Why go to Tehachapi?

 

                This little town has a lot to offer and we found a campground that is now tops on our list!  A few things to see:  an ostrich farm, an alpaca farm, wind farm tours, apple farms, wineries, and a glider port.  Nine miles from town is one of the trailheads to the Pacific Crest Trail.  Hiking and biking trails abound.  A few of our favorite spots: 

 

                THE TEHACHAPI LOOP:

 

                Listed as a National Historical Civil Engineering Landmark, people come from all over the world to see the “loop.”  The line climbs 77 feet in elevation over a .73 mile spiral that crosses over itself.  It connects Bakersfield and the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave and the Antelope Valley as part of the original Southern Pacific Railroad San Francisco to Los Angeles line. 

 

 

                The loop is located 8 miles west of Tehachapi off Hwy 58.  There are turnouts with excellent views of the Loop, and an Historic Landmark Plaque.  A photographer’s heaven!

 

                THE TEHACHAPI DEPOT RAILROAD MUSEUM!

 

                Located right in the town is the Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum.  The depot was re-built by Southern Pacific Railroad in 1904.  It eventually was abandoned and fell into disrepair after years of serving the public.  The building withstood the 1952 Tehachapi earthquake.  In 2005 the Railroad gave the depot to the City, and Friends of the Depot began refurbishing the building. 

 

 

When the remodeling was about finished, the building was nearly destroyed by fire.  However, with the original floor plans in hand, dedicated volunteers built a new depot exactly like the original.  Here you can learn about railroad history and view the many excellent exhibits.  Within walking distance are a number of cafes, boutiques, and tourist shops.  And everywhere we went, we were greeted in a warm and friendly manner.  This is certainly a special little town.

 

                INDIAN HILL RANCH CAMPGROUND

 

                This is a gem of a campground just a few miles from the town center at the foot of Tehachapi Mountain.  First entering you will see a line of RVs camped in the trees.  Don’t settle for that!  Ask for a campsite on the upper portion of the ranch near Twin Lakes. 

 

 Our spot was completely private and only yards from the lakes where you can catch bass, blue gil and catfish.  The scenery is pristine with giant oaks and fields of grass and picturesque hiking trails.  Yes, they have hookups for water and electricity. 

 

 

We laughed at this sign, but later while fishing there came a low growl from the reeds.  We heard this strange sound intermittently on our stay but could never discover its origin.  Could it be? 

 

We paid $20 for the night.  Call ahead for a reservation so you can get one of the primo spots and the combination to the gate allowing you to pass through to the upper fields.  The phone number is 661 822-6613.  If you get an answering machine, keep calling til you reach someone.  If you show up without a reservation you can only camp down in the lower part with everyone else. 

 

 

             THE NATIONAL CHAVEZ CENTER

                Having read about this center recently, it was one of the focal points of our trip.  It is the National Cesar Chavez Center at Nuestra Senora Reina de La Paz, America’s official living memorial to Cesar Chavez.  It is set on 187 acres and features a mission-style courtyard including Chavez’ gravesite and his carefully preserved office and library.  This was his personal refuge and spiritual harbor.

 

                Entrance is a $3 donation.  Exhibits change and on our visit a new display had just opened with photographs of the 1966 boycott of grapes.  Cesar Chavez was a remarkable man who sacrificed his life to work for better conditions for the farm workers.

 

Cesar Chavez’

desk and library

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ON TO LAKE ISABELLA AND KERNVILLE

                Taking the backroads rather than the highway, we traveled a windy road through oak dotted grasslands and saw very few cars.  Hot and tired, we opted to stay at the Lake Isabella KOA campground to take advantage of the pool.  There is a gate at the back of the campground where you can hike into the Kern Valley Preserve, a good spot for birding and hiking.  We took a drive to the town of Kernville, walked through the shops and enjoyed cocktails and appetizers at Ewings.  Our table on the patio was a right over the big rapids (Ewing Rapid) where rafters paddling down the Kern River meet their match!  And, the river this year is higher and faster than normal so screaming drowned out the sound of the river! 

 

                Before leaving Lake Isabella we visited the Audubon Ranch for some birding, but the mosquitoes were so thick and hungry that we didn’t stay long.

 

VISALIA

                Why Visalia?  It puts us only about 2 hours from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.  Our aim is to get to the campground early to get a spot and then squat there for the weekend.  There are two campgrounds that are first-come, first-served:  Sunset and Azalea.  So, once again we opted to enjoy a pool at the Visalia KOA campground.  Once we get to Sequoia we will have no pool or hookups.  But, that is the kind of camping we like most.