The best field trip ever

Even though summer is still in full swing in our corner of the world, I've been starting to brainstorm the list of fun activities for the school year ahead because a little bit of planning in advance keeps the coming school year from getting too stuffed with scheduled activities. As I was planning, I remembered one of the best field trips we've ever taken. I thought I’d share it in case you might be able to arrange something similar for your kids, homeschool, or classroom.

The best field trip ever, you ask? Yep. In fact, we still talk about it.. It was the field trip to In-n-Out.

In-n-Out is a staple food in Southern California and our family’s favorite place to get burgers. Which is why it was such a special treat to get a tour "behind the counter."

As I said, we are fans.

The field trip began a couple hours before the restaurant opened. Josh, the manager, gave our group a brief history of the popular burger chain. He even taught us some trivia. Did you know the biggest In-N-Out is in Barstow, CA? And did you know the busiest In-N-Out is on Tropicana Avenue in Las Vegas? Oh! And did you know why crossed palm trees mark every In-N-Out location? It’s because “X marks the spot” where treasure is found!

The group also got to ask Josh their questions. The kids had a lot of good ones, but the adults all wanted to know which is faster: counter service or drive-through service. The answer? Drive through. (You’re welcome!)

Next we got the behind-the-counter tour. We saw the fryers, the grills, the storage, everything. We learned about the careful arrangement of every piece of equipment for maximum efficiency.

Josh was proud to tell us that there are no freezers at any In-n-Out location because nothing is ever frozen. Everything arrives fresh from a local distribution center. (This is, by the way, why In-N-Outs are slow to expand to new markets. Step one is not to build a new restaurant, step one is to build a new distribution center.)

Josh also showed us how to make fresh french fries the In-N-Out way. Much to our disappointment, we didn’t get to actually make the fries, but we did get to see how the staff washed, peeled, pressed, and washed the potatoes. There’s even a machine that basically runs a quick spin cycle on the potatoes to dry them out before their bath in the hot oil. In fact, the first fry spinner was a repurposed washing machine!

The last part of the field trip was the tastiest. Josh gave everyone a voucher for a free meal. The kids were tickled pink to place their own order and get their own order number, which might not seem like a big deal. But for our kids who are known to play In-N-Out Burger in the toy room, to wait for the staff to call out their personal number was really fun. They couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear as they answered their call to come forward for their own tray of food.

As the last of our group got their meals, the doors opened for the day and the public began filing in for lunch. We wrapped up our meal and went on our way commenting how cool it was to see the inner workings of our favorite restaurant.

You should try to book this kind of field trip if you can. You will need a group of 18 kids (plus eight chaperones), so try to recruit your friends and neighbors. Chick-fil-A is another restaurant that offers field trips like these. My kids are requesting that field trip next!

The secret, “Protein Style” burger.

TummyGize

We have never had upset tummies from In-N-Out, but this is something I carry in my purse all the time in the event that there is something that causes someone's stomach to hurt. It may say "KidScents" on the label, but don't let that fool you. This is one of my favorite oils to use myself when my stomach isn't feeling the greatest.

Since TummyGize is prediluted, I snap an aroma glide fitment roller (from Young Living) right on the top. To use, we roll directly onto the hurting tummy in a circular motion. Since TummyGize has Tangerine in it, the smell is slightly sweeter than other essential oil blends that help with upset stomachs and digestion. TummyGize has been a lifesaver too many times to count after we've been out to eat. I always keep one roller at home and one roller in my purse for when we are on the go. I've never regretted using it!

Thanks for reading! What's been the best field trip you've been on? (As an adult or child!) I’d love to hear about it! Just hit reply if you’d like to respond. (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.