Bakersfield: On The Road Again

It was an enjoyable day when I headed out to Bakersfield for a mandatory settlement conference.

I haven't been up to Bakersfield for a long while. There was light traffic on Interstate 5 going north. It was clear out and the surrounding hills were green. Pyramid Lake looked inviting. As I approached, on the left was the lake. Ahead and to the right was the Smokey Bear Road exit. (Yes, there really is a Smokey Bear Road. Google it!)

Beyond Smokey Bear Road and Pyramid Lake was Gorman. It snowed up in Gorman earlier in the week. There was no evidence of snow there today. The old Caravan Inn signs were gone, as was the Caravan Inn.

The Grapevine looked a bit more built up. There's an enormous Ikea distribution center there.

A little further up, I stopped briefly at the Wheeler Ridge TA Truckstop on the Tejon Ranch for coffee and snacks. I was disappointed that the sit-down restaurant they had was gone and replaced by several fast-food outlets.

Bakersfield looked a little more built up. Parking was a source of annoyance in the area around the courthouse. The nearest parking lot allowing parking for more than two hours was three blocks away.

Still, it was good to be up there after so many years.