Where to take teenager in no Ca

Our kids loved Lassen, but to really see it you have to get out and hike. Our favorite areas are Bumpass Hell, the Warner Valley area (including the Boiling Lake and Devil's Kitchen) and Juniper Lake. We usually camp at Lake Almanor and take day trips to Lassen. I wouldn't take our trailer on either of the roads to Juniper Lake or the Warner Valley, it's pretty rough. The Lava Tubes NM is really cool but it's out in the middle of nowhere. There is also a Subway Cave lava tube close to Lake Almanor that makes a fun day trip. When the kids were younger we used to go to Lake Almanor every summer, the kids loved it and were never bored.

The Santa Cruz area in general would be fun too, there are big redwoods, great beaches, the Beach Boardwalk amusement park, the aquarium and many more attractions, including Moss Landing. Big Sur is close by and we love the Pfeiffer Big Sur campground. Lots of state parks in the area for hiking/biking.

tahiti16 wrote:
One I have not seen mentioned is the Tahoe area, wide variety of things there. If you go try to get down to the Viking home in Emerald bay.

The old set from Bonanza is on the north east side of the lake, lots of nature everywhere and of course the lake.

Unfortunitely the Bonanza film set was bought out a few years ago and closed to the public. It was a real neat place to go and visit though. We spent lots of summers up there and enjoyed every minute in that area. ;)

Moss Landing. There is a KOA right on the harbor - sea life within walking distance. Take a boat through the Elkhorn Slough; sea lions, sea otters, all kinds of sea birds. Totally cool. Nice beach area to walk to as well. Close to Capitola for a day trip to window shop if she likes that kind of thing.

Ditto for the redwoods. Clean air, majestic trees, fairyland kind of atmosphere.

Enjoy!

And tagging on what Ray said, if you are looking at the Tahoe Area, you also have Truckee on the way (neat place to explore) and then duck into Nevada to Carson City and Virginia City.

One I have not seen mentioned is the Tahoe area, wide variety of things there. If you go try to get down to the Viking home in Emerald bay.

The old set from Bonanza is on the north east side of the lake, lots of nature everywhere and of course the lake.

Our teens and younger kids really enjoyed the Redwoods.

My two oldest grandkids are 13 but they travel with us every summer as they have for the past four years. I let them choose where they would like to go and see and involve them in the planning process. Two years ago they wanted to see Mount Rushmore, then they wanted to see as many Capitol buildings as they could, this past year they wanted to swim in all the Great Lakes. We made fun, interesting and educational events. We've also done the Route 66 tour with them planning each leg. Get her involved, use google maps or better yet, a California map. If she likes to hike, take her to the Ancient Redwoods. Another great tour is down Hwy 1 and visit all the lighthouses. The list is endless. Below is a link to some interesting places....pull them up, have her determine the GPS coordinates and go for it...sort of like geocaching but with maps....Dennis

Roadside attractions

Best fun I ever had was taking my Granddaughter on what we still call "The Great Cheesy Tourist Attraction Tour"- Hwy 101 from Astoria, Oregon to Willits, California.

We made it a point to stop at EVERY "roadside attraction"- the cheesier, the better.

Aquariums! Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not! Myrtlewood! Plastic Dinosaurs! Chainsaw carvings of every description! Ginormous talking Paul Bunyan, complete with good old Babe! Hair raising tram ride through the top of the redwoods!

Went through the drive-through tree near Leggett twice- only the second time, Aliyah did it on her pogo stick!

We bought cheese (and ice cream)in Tillamook, pepperoni sticks by the yard in Netarts, salt water taffy by the bag in Seaside, and fudge by the pound every place we came across it. And I can see from where I'm sitting the really fine souvenir salt-and-pepper shaker set we plunked down a whole $3.95 for at the train station in Willits.

Yes, sir... that time, I lived up to my obligation as a Grandma to teach that little girl how to travel in style! :B

Lava beds is pretty interesting. In addition to one flashlight per person carry one extra for the group. Preferably large flashlights or lanterns, not some little penlight. Also -- wear a bicycle helmet -- low jagged ceilings you cannot see in the dark. The visitor center has hard hats to lend, but I did not want to wear someone else's hair residue. Also wear real shoes -- no flip flops or sandals. The floor inside the caves is rough and sharp and it is dark in there.

The northeast corner of Lassen Volcanic NP has Butte Lake and Cinder Cone. Butte Lake is great for a canoe or kayak. No power boats allowed. You can see all the way down in the crystal clear water. There is an archipelago of lava islands in the lake that is cool to explore, like a water version of an English garden maze. The hike up Cinder Cone is a real grit, but well worth it. The view of the multicolored lava beds below you is world class. While traveling to Butte Lake from Redding you pass right by Subway Cave in Old Station. The Forest Service installed stairs and interpretive signs inside the lava tube explaining the various features and lava formations.

The redwoods are also interesting. It is fun to see people' reaction the first time they encounter a banana slug. :)

Heading south you have the Lakes Basin area of Plumas National Forest, and the large waterfall a short hike from the road. Lots of small lakes interspersed with the classic granite formations of the Sierra Nevada range and a network of interconnected trails.

If she is into canoeing/kayaking look at the canoe trails at Klamath National Wildlife Refuge near Klamath Falls, Oregon.

If she likes mountain biking then post back here. Lots of opportunities ranging from technical MTB trails to easy dirt road rides, all through splendid scenery.

I just knew it! You all are the greatest!!

I do plan to ask her but wanted to get some suggestions first. The Oregon Lodge sounds neat and so does the beach and caves too.

This is wonderful.