gonna be in Bakersfield, CA over the weekend.... any swap meets, car shows, junkyards I should check out? already been searching thier craigslist for wheels for my truck, etc. I'v been there before but never checked out any "car related stuff" any suggestions appreciated, thanks
Smog! and find a pool cause it'll be f-in hot. thought about moving there for a very short while. after a few visits. we ended in Portland.
got the pool covered at the brother-in-laws but I'm in Vegas, so the heat won't be a suprise....looking foward to the mosquitos though. suprised no one said oil fields yet! I've had the grand tour of those already unfortunately. I just found out I missed the auto swap meet last weekend. anything else? I'll settle for a cars and coffee just to escape the family for a little bit
puke! nope! just hot and ugly! sorry bakersfield! its just a town i have to drive through from time to time.
thanks.... guess I was asking for it! I've been there a handful of times and guess this time will be as uneventful as the past. I have wanted to check out the Crystal Palace and Buck Owen's guitars, etc. so I may have to do that. Happy 4th everyone!
If you're in the mood for eats, go to Milts Coffee Shop just off of Olive Dr off of the 5. Great food and the best strawberry pie, strawberry short cake and strawberry shakes.
If ya make it by Friday nite, Sonic Drive In - Olive Drive exit off Hwy 99 go east, just over the tracks.
In all fairness to Bakersfield once a year the local HCCA puts on a great show and swap meet (although usually no Ford or street rod stuff). I am not sure when it is held but it is not held in July. The NSRA Nationals are usually there in April. Charlie Stephens
Check out Ironworks... www.ironworksspeedandkustom.com and eat a pastrami sandwich in Oildale.. and if you get bored drive up to the bluffs on Panorama and look over a vast wasteland of oil fields.
Since Buck's and the meth labs have been covered... I'll add Zingo's is a good greasy spoon. My buds and I go all the time. The burgers are frozen, so steer clear. Their chicken fried steak breakfast is very popular. They also have a huge strawberry-lemonade drink with fresh strawberry's that is incredible. I've been wanting to go check out Milt's too, since I haven't been since I was a little kid. I hear it's great. Bakersfield is really all about burgers and sandwiches and movies. We're saturated with Stabucks as well. A Bob's Big Boy just opened on Ming, but no hot rods hangout there--yet anyway. Caesar's Deli's are good. If you go, get the Caesar Special. I get it with tomatoes and extra peppers. There's quite a number of antique shops on and around 19th Street. The old Woolworth's is called Five and Dime Antiques. They have the old burger bar/restaurant up and running. They have very good burgers and serve Coke (with Sugar!--not corn syrup) in glass bottles. If you're into the upper end of food and have the $$$, you can go to the Padre Hotel on H Street. The food is great but the staff is a little too casual (wait...oh yeah, it is Bakersfield). Wear long pants and avoid t-shirts and flip flops. We have a few real theatres in the area as well with live plays/musicals. I haven't been in ages, but I hear they are pretty good. If you're into big box stores, you can go to Rosedale. Target, Wal-mart, Home Depot, etc.. You could also head up the canyon and follow the 178 through to Lake Isabella and enjoy the drive. If you have the time, you could do a white-water rafting tour of the river. I hear the cost is pretty cheap these days. Whatever you do, don't make yourself believe you're a great swimmer and jump into the river by yourself. It sweeps up some of the best of them. It's OK if you do it when a rafter guide points out a safe spot; otherwise, you're already dead. The river takes a few "great swimmers" every year, mostly LA folks. If you're bringing bicycles, we have a very long (I think over 25 miles now) paved bike trail that follows the Kern river I think the east end is at Hart park near the bluffs that were mentioned and the west end is near the I-5 (also already mentioned).
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