Our family has been part of the program since January 2026, and the experience has been nothing…read moreshort of transformative for our children. From day one, the coaching staff has been phenomenal. They excel at both supporting and motivating every student, creating an environment where kids feel encouraged to push their limits while feeling safe and respected. We have watched our children make remarkable progress in several key areas: they are much better at regulating their emotions, they've gained noticeable confidence, and they've improved significantly in strength, coordination, and motor skills. These are skills that benefit them far beyond the mat in school, at home, and in everyday life. One aspect we value most is the program's commitment to a consistent standard of excellence for the entire class, regardless of any disabilities or individual challenges. This inclusive yet high-expectation approach has been a major positive for our family. It teaches all students discipline, respect, and resilience in a way that works well for all types of students. From what we've observed, they are patient, communicative, and clearly give students multiple opportunities to adjust to the expectations. The program's structure and expectations appear to be applied consistently and with care. Parents also seem to be highly involved in helping their children to achieve their goals. They offer unlimited classes that are available 6 days a week for the price which is a much better value than other options that only offer classes once or twice a week. Programs like this are rare, providing high-quality, structured physical activity that delivers genuine developmental benefits for children, including those with special needs (autism/ADHD).

I enrolled my special needs son and my youngest after hearing the program was through Heartland and…read morepromoted anti-bullying values. At first things seemed fine, but over time the class became way over capacity, practice time was cut by 15 minutes, prices raised, and there isn't even enough room for students to properly practice. From what I've seen, they also don't properly stretch the kids before training, and a lot of class time ends up focused on conditioning instead of actual instruction and learning. My son showers before and after class, so cleanliness hasn't been an issue on our end. Most recently, he was asked to do 150 burpees in the corner alone before being allowed to join class because he had a little dirt on his feet, which was really concerning for us. I also witnessed the instructor bring multiple children to tears during class, which felt excessive and difficult to watch. Based on our experience, I'd suggest parents take a close look and consider other schools with a more balanced approach, better instruction, and adequate space for training.

I've a bit of the wanderlust running through me, and it's getting stronger with each day passing…read more To try and negate some of this growing restlessness, I thought perhaps reviewing one of my past adventures would help to calm the stormy seas inside of me before I go insane. I have a dirty past. Quite literally. I am one of very few chicks that dug dirt and rocks from a very tender age (mind the bad pun). And they continue to excite me even after a decade away from school. There's hardly anything more exciting than hiking to gods know where for some geologic/paleontologic mindjob. Was that TMI? Oops, my bad. But, please, don't go anywhere! Allow me to share one of my fondest geology trips with you. I loved my majour in college. What's not to love about a study that allows you to spend more than half of your collegiate time outdoors, rain or shine? I was never much one for classroom settings. Don't let the geeky exterior fool you. I'm the type to bring a laptop out into the wild unknown to play my video games. ^_- Whoever said you can't have it all? All that's missing is a wonderful companion to share it all with. My Spring Fieldtrip assignment was to map Rainbow Basin, outside of Barstow, California. I believe the area we had to map was about 3 square miles, up and down peaks and in and out of valleys. 9 glorious days did we spend out there. Rainbow Basin is a gorgeous stretch of land. If you haven't been there yet, promise me you will. If only for a day. The best part is during sunset in the main valley. There's a specific point in the valley where you crest a rise and just sit there, waiting for the magickal moment where the sun dips just low enough in the sky to light up the cliff face where there's a huge syncline composed of various oxidized layers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_Basin.JPG). These layers, composed of various different minerals, oxidized over time to produce different shades of colours - red, purple, yellow, green, blue... The beauty is when the sun lights up these different layers to give you the most amazing display of coloured rock ever. Hence, the name of the basin itself. I'm thinking of a road trip back there this summer to view this phenomenom once more; only this time, I'll be bringing a camera to document my memories. Will you join me? Bring your sleeping bag, but forget the tent. We'll snuggle under the summer stars together.

Beautiful place. Love the colors and formations. Geology is wonderful. Enjoyed the scenic drives as…read morethe valley walls get closer and closer as your car wanders through the basin. The road Is nicely graded that goes through a wash. Very epic, scenic panoramic views. Highly recommend spring, fall or winter times to visit as it can get hot!! We went in February, Not too far of a drive from Barstow or on the dirt road. We also hiked among the Mojave desert vegetation and enjoyed the Joshua trees. Think we got a glimpse of the lakebed with Goldstone. Great picture taking opportunities!

Just wanted to UPDATE: they are closed indefinitely! Have been for years. We went to the museum…read moreinstead which has a nice little interactive video which is 2nd best to actually being there. Hopefully they reopen.

The Coso Range petroglyphs are America's answer to Notre Dame, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower and any…read moreother historical sites mentioned by Europe-centric amateur historians who scoff at our short history as a country here in the USA. Yes, our country is young but our continent is old and its residents have produced beautiful and compelling art for centuries. This stunning, gorgeous site contains petroglyphs up to 12,000 years old (about 4,000 years older than Stonehenge) and has a magnificence that has to be experienced to be believed. The setting is mystical, magical and unlike any other historical or archaeological site I have ever visited in my life (and I've been to quite a few.) The petroglyphs are located in a canyon that is not visible at first as you approach. As you walk over the typical high desert landscape, you see what looks like the end of a little arroyo. But as you get closer, and start to climb down into the canyon itself, the size and magnitude of the canyon and the artwork it contains overwhelms you. You enter another world. As you think about what the artists had to overcome to create the artwork (climbing up to dizzying heights, painstaking hours creating the artwork, not to mention the hardships and short life expectancy of the time), it's like time travel. Thanks to an unlikely turn of events (being protected due to their location on China Lake Naval Base), these petroglyphs are in absolutely pristine condition. It is possible to see the progression of the art work over time. An enlightened tour guide will be able to explain the development and possible meanings and uses of the petroglyphs. Keep in mind: there are many theories but few facts about the exact purpose of the petroglyphs since much of Native American history has been lost. But the artwork itself speaks volumes. Interested? Look here: http://maturango.org/petroglyph-tours/. Jump through any and all hoops necessary. It is worth it. (Make sure you wear good hiking or rock-climbing shoes, take sunscreen, and are physically fit. Hiking all the way to the end involves some rock-climbing skills.) I feel strongly that every American citizen should visit this site to appreciate our history and the natural and artistic beauty that our country has to offer. For all that are able, this site should be at the top of your to-do list. Go!

The ghost town was quite pleasant, sadly some buildings were vandalized causing the areas to be…read morefenced off but its a beautiful place. Lovely desert, the old garlock water tower is still there and the old general store. I had the pleasure of talking to one of the only full-time residents of the garlock ghost town. They offered us to meet & play with their bunnies, horses and chickens and even brought us to the collapsed mine on their land. It was an amazing experience i would definitely reccomend if its on your way and if you get a chance to meet the residents its even better we were told ghost stories and offered to spend the night and listen to the ghost minners in the moutin.

I thought this ghost town would be interesting. Made a day trip out of it. Not worth the drive &…read moretime. There's a few buildings & were fenced off. They all had No Trespassing signs. It's right off hwy 14 on Garlock Rd.

Ryan and his crew did a great job printing the 511 work uniforms for the fire department. The…read morequality is top-notch and when there's an issue they make it right. Definitely support this local business by having them do your graphics designs and uniforms. They have plenty of free parking in their large parking lot for customers.

I'm writing a specific review for this field trip, which is part of the larger Gem-O-Rama…read morehttp://www.yelp.com/biz/gem-o-rama-searles-valley event because technically you can just register for an field trip as a stand alone, and not do any of the other activities. Usually on Sunday (the second day of Gem-O-Rama). In fact, we arrived Saturday night, and only attended the Pink Halite Field Trip. The Pink Halite field trip is probably the most physically demanding of all the field trips at Gem-O-Rama. It involves prying, wading, hacking, chipping, feeling, and moments of disappointment and excitement. First of all you have to register at 7:30AM on the morning of your field trip, at the Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society lapidary and show building. And we were there, right after getting the pancake breakfast at the Trona Community Church just a few blocks away. People were already starting to gather and get in line. $15 pays for one car, with however many people and equipment it can fit. YOU WILL NEED: You can rent a heavy bar (1 inch solid steel, 6 feet long, with a 2 inch shovel blade), for $40 from the General Store inside the show room. (You get $30 upon return of your pole). You will have to bring a good hammer, buckets, boxes, and heavy gloves. I also recommend wearing clothes you don't ever plan on wearing again, a t-shirt (sun burn protection), and wide brimmed hat, pants and old sneakers or boots. Now how do they organize this event, if several hundred people are going to it? They set up a convoy system. Outside the show building they have rows where you can park your car in. When it's time to leave and be led to the brine fields on the Searles Valley Minerals Inc they have one line go, then another. SO I recommend parking your car, then going to register and pick up supplies you might need. But make sure you get back to your car, they start the convoy at 9AM sharp. WHY am I giving you this specific advice? Well collecting Halite is a dirty, wet, smelly, and strenuous. To understand more about Halite and the collecting process I suggest checking this link out http://www1.iwvisp.com/tronagemclub/Lake-Collecting.htm and google Halite to find out more about this mineral form of sodium chloride. Also watch the repeating video in the show building for tips and information about the field trip. THE FIELD TRIP: Everyone parks on big salt flat, and lugs their equipment out to the designated Brine Pools (about 1 square mile across). First of all the smell of sulfur and salt water is intense, it only gets worse in the pools, but you get used to it. You'll hear popping from the air cannons randomly, they are there to scare the birds away. You walk on salt, which sounds like glass and cornflakes, and can often crack beneath your feet, watch your step. In order to harvest you'll have to feel around for ledges in the pools, which means getting in. The rust to merlot colored stuff floating in the pools is dead salt-loving bacteria. Don't worry, they just smell bad and don't bite. Basically Feel under the ledges, if you feel square places, that's Halite. Start hacking! Use your pole to pry and crack. Flip it over and see what you got! I won't tell you much about the tricks of the trade, that's something you have to learn on your own. We ended up with two nice specimens, red and green. Green being very rare. But it took us about 3 of the 4 hours to finally find a pool that had the right signs. I fell in using all my weight on the bar to get the green ledge out. When the field trip ended, everyone hiked back to their cars to bring them around to pick up the rocks, equipment and salt encrusted people. Little did we know we had traversed the entire square mile of bring pools to the other side! Anyway...if you plan on doing this, do your research. It could be terribly miserable if you are not prepared. You'll get angry, you'll get sad, you'll get glad! When you find that perfect matrix you'll be hooting and hollering. We heard lotsa folks doing it! Some people brought gurneys and specially made carts to haul their rocks out. At the end of the day your cloths will be stiff as a board, shoes completely wrecked, you'll smell like rotten eggs even after you shower, and you might get sunburned. You'll have bruises and scraps and won't want salty food for a while. But you'll drive home with some great stuff!

We were looking for a place for a going away party. Other halls were expensive or very dirty and…read morerun down. Knights of Columbus was run very nicely. Their fee for the use of the hall was VERY reasonable. Very easy to deal with them. Would highly recommend them.

My hubs recently was told by a local that a great place to hike is RHV, which is near the 365…read morehighway and where S. China Lake Blvd meet or end depending on where you're coming from. It can be easy to miss if your coming from out of town, but thankfully there is a tall brown sign that helps you find the right turn in spot. Just a word of advice, if you have a truck or a car that sits higher, definitely take that as opposed to a low riding car. My car sits low and was painful to hear the scratching noise it made while I drove into the parking area and out. There's actually no designated parking lot but you do have the option of parking closer toward the entrance or further in. I wasn't sure exactly how far to go, so I parked near a semi circle where there were a row of rocks and noticed while we were walking, if we went in a little further, we would've found another lot. This was our first time there and I LOVED it! We normally go to RH behind Cerro Coso College, but we've been trying to find alternative routes since we like to let our dog off the lease and there tends to be way more hikers/atv/mountain bike/bikers there. There were a few other cars there but we didn't run into anyone walking. We did see a few bikers, but thankfully there's a couple paths to choose from that lead to similar trails. The only thing I didn't like about this area, which like the other is there aren't any trash cans around. But other than that, there are definitely some challenging trails with steep paths, that seem to go on and on for miles. We also saw a couple piles of shingles, broken bottles, trash, shotgun shells and heard what sounded like loud booms (which I've heard on the other side of RH plenty of times. Now that it's getting warmer and soon, very very hot, make sure you take plenty of water, as there are no water fountains nearby. There is a Shell gas station about a quarter of a mile away, so you can pick up a couple bottles if you forgot your own!