Shasta County: Pumpkinland Chocolate Company
My friends, Abby, and I had our weekend trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park at the end of July planned out months in advance. We all requested Friday off at work, we booked both a rental car and an Airbnb, we voted for which hikes we were most interested in, and most importantly, we plotted out every meal.
But then late Thursday night, just after CV and T picked up our rental car around 9:00pm, CV received a text from our Airbnb host saying that our reservation had been cancelled because Redding was under orders to evacuate due to the Carr Fire.
Say wut?
Stunned, CV and T came over to my house, where we spent the next couple of hours with CL on the phone, scrambling to come up with a plan B. Because there was no plan B. We tried to think of other places we could go, but according to the California Statewide Fire Map, it appeared that the entire state was on fire.
We ultimately decided to sleep on it and table the problem for the next morning. Worst case scenario, we would just go to work on Friday and then drive the rental car all around the Bay over the weekend.
Friday morning bright and early, my sister got on the phone and called Lassen Volcanic National Park right when they opened. She asked whether the park was affected by the fire and the ranger told her, "That's 50 miles away, silly."
(Alright, so the ranger didn't call Abby silly, but his tone certainly implied it.)
With the green light from the national park, we started calling hotels and motels and Holiday Inns to the south of Redding, trying to find a place that would accommodate the six of us. We got lucky and were able to book two of the last few rooms at the Gateway Inn in Red Bluff.
We immediately called up the gang, got everyone assembled, and then we were on our way. Four hours or so later, we were checked in and trying to figure out what the do for the rest of the evening.
It was still a bit early for dinner, so after consulting with Yelp, we decided to get some dessert first at Pumpkinland Chocolate Company:
Pumpkinland offers a wide variety of chocolates, from turtles to truffles to nut clusters:
The young man behind the counter was beyond friendly. He asked if we were college students, which set off a round of tittering among those of us in our 30s (five out of the six...although CL's boyfriend was probably too manly to titter). He also offered us free samples of the cashew brittle (delicious) and of the ice cream, which is what we were really there for.
When I saw this sign, I had to do a double take:
Did I read that correctly? $1.50 for THREE SCOOPS?! I dragged Abby over to double check.
The original idea was to share a cup between the two of us. After seeing the sign, however, I told Abby she was on her own. We would bring shame upon our ancestors if we didn't each get one.
I planned on getting a different flavor from Abby, but then we sampled the pralines and cream and we both fell in love:
So buttery rich and creamy...like a dream.
We took our ice creams outside to enjoy with the ducks:
Though a bit smoky, it was nice to just sit on the swing and relax after such a stressful night/morning.
I would 100% recommend going to Pumpkinland Chocolate Company if you're ever in the area. You won't find any inventive ice cream flavors there, but the classics are classics for a reason and you really can't get a better deal anywhere else.
Don't forget to walk out with a bag of cashew brittle!
Pumpkinland Chocolate Company
12000 State Hwy 99E
Red Bluff, CA 96080
(530) 527-3026
But then late Thursday night, just after CV and T picked up our rental car around 9:00pm, CV received a text from our Airbnb host saying that our reservation had been cancelled because Redding was under orders to evacuate due to the Carr Fire.
Say wut?
Stunned, CV and T came over to my house, where we spent the next couple of hours with CL on the phone, scrambling to come up with a plan B. Because there was no plan B. We tried to think of other places we could go, but according to the California Statewide Fire Map, it appeared that the entire state was on fire.
We ultimately decided to sleep on it and table the problem for the next morning. Worst case scenario, we would just go to work on Friday and then drive the rental car all around the Bay over the weekend.
Friday morning bright and early, my sister got on the phone and called Lassen Volcanic National Park right when they opened. She asked whether the park was affected by the fire and the ranger told her, "That's 50 miles away, silly."
(Alright, so the ranger didn't call Abby silly, but his tone certainly implied it.)
With the green light from the national park, we started calling hotels and motels and Holiday Inns to the south of Redding, trying to find a place that would accommodate the six of us. We got lucky and were able to book two of the last few rooms at the Gateway Inn in Red Bluff.
We immediately called up the gang, got everyone assembled, and then we were on our way. Four hours or so later, we were checked in and trying to figure out what the do for the rest of the evening.
It was still a bit early for dinner, so after consulting with Yelp, we decided to get some dessert first at Pumpkinland Chocolate Company:
Pumpkinland offers a wide variety of chocolates, from turtles to truffles to nut clusters:
The young man behind the counter was beyond friendly. He asked if we were college students, which set off a round of tittering among those of us in our 30s (five out of the six...although CL's boyfriend was probably too manly to titter). He also offered us free samples of the cashew brittle (delicious) and of the ice cream, which is what we were really there for.
When I saw this sign, I had to do a double take:
Did I read that correctly? $1.50 for THREE SCOOPS?! I dragged Abby over to double check.
The original idea was to share a cup between the two of us. After seeing the sign, however, I told Abby she was on her own. We would bring shame upon our ancestors if we didn't each get one.
I planned on getting a different flavor from Abby, but then we sampled the pralines and cream and we both fell in love:
So buttery rich and creamy...like a dream.
We took our ice creams outside to enjoy with the ducks:
Though a bit smoky, it was nice to just sit on the swing and relax after such a stressful night/morning.
I would 100% recommend going to Pumpkinland Chocolate Company if you're ever in the area. You won't find any inventive ice cream flavors there, but the classics are classics for a reason and you really can't get a better deal anywhere else.
Don't forget to walk out with a bag of cashew brittle!
Pumpkinland Chocolate Company
12000 State Hwy 99E
Red Bluff, CA 96080
(530) 527-3026
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