Overnight at Bakersfield

June 30 – A hot drive from Las Vegas to Bakersfield today. California is the seventh state we have been in on our trip. Stopped in Baker and took a picture of “The World’s Tallest Thermometer” – it read 102 degrees at 11:30 AM. Since the thermometer is a virtual geocache we got to add another state to that list. Ate some leftovers for our lunch and continued on our way. Good thing we ate some of our recently purchased cherries for lunch since not too far down the road a very nice employee of the State of California took the rest of them away from us at an Agricultural Inspection Station since there was nothing on the bag to indicate where they were grown. She said they were going to mash them up and put them in hot water to see if they contained any fruit fly larvae but wouldn’t be surprised if they just ate them for lunch. It’s too bad we forgot to tell her about the watermelon that was on the bed, She would have enjoyed it for lunch also. We were polite and cooperative – she was just doing her job. Coming across by Edwards Air Force Base the thermometer was hitting 114. When we crossed the Tehachapi Mountains summit at a little over 4,000 ft. it seemed like a piece of cake after some of the passes we have gone through on this trip. Our Orange Grove RV Park is really an orange grove with orange trees, currently covered with hard little green fruit that look like limes, dividing the parking spots. They aren’t tall enough to provide shade for the RV but we have the air conditioners going. Not only did we get our camping spot for half price (thanks for the coupon Ken and Alice!) but this park has a place where you can wash your RV. And did ours ever need it! Found another geocache, looked around a bit in town and fixed us some dinner. Showers and bed next on the agenda. Tomorrow we head for Sacramento.

World's Tallest Thermometer at Baker California