We drove through a section of the city of Bakersfield and stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things. We have plenty of food, but we were running low on eggs, sandwich bread, and kitty treats. Of course, the kitty treats were the most vital thing on the shopping list. We had only a few miles to go once we passed through Bakersfield, and the landscape changed noticeably.
We're staying at a county campground in Kern County. What a lovely spot. We had no idea what we would find here. It was cheap and we planned to stay just one night, so it was worth a try. There are no hook-ups here, but a reasonable cell signal and spacious sites. Also...it's very quiet...always desirable. Our shadow selves were itching to get out for a walk once we were set up.
The Kern River runs along the north side of the campground, and it's very pretty there. I can imagine this is a wonderful place to come for a hot summer camping trip.
Here are all the ways we could have died yesterday. We each looked at the slow-moving river, and had our doubts about this. Nevertheless, I can imagine if the river is swollen with rain, it could be treacherous.
With this being such a nice spot, we're thinking we might stay a few more days. We'd like to get Smitty out for a walk. I think he'd like to go, but he needs time to gain familiarity with the hazards (or lack of hazards) of a place before he's willing to don his leash and harness.
I'm keeping today's post short since we're running on generator power. We'll need to check in again at the kiosk to see if we can stay a couple more nights. I'll say more tomorrow. As it stands, we're still considering our options for seeing the Trona Pinnacles. The drive out to them is five miles on a dirt road, and that is sometimes not a good idea when towing an RV. Yelp reviewers say it's not bad if we keep our speed down. Also, we may decide to camp out there. It is always free to camp on BLM land, and we're told there is a good place to set up for a night or two.
9 comments:
My gosh, those "through Bakersfield" mountains look like a painting. How beautiful. Enjoy your peace and quiet in such a lovely area. Hope you are all better now!
You are sooo very close to where my Dad lives!! He is in Poso Park nestled right into the sequoia forest. We went to a brewery there in Kernville and learned the Kern river has class 5 rapids so rafting is big there. If you need anything welded (he is a retired shop teacher with a welding man cave) or some entertainment, email me....my Dad would like to have you drop by :)
It looks like you found a really nice place to relax, rest and enjoy nature. I hope there is no issue with you spending a few days there. How is the solar working out?
Back in my younger days (and all the signs on how to die we’re not posted) my BIL took me tubing down the Kern River. The river was lower with no rapids but the current was still moving along. It was a lovely day to cool off and relax on the river. My in laws had a swamp cooler but no air conditioning. In summer a day that is over 110* is the usual. That is a day I enjoyed greatly. BTW the whole clan left Bakersfield mostly due to air pollution. All the cows with methane gas and the air flowed from the north so brought the pollution from Sacramento, the SF Bay Area and dust to lay at the bottom of the San Joaquin Valley where the Tehachapi Mountains blocks the air from flowing through. This was a family that had lived there for 6 generations.
Love those blue skies and green fields! That's really what we missed most during our time in AZ. Everything, and I do mean, everything, was brown. Skies, grounds, buildings, etc. That river didn't look so scary, but they post warnings on hot coffee for those without good sense... So, I guess warnings for the river are necessary too. Hope your solar is working out for you. We opted not to add solar ($$$) when we built our coach, and I've already come to regret that choice. Maybe in the next one. Lol, as if there's gonna be a next one! Would have to win the lottery, and I'm pretty sure you can't win if you don't buy a ticket. Stay well!
What a beautiful drive, and the campground looks very nice. Hope you were able to stay a bit longer!
Looks like a pleasant trip so far. Hope it stays that way. Our plans for the property we were looking at went bust. How does someone sell a property knowing they cannot convey a clear deed. Now the search is on again...perhaps Nevada. I'll keep cleaning out the clutter.
Be Safe.
xx, Carol
I was chuckling to myself as I read....you're far more adventurous than my hubby. I would be so up for all that, but he'd be like, "No hook ups? And you want to stay more? What? You don't even know for sure about the BLM place? How long you will stay?" LOL He's getting better at my "smelling the roses" and spontaneity type stuff, but he's just not there yet!! Haha!
How is the solar equipment working out? Supplementing the generator?
That looks a really nice camping ground even without hook up. It would be nice to stay a little longer so Smitty can have a walk.
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