You might be thinking why did Dave and Brenda stop in Tehachapi, CA? Well, it was a good place to stop between Joshua Tree and Sequoia National Parks. And, Dave found a unique RV park on the grounds of a small airport which hosts a glider flight school. Surprisingly, Dave did not want to go for a glider ride, but he has flown or “soared” as they call it before. The RV Park runs along the runway and we watched the gliders be towed up in the sky to catch natural air currents to stay aloft and glide back down. Quite fun!
Not to be outdone by a glider school, nearby Tehachapi Pass has the Tehachapi Loop, a 3779-foot-long railroad spiral, making a 1,210-foot diameter circle, to enable to trains to make it over the pass, averaging a 2.2% grade throughout the loop. Construction for the loop began in 1874 and opened in 1876 and it was quite the engineering feat for its day. Over 36 trains traverse the loop each day. For the short time we were there, we watched 3 trains round the loop. If you zoom in on the pictures below, you can see part of the very same train in the tunnel, then around the loop and back around. They were very long trains.
While we were viewing the trains, we chatted with a father and son from Hickory, NC who were there filming the loop via a drone footage and iPhone video. Nathan, who just turned 16, has started a YouTube channel, “Blue Ridge Rails”. He and his father travel around the U.S. to document various train passages. Subscribe if you can, to help build his followers. Such a great kid (and he has a yellow lab too!)
I think you all know my propensity for all things sweet and how much I try to eat it in moderation. Well, I think I fell off the wagon. There was a German bakery in town, named Kohnen’s, which has an awesome back story of the owner and his immigration from Germany. Anyway, Dave and I stopped by to buy a cinnamon roll and a bear claw. My dad used to get bear claws whenever we went to a bakery together, so I like to buy one in his memory. When I entered the store and saw the baskets of fresh bread and two cases full of various sweets, I went a little overboard.
Here is the list of what I bought on my first visit. A cinnamon roll, two bear claws, a blackberry custard Danish, a chocolate chip cookie, a molasses cookie, a mini cherry pie, and a mini cheesecake. Oh, and then a loaf of cheese bread. Freezer time! Oh, and they bake sourdough breads on Tuesday and Saturdays, so I wanted to go back the next day for sourdough bread.
Do you think I actually went back the next day for sourdough bread? You betcha! Did I make it out on the second trip with only sourdough bread? Not a chance. As Dave and I were driving to the bakery, I asked Dave if there is anything he would like. He said, “That bear claw was the best I have ever had.” So, I bought one for him and one for my mom (who we are visiting the end of June), as she likes them too!
P.S. The sourdough bread was in the top tier of sourdough breads. I wish I had bought more than 1 loaf.
Dave continues to hone his video editing skills. Check out his last one.
Our next stop is Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks which are next to one another. We are staying in a campground in the Sequoia National Forest for 5 nights. It will be a nice break from the desert heat.
My sweet tooth has a lot to look forward to Brenda, Tehachapi was quite a treat Dave, and I can’t wait to pee on one of those giant trees Murphy.
wow. how interesting about the train. dave must do a lot of searching to know where the sites are. good job Dave ! meeting the little guy traveling with his father to see snd film various railroad exhibits through out the United States . i will definitely look into his youtube posts
thank you for sharing
ron keffer
OMG‼️Hide the scales.
That train loop is amazing!
Did you know the Cholla cactus are also called jumping cactus? (It doesn’t take much to get them stuck ALL over) esp the dogs..
Keep the blogs coming. & I loved the video Dave!
Now I need a bear claw!
Big hugs..
G C D
And I been from Tucson to Tucumcari
D G
Tehachapi to Tonopah
G C
Driven every kind of rig that’s ever been made
C D D**
Driven the back roads so I wouldn’t get weighed
And if you give me………………… “WILLIN”