Lake to Lava

Seeking a cool retreat for the summer, we opted to travel north to the closest National Park to Sonoma County. Winding our way to Lassen Volcanic National Park, we made stops along the oldest lake in North America and a giant olive. Red Bluff and Redding offered mountain views and summer treats, making for a great getaway.

First, we stopped at a roadside treasure of Sonoma County: the Petrified Forest of California! There is a short hike and a few natural features with information signs along the well-marked path.

Famed authors roamed the Sonoma hills, including Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote about his experiences in the Silverado Squatters.

Nearby is the Robert Louis Stevenson Park and Museum for more about this traveler who came to America. According to the museum, his pursuit of love, later honeymooning in what is now the state park bearing his name inspired The Amateur Emigrant. He later returned to England and penned other famous works such as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Renowned horticulturist Luther Burbank offered his insight on this California Oak. We greatly enjoyed stretching our legs and learning about local, geological history this gem offered. They even had a penny presser, one of our favorite ways to commemorate road trip stops.

The elevation climbs ever higher as the landscape transforms from Sonoma hills to mountain peaks. As we neared lunch, we made a stop in Lake County in Lakeport next to Clear Lake. This beautiful wonder is the “oldest lake in North America” and also the largest freshwater lake in California.

We found parking near the Library Park. Park Place Restaurant offered respite with fresh, local dishes and expansive views of the late and friendly service. Their lemonade was especially refreshing on a hot summer day.

Intersecting with I-5, our travels led us northward. One of my favorite travel guides, The Best Coast , highly recommends a stop off at the giant olive!

This photo op is located next to miles of olive tree groves not far off the interstate.

For more olives, head up I-5 North a few more exits to The Olive Pit.

Samples to possibly narrow down which olives to pick up now or which ones to pick up next time you’re passing through this must stop of Northern California.

An overnight stint at a convenient Red Bluff motel and off we were to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

While researching this trip, I checked the Fodor’s The Complete Guide to The National Parks of the West which was so handy that I had to purchase my own copy!

Most National Parks require some sort of entrance fee. The America Beautiful National Park Pass is a wonderful option for road trips when you’re visiting multiple parks or possibly re-visiting an NPS within a year. Our local library even offers a pass to check out with your library card! This pass offers ease at entrances due to prepay and priority entry at most parks. Note that some parks, such as the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, are free.

For up-to-date information on all current entrance fees, refer to Lassen Volcanic's site here.

National Parks are excellent resources for our kids, even more than a potty break! Our kids love participating in the National Parks Junior Ranger Program. Each NP is unique, yet all have age-appropriate activities relating to each park for kids to work their way through as they experience the outdoors and their best.

For our adventure, we began at the Southern end of the park near the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. The larger of the two visitor center stops, here is where to grab your Junior Ranger activity book. You'll make your way toward the Loomis Museum next to Manzanita Lake at the Northern end of the highway.

We utilized our National Park app and Lassen's self-guided tour to help us locate stops and points of interest as we passed through the park.

Not far from the Visitors Center lies Sulphur Works Thermal Area. This popular area is home to the parks’s boiling springs and “sulfur-emitting steam vents”. You won’t stay long at this hot spot before you head for the hills due to the steamy scents.

For the more blustery months of the year, the highway closes just up the road at Bumpass Hell. As we passed this area, it was apparent why. The lake was frozen nearby as well as the Bumpass Hell Trail remaining closed due to snow.

As you weave ever higher, the elevation tops out at just over 8000 ft! We stopped off at Summit Lake to stretch our legs at one of the shorter hikes nearby.

Just up the highway are the Chaos Jumbles, multiple dome volcanoes prone to collapse.

Nearing the end of the line at the Northen end of the Lassen National Park Highway lies the historic museum named after the park's early visitor, photographer Benjamin Franklin Loomis.

The Loomis Museum dates back to the early days of the park, made from volcanic rock in 1927, this historical landmark site was closed during our visit, yet the Ranger Station was open for information and a smaller gift shop option. This busier area at the Northern end of Lassen Volcanic offers views of Manzanita Lake as well as hikes such as the Lily Pond Nature Trail.

Making our way out of the park, we headed for a late lunch in nearby Redding. Mount Shasta hovers nearby which is the southernmost of the Cascade Range . The Cascades are also part of the Ring of Fire.

As we rolled through Redding, we wound our way through the downtown area also known as the “Miracle Mile” due to the remaining neon signs once blazing above local businesses such as the Stardust Motel and local institutions such as Lim’s Cafe . Author and artist Chandler O’Leary captured this once hip beat on her site here.

A quaint “gourmet” BBQ joint in town satisfied our needs and a quick stop by their local game store, Hoardes & Boards , we made our way back to Red Bluff for the night.

Refreshed the next morning, we awoke for our return journey to Sonoma. We opted for the more scenic option of 99 S through Oroville and Marysville.

We made stops at each city’s historic Chinese Museum. Oroville is home to the Chinese Temple Museum shaded by a lovely grove of trees.

The marker outside Oroville’s Chinese Temple (pictured below) reads:

“Dedicated in the spring of 1863, this building served as a temple of worship for 10,000 Chinese then living here. Funds for its erection and furnishings were provided by the Emperor and Empress of China and local Chinese labor built the structure. The building was deeded to the city of Oroville in 1935 by the Chinese residents.”

Marysville is home to the Chinese American Museum of Northern California which is across the street from a Chinese Garden adorned with a colorful mural.

California had a historically contentious relationship with Chinese immigrants, many of whom helped to construct the roads and railroads which made it possible for many settlers to relocate to the Wild West. Many towns banished their own Chinese residents or forced them to relinquish their own lands.

These historical sites that remain offer glimpses of the past when architecture of local residents reflected their own culture and homelands.

O'Leary's sketches offer a realistic view of the rolling hills and quiet beauty that awaits you in California's Central Valley.

After these brief stops, we continued down 99 toward Sacramento, making our way back to 80 and Sonoma County.

Before we headed through the hills and marshes of Solano county, we made a stop at the notorious Nut Tree Plaza and had a scoop of ice cream from the renowned Fenton’s.

It’s believed the flavor Rocky Road got its start in the hills of Oakland with both Bay Area's Dreyers and Fenton's claiming to be originators of this chilled treat. It’s worth tasting and making up your own mind.

Nut Tree Plaza offers great options for littles to stretch their legs and have a bit of summertime fun with train rides, a carousel, a great play area, and nook to eat your ice cream from Fenton’s if you opt for the ice cream counter and not to dine-in. This once famous family roadside stand has been transformed over the years yet remains a family favorite roadside stop.

Next we bounded through the hills of Solano and down 36 back to Sonoma to rest up for our next great adventure. For more ideas or to see our current tally of states visited here!

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