My OperaWhat's 102 when you can camp at 112?
Wednesday, July 5, 2006 2:16:01 AM
From: Fresno
To: Mojave National Preserve
Miles: 404
MPG:44.1 (those damn mountains really get ya)
After a regretful goodbye with Zach, Catherine and Tule, we headed out of Fresno toward Vegas. Of course, we couldn’t go there directly; Jon had several important roadside attractions for us to visit first.
Carving of John Muir in – You Guessed It – a Giant Redwood
We had all but given up on finding this one when we stumbled upon it on the side of the highway. Just a tad ironic, don’t ya think?
Aerodog Hot Dog Stand
So you have this plane lying around that doesn’t fly anymore. Some people would sell it for parts. Others might just dump it at the scrap heap. Not the wily owners of this fine establishment, who decided to use it as a hot dog stand. We wanted to support their ingenuity, but Jessica doesn’t eat beef (unless it is in pepperoni, which she has decided comes from a different kind of cow) and Jon thinks hot dogs are not fit for human consumption, so we got back in the car and continued heading east.
A Building Shaped Like A Really Big Shoe
This was somewhat reminiscent of Rushmore for us – we had really thought it was going to be bigger. Quite a let down. But we were there, and there sure isn’t anything else to see in Bakersfield, so we took a picture of it anyway.
Airplane Graveyard
We hoped to see the military bomber airplanes lined up in a row, but that wasn’t really accessible, so we stopped at the civilian side. Lots of 747s, sans engines and other usefull parts. Like landing gear. They can be yours for a mere $4 mil each. Quite the bargain. Jon’s favorite was the Russian AN-2 Colt, which he swears is a stable parachute platform.
Calico Ghost Town
We weren’t able to make it all the way to Disney World, so we consoled ourselves by stopping by the oh-so-Disneyfied “authentic ghost town” in the middle of nowhere California. If you always had a hankerin’ to swing open some old west saloon doors and drown yourself in sassafras, this is the place for you.
World’s Tallest Thermometer
One look at the temperature outside this Baker, CA landmark (a cool 112 degrees) we decided, Hey, this would be the perfect place to camp for the night!
The Mojave Desert
You thought we were kidding, didn’t you? We stocked up on provisions at the local market (given the supply, “provisions” is the only applicable word) and drove deep into the Mojave desert to find a place to camp for the night. Luckily for us, that involved a several thousand feet rise in elevation and with it is totally deserted campsite and a much more reasonable temperature. And a beautiful sunset.
To: Mojave National Preserve
Miles: 404
MPG:44.1 (those damn mountains really get ya)
After a regretful goodbye with Zach, Catherine and Tule, we headed out of Fresno toward Vegas. Of course, we couldn’t go there directly; Jon had several important roadside attractions for us to visit first.
Carving of John Muir in – You Guessed It – a Giant Redwood
We had all but given up on finding this one when we stumbled upon it on the side of the highway. Just a tad ironic, don’t ya think?
Aerodog Hot Dog Stand
So you have this plane lying around that doesn’t fly anymore. Some people would sell it for parts. Others might just dump it at the scrap heap. Not the wily owners of this fine establishment, who decided to use it as a hot dog stand. We wanted to support their ingenuity, but Jessica doesn’t eat beef (unless it is in pepperoni, which she has decided comes from a different kind of cow) and Jon thinks hot dogs are not fit for human consumption, so we got back in the car and continued heading east.
A Building Shaped Like A Really Big Shoe
This was somewhat reminiscent of Rushmore for us – we had really thought it was going to be bigger. Quite a let down. But we were there, and there sure isn’t anything else to see in Bakersfield, so we took a picture of it anyway.
Airplane Graveyard
We hoped to see the military bomber airplanes lined up in a row, but that wasn’t really accessible, so we stopped at the civilian side. Lots of 747s, sans engines and other usefull parts. Like landing gear. They can be yours for a mere $4 mil each. Quite the bargain. Jon’s favorite was the Russian AN-2 Colt, which he swears is a stable parachute platform.
Calico Ghost Town
We weren’t able to make it all the way to Disney World, so we consoled ourselves by stopping by the oh-so-Disneyfied “authentic ghost town” in the middle of nowhere California. If you always had a hankerin’ to swing open some old west saloon doors and drown yourself in sassafras, this is the place for you.
World’s Tallest Thermometer
One look at the temperature outside this Baker, CA landmark (a cool 112 degrees) we decided, Hey, this would be the perfect place to camp for the night!
The Mojave Desert
You thought we were kidding, didn’t you? We stocked up on provisions at the local market (given the supply, “provisions” is the only applicable word) and drove deep into the Mojave desert to find a place to camp for the night. Luckily for us, that involved a several thousand feet rise in elevation and with it is totally deserted campsite and a much more reasonable temperature. And a beautiful sunset.
