went! Perfect!

We arrived with enough time to spend a little time in the museum before the movie, but I knew from the moment we arrived that we would need to return to see more. The first step we took was investing in a membership. If we pay even just one more visit this year, it will have paid for itself. Additionally, the membership includes discounts at the store, at the cafe, and on IMAX movie tickets. Two other bonuses are that it included a certificate for discounts at certain San Jose restaurants AND with that membership, I will receive either free or discounted admission at tons of wonderful science museums around the world including some of my favorites here and in the Los Angeles area. The last science museum I attended was the California Science Center and it has been a few years. I love hands-on activities! So do my kids!

Look! We made an earthquake!

We explored a great variety of science things including writing binary code and "riding out" an earthquake. the kids built things and explored electricity. We also conducted music with just two swipes of our arms. CD loved that his favorite Mythbusters made on-screen appearances in an exhibit.

Track trials

The IMAX dome took my breath away. This beat any 3D experience I ever had and it was 2D in a dome! I felt immersed in the lemurs natural habitat. At one point, we felt as though we were standing at the bottom of a cliff, looking up at a small group of lemurs. We will certainly have to view another film there in the future.

The Tech offers an amazing blend of science and technology. We loved getting to DO science, live science, and experience science. We have already put a return visit on our summer activities list. We have much to learn each and every day and The Tech offers many ways to do it.

Healthy meets delicious at Green Grub

For years House of Yogurt and House of Java offered the Turlock area a variety of coffee drinks, frozen yogurt, and some tasty menu items for breakfast and lunch. If you have been away awhile, you may have yet to see the transformation that has taken place. The full location (both storefronts) has become The Green Grub. If you think that nutritious means that it has to taste as if you are eating leaves and dirt, think again.



Green Grub offers a large variety of healthy and delicious food items, as well as smoothies, juices, and meal replacement drinks. Some of the drinks pack quite a protein punch. Lunch items include cold and toasted sandwiches, as well as salads. The price range is a little higher than your average fast food type place, but on par for about what you would expect to pay for a nice lunch. Of course, you get what you pay for in the way of quality, too, which makes it worth the price. It costs about $8 or $9 for a lunch meal that includes a full sandwich and choice of side. For those who may find that a half sandwich is enough, they do offer a half sandwich but the price difference is minimal. I would recommend going with the full sandwich and saving half for later.

The kale and quinoa salad is absolutely delicious! It hit the spot on a warmer than usual Saturday afternoon. The pesto chicken sandwich is among the toasted sandwiches. My friend had a chicken, artichoke and mushroom melt. Both sandwiches were made beautifully and tasted great. We also tried the ginger Limeade, an interesting blended beverage. It tasted really good until we hit closer to the bottom where it took on a foamy texture. I recommend it, but be warned that as you near the bottom of your beverage, it changes. I look forward to trying some of the other drinks and will likely try their protein-packed offerings sometime. They have a couple of drinks that include wheatgrass, but do not offer wheatgrass shots. I would have liked a wheatgrass shot that day as I try to have one at least once a week. Their juice offerings are minimal, so my quest to find an actual juice bar in the area continues. However, for lunch, The Green Grub is a good choice.

Have you been there? What are your favorite menu items?

Are there any other places like this that you would recommend?I would love to try it. This is the first of its kind I have found in the area.