Dec 1, 2012 - Day 88 @ Trouts Bar

our day 88 we had pizza dinner w/our friends, joe & dawn, than they took us to another country club bar called trouts loacted in downtown bakersfield... now the club was very dark so was our videos and some photos are fuzzy due to the low light - again we had a great time and no, we did not ride the mechanical bull, are you kidding? what we plan on sunday is still up in the air...   our day 88 photos/videos: https://picasaweb.google.com/110975240111565319818/Day88TroutsBarSatNite?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzL2KTalN3ZEg#   sent from our ipad ron & bebe...

Nov 30, 2012 - Day 87 @ Ethels Corral Bar

our day 87 FRIDAY correction not saturday, that's to come and that's ahhh, we don't know yet - buck owens hall is all booked for company xmas parties so our friends joe and dawn will for sure put us on to someplace...sooo stay tuned!   our friends joe and dawn took us to an out-of-the-way bar "ethels old corral" near bakersfield, a super place, people, band (token okies") and food - we all had dinner there of "fish & chips"... joe is an announcer, he announces the bands for the corral and buck owens crystal palace... him and his wife are...

Nov 29, 2012 - Day 86 Bakersfield CA

day 86, wow what a day - like yesterday a long drive thru desert and up many passes, very slow going for us.... took many road shots and visited oatman a sleep ol' town one we've been to many times (took a few vids of the town and on the way to it, great scenic drive) again our photos will be fuzzy due to lighting and hand held from the car as we drive shots... we are here in bakersfield ca., our last stop, some country dancing at buck owens palace, before we return home. what a trip it has been for us... we return home only to plan for our...

Nov 11, 2012 - Back in the old oil patch

A 316 mile long drive took me way back in my personal history today. We arrived in the old oil patch town of Bakersfield at about 3:30 this afternoon, and I felt a real "been here" vibe. During the late 1940's and early 1950's I lived with my family in both Oildale and Taft and I again returned to Taft in 1973 to work in and around the oil fields. Using newer methods of oil extraction, the old oil patch in this area is still producing the black gold...amazing! It was a beautiful day for a drive from Vacaville and we joined up with Hwy 99 in...

Nov 9, 2012 - Orange Grove @ Bakersfield

We left for Bakersfield about noon on Oct. 9, for the Traveleers campout at Orange Grove RV. We arrived at the Orange Grove RV campground about 3pm. After checking in and getting everything hooked up, we went to the clubhouse to meet the others. The puzzle was already out and being worked on. We set around and socialized for a while. Then a fire was started and we moved outside and enjoyed sitting around the fire and talking. Then back to the trailer for early (?) bed. Saturday dawned cool and beautiful. I slept in while Belinda went over...

Oct 24, 2012 - Heading home

Oct 24, 2012 We left for home the morning about 9:15 am and plan to stop overnight at the Orange Grove RV park in Bakersfield, some 270 miles. The drive back to Shoshone then to Baker was pleasant but the rest of the drive, some 180 miles, was miserable. Gusting head winds, cross winds made for a very long and arduous drive. My gas mileage dropped from a normal 8.3 MPG to 5 MPG. We arrived at the Orange Grove at about 3 pm.

Sep 29, 2012 - Orange Grove RV Park, Bakersfield

Sept 29, 2012 We pulled away from the house at 11:20 heading For the Orange Grove RV Park in Bakersfield, Ca. I had planned to stop at the Flying-J for diesel but since I had ½ tank, I decided to fill up at Tehachapi ( 50 miles further) at Love’s the next day. I had checked on line and it listed the price as the same as Flying-J but it turned out not to be the case. I wound up paying more at Love’s. We arrived at the Orange Grove RV Park at 4 pm. The temperature was 95. Although our traveling companions were traveling on their own schedule,...

Sep 26, 2012 - in the land of cotton

Cotton (and tomatoes)! From Santa Nella on I-5 we headed east toward Chowchilla on Henry Miller Road. Our destination was the nearby San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to a lot of wintering water birds using the Pacific Flyway. In particular the Sandhill cranes are starting to arrive from points north, and they are quite a sight to see. Not only are there lots of wetlands which attract them, but California’s Central Valley (also known as the San Joaquin Valley) grows lots of things they like to eat. Like every other road in...

Sep 5, 2012 - Fix-it/Travel Day

Lazy morning waiting to go to the fix-it shop. We left the campground at noon - only 11 miles to get to the shop. On the road to start East at 3pm - many hundreds of dollars later, but the generator is working. We traveled until 6pm - definitely NOT a pretty part of California. It was dry, dirty, barren and DUSTY - reminds me of Mexico. Our cool, coast temperatures are definitely gone. I went 'bobbing' in the pool after supper - felt great. It wasn't a heated pool so it was refreshing. The campground is nice enough but right next to active...

May 22, 2012 - A trip down memory lane

Took a trip down memory lane today. Looked at my old home where I grew up. Seems to have shrunk and gotten old. Went to the Bakersfield Museum where they have moved a number of old homes and business building as well as trains and oil field equipment. Very pleasant place with lots of mature trees and all well taken care of. Going to have dinner with my daughter and grand-daughter tonight.

May 15, 2012 - Bakersfield, CA (Day 2) - Today's Special Blessing

(Ron Writing) We spent the day in Bakersfield. I had to catch up on some computer/internet work and Elena needed a Barnes and Noble “fix”. The weather was very nice but it’s supposed to be warmer tomorrow. Late this afternoon I got a call from Dave, a friend of Bob. Bob had asked Dave to retrieve his motorcycle and van from Carrizo. When he did that he found the note we left in Bob's campsite so he had our name and phone number. Dave told us that Bob had severe injuries and was in a hospital in Bakersfield. I called Bob and chatted briefly....

May 14, 2012 - Bakersfield, CA - Leaving Carrizo on a Very Sad Note

(Ron Writing) Our neighbor Bob never did return from his late afternoon motorcycle ride and we were very concerned about him. We kept thinking he’d ride in shortly after dark from a long ride but by 9 PM he still wasn’t back and, based on our conversations the past couple days I was pretty sure something was very wrong. This morning we took a ride in the direction I thought he probably went. We drove only about 2 miles when we saw his motorcycle sitting up on its kickstand out on the grassland about 15 yards off the road. I walked over to...