3-01 to Lost Hills

3/01/10 Monday


Photos:  http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/934

Being eager to get on the road, McDonald’s willingly cooked breakfast for us. (Note: When asking a local for directions to the best place in town to buy gas, make sure they speak English first.) We filled up with gas and hit the road again. Apple Valley was a fairly large town. There was only a short break before entering Victorville.

At Adelanto, our next turn was onto Hwy 395. This is a long two lane road with no passing except in the designated passing zones. Along the south bound lane was power lines which we later decided were coming from a solar plant at Four Corners.

Four Corners has really grown up a lot since the last time we passed through here. Now there are a couple of fast food places and motel. There is also another gas station. Several trucks and a couple of RV’s were parked at the truck stop where some over night.

Coming into Four Corners you could see some sort of plant. It was just past the intersection and was fairly large. Upon making the turn onto Hwy 58 west, it was easier to make out the rows and rows of solar panels. This appears to be a Solar plant. This should be a good venture since this area sees little rain and lots of sunshine.

The next familiar sight is the town of Boron. Boron is the home of “The Twenty Mule Team” Borax. There is a museum in town commemorating this. I have a “heart connection” to The Twenty Mule Team as I had been given a replica of the mule team many years ago. I wish I still had it now.

Just past Boron is the boron facility that mines boron. Next is Mojave and the exit to Edwards Air Force Base. Edwards AFB is on the south side of Hwy 58 and their property began along Hwy 395 and Four Corners.

The closer we get to Bakersfield we climb into the Tehachapi Mountains. These are green with the grass and orange flowers. This is the rainy season and brings out the brilliance of the California landscape.

As we begin the decent into Bakersfield there is a low hanging “fog” in the valley. Thomas tells me it is smog from Bakersfield. Sad but smog seems to be fairly common in this area and south into LA and her surrounding area.

Into flatter country the orange groves begin. Just before entering the outskirts of the city, there are vineyards and a few oil fields.

After a stop at the Super Wal-Mart and to get some gas, we pass through Bakersfield and head North on I-5 to Lost Hills and Hwy 46. At this intersection is a couple of truck stops and a McDonalds/gas station. Next to the McDonalds is a paved area used for truck and RV parking. Thomas spoke with a trucker there and was told that it would be no problem to over night here without any problems. So this is it for the day.

The coast is getting closer………………