On the day of my visit, the school cafeteria, under the direction of Cathy Green, served chicken taco salads with homemade taco shells. There were plenty of other menu choices, as well as homemade chocolate chip cookies. Cathy says she makes between 7 and 14 pounds of chocolate chip cookies every day!

The cookies are a favorite of student Julia Pratt, who invited me to Nevada to taste test her cafeteria food. Julia also enjoys the school's calzones, but we decided to go with the taco salads, which were a good choice. Along with the cookies!

Cathy is well experienced with food services. She has worked in the Reed High School cafeteria for nine years and has been the manager for five years. In addition to the main entrée, she also sets up food carts where students can select other items such as pizza and bagels with cream cheese. In keeping with the growing trend to offer more healthy food choices in schools, Cathy provides carts offering wraps, baked potatoes and other health-conscious choices.

Julia and her family moved to the Sparks area from Boston when she was 12, and they've lived there ever since. She is a junior, and she loves gymnastics. (I once considered trying out for the Olympic gymnastics team, but while practicing for my first competition, I wrapped myself around the uneven bar like a chicken wrap, and it took three teachers nearly 20 minutes to unroll me.)

As far as a career choice, Julia has considered writing or interior design. She is involved with the drama guild at her school as well as student council. When she's not attending classes, she enjoys skiing, dancing and working out on the trampoline and beams.

If you hate rainy days, you'll be happy to know that Nevada is the driest state in the nation. In fact, just like the deserts of the Middle East, at one time camels were used as pack animals on the hot Nevada desert.

However, the state also gets cold temperatures, especially in the winter months and at the higher elevations. The mountain ranges get snow, and as a matter of fact, did you know that the word Nevada is from the Spanish word that means “snow-capped”?

Death Valley, Nev., (most of Death Valley is in California, but a small portion of it runs into Nevada) is a hot place to visit. Literally! Death Valley has registered some of the hottest temperatures on earth. On July 10, 1913, it reached 134 degrees! At that point, you probably wish you could shed your skin.

One resident of Death Valley, the kangaroo rat, doesn't mind the heat. But then, he has the capability of living his whole life and never drinking a drop of liquid. I have a feeling, though, that on July 10, 1913, his stealthy moves got him a few sips of Gatorade.

And did you know that there is a mountain range in Nevada called Funeral Mountains? The range runs along the California-Nevada border. I don't know about you, but I'd reconsider any notion of hiking a mountain range called “Funeral.”

It was time for me to move on. I enjoyed the food at Reed High School, but all good things must come to an end. So with a full stomach and a smile on my face, I was ready to drive my Caf-Mobile to the next state and see what it had to offer.