Other side of Sierra Nevadas

It was minus 2 degC and very windy when I left this morning. Fresh snow was visible and the snow line was much lower. Beautiful!
I was planning to go to the Western film museum, but the highway was being closed to allow passage of some very large machine. The hotel staff also said due to the high winds, they might close the highway. I didn't want to wait so left while I could. I travelled down the very scenic 395 that heads back towards Los Angeles. While I planned to go around the mountains, the nav app gave an alt path across the southern end. I checked the road status site and it was clear except for some road work. So I took the 178 to Bakersfield. I am so glad I did, A stunning drive, especially with the snow fall during the night. I didn't drive through snow but it wasn't far away. The drive from Lake Isabella down the Kern gorge to Bakersfield is very nice, but not if you don't like heights and steep windy roads.

I went through another Joshua Tree forest. Strange trees, very tough sharp spikey leaves and some were flowering. It was had to get a good photo where I could stop safely. The transition from desert to alpine to green forest to lush farming land was striking.

Bakersfield has a nice part and a not nice part. Crime is high but it's low end theft, car and house breaking. I continued to Visalia. Pronounced Vaysarlia. This area is very much like the flat part of the drive from Toowoomba to Ipswich. Just make it 100 times bigger. Very rural. Large orange, apple, peach and almond orchards and diary farms.

I arrived too early for my hotel, so I had a late lunch at a well regarded Cafe. Chicken pot pie and a slice of lemon cheese pie. Nice. I still had time to kill, so I went to the home of the largest r/c glider competition on the planet at the Central Valley R/C club. The wind had dropped and it was mid arvo, there was one guy there flying small electric jets. He happened to be a recently retired police sergeant for the area. He said to have a look tomorrow when the glider guys fly. He gave me some good tips on what to look at in the area. The field is very nice. Wish we had it in Oz. I finally found some insects. The orchards have lots of hives out at the moment. Unfortunately I splattered bees.

My Sequoia tree visit is 95% off. Snow fall has closed the nearest car park and the next one is an uphill walk too far for me, possibly on icy ground as well. OK, I'll go to the museum and visitor centre. Budget cuts now mean very limited opening times. My backup was the 75yr old tree in town but it recently died was cut down three weeks ago! ☹️

I'll go out to the rc club again anyway.Read more