The Road of Life may one day take you along the wide, hot strip of Northern California highway between Sacramento and San Francisco called Interstate 80. If it does, get off that road at this spot you'll never see mentioned in a tour guide.
The Rock Shop
Officially known as Consolidated Rock & Mineral, this is by far my favorite place to take a break on the road to SF.
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| Heading West? Look to the right as you enter Vacaville. You're sure to see this sign. |
True: it doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside it's like a low-budget museum you can touch and buy!
Fossilized schools of fish line the walls of the smaller rooms.
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See that cast of a dinosaur at the bottom right? It has a smaller dino in its stomach.
A fine example of instant karma for the kids! |
A mammoth's jawbone from Mainz, Germany, is displayed at preschooler eye level.
Boxes and boxes of stones, fossils, geodes, minerals, meteors, and shark teeth line every table in every room.
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| Can you find the non-geode human in this picture? |
They even have old bottles and boxes, just in case you lean heavily towards archeology rather than paleontology or geology.
And did I mention the many displays of polished gems and finished jewelry?
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| All opals, all the time |
If you want to know more about any item (and I mean it--ANY ITEM) ask Dennis, the manager, who is at once utterly laid back and utterly excited about the wonders stored in this warehouse.
The next time you're on 80, stop. Take the kids in. Take in the kid in you. Go.
The Rock Shop
Address: 5115 Quinn Rd, Vacaville, CA 95688 (take Leisure Town Road/Vaca Valley exit off of highway 80)
Phone:(707) 448-5525
Copyright 2014, Tanya Monier
Cool! Way better than the gem faire! I would never have known about this - great post.
ReplyDeleteoh, and METEORITES?!!
ReplyDelete