4/21 Tehachapi Railroad Museum, Tehachapi, CA

If the bakery is closed or you have already eaten lunch and stocked up on goodies, you might want to stop next door to visit the railroad museum.  The town exists because it is on a pass through the mountains and the railroads came through here in the 1800s, so there is a lot of railroad history here. 

 

Note that even though this sign is on the back door, you have to come around to the front to get into the museum.  No cost, but they do take donations at the little gift shop. 

 

There are a lot of old signals and such in the pleasant grassy area along the main street.  There are also picnic tables you can bring your own lunch or eat what you got at the bakery.

 

 

Some pictures of the inside of the depot.  It is not a big museum, but the price is right!

 

 

The front of the depot. 

 

 

It's a very nice little town with a few big-box stores and lots of restaurants and smaller shops.  So stop next time you are tempted to drive by!!!!!

4/21 Kohnen's German Bakery in Tehachapi, CA

Thousands of people each day drive on Route 58 from Bakersfield, CA, to Barstow, CA, and on to Las Vegas, but they never stop at this terrific little town.  They are missing a lot because Tehachapi is at the top of a mountain pass and has terrific views, plus it has a famous railroad "loop" where the trains circle around a mountain and pass themselves.  It also has a small campground I often stay at that is along a glider airport, so you can camp there and watch gliders take off and land, assuming the weather is right.

But most importantly, Tehachapi has a terrific bakery that has made its old main street hopping with locals and tourists enjoying the cafe and its wide selection of baked good. Only problem is that you really need to get there before 10 or 11 am, or they will be out of some things.  On this trip, they were out of my favorite almond pastries, but I did get several almond crossants and a cheesecake, plus a loaf of bread!   

Here are some photos of the bakery I took with my cell phone that will whet your appetite and encourage you to stop there next time you are tempted to drive by.  (Note, you can't miss this place--just look for all the traffic and parked cars!)  

Line up on the left to write out your cafe order or to select your pastries and bread to take home. 

 

 

The line starts with the bread selection and some German foods. 

 

 

 Next few photos show you what was available when I stopped by around noon.

 

 

Checkout and some drinks.  

 

 

You can eat inside in this large area with tables or outside, shown after these two photos. 

 

 

Nice porch eating area when the weather is nice. 

I have found that many of their pastries freeze well, so I usually stock up when I stop here. 

Also, note that the bakery is closed on a couple of days each week, plus two weeks around Christmas, so check to make sure they are open when you want to stop by to save yourself a trip if you are just coming for the bakery. 

 

4/19 Drive from Oregon Past Mt. Shasta

The drive on I-5 between southern Oregon and northern California can be terrifying or beautiful, depending on the weather.  The interstate goes through the Siskiyou Pass and about 30-40 miles of mountainous driving that can be icy and snowy and require chains in winter, but if you drive it on a warm and sunny day as we did on this day, it can be spectacular.  Luckily, there are a series of webcams throughout this area so you can check the weather if you are concerned.

Here are a series of photos taken while driving from north to south.  It starts out with only a slight incline and not too curvy. 

 

 

 In the distance, however, you can see higher, snow-covered mountains.

 

 

Mt. Shasta can surprise you even from a very long distance.  Last time I drove this route, it was late October, and I was fighting to get down to the level California Central Valley while a rain and snow storm followed me.  On that trip, I could see almost none of this impressive mountain.  Today, it was clear and still partly snow-covered. 

 

 

Just before you get to Mt. Shasta, there is a very nice scenic Shasta Valley Vista Point pullover that I often stop at, as shown below.  The view is nice in all directions from this place. 

 

 

From this scenic viewpoint, you can see the city of Yreka, California, in the distance.

 

 

A closer view of the towns of Hawkinsville and Yreka. 

 

 

Mt. Shasta in her glory!

 

 

Just as you pass Mt Shasta, is the town of Weed.  About 5 miles south of the town is something called Truck Village, which is truck dealer who has set up a line of trucks along the fence that separates his business from the exit ramp to Truck Village Drive.  It is better seen from the northbound side of the freeway, but each of the maybe 15 trucks is painted a different color and looks very much like a very long rainbow!  One of these days, I need to get off the freeway and take some better pictures of this, but if you drive I-5 north, look for this display! 

 

 

I just did some research and found this interesting article with better photos!  https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/55733

 

 

There are another 20 miles or so of mountains past Mt. Shasta and Weed, but eventually things level out, and the chances of being stuck in the ice and snow are significantly reduced. 

 It was a beautiful day for a drive, but I was glad to get on more level ground. 

4/18 Emigrant Lake, Ashland, OR

Emigrant Lake County Park is one of my favorite places to stay, partly because it is so scenic and partly because it is at a convenient place on the way from Southern Oregon to Northern California.  I was here last October for a week, but at that point, the lake was not much more than a puddle because the lake is used as a reservoir and gets filled during the winter rains.  During this visit, however, the lake was completely full and busy with kayakers and people fishing, besides the local college rowing club that practices here almost every day.  The weather was a lot warmer than last October, as well. 

One interesting thing about this part of the campground is that there are two levels to the oval camping loop.  This means that the part of the loop farthest from the lake is about 20' higher than the lower area.  It is also a LOT quieter when the campground is full, and I like the view up here, as you can see by where I am parked.   

I was camping here with my older son and his family, so it was a busy time.  We were here also for the Shakespeare Festival sponsored by the nearby town Ashland and the local University of Southern Oregon, so we got a chance to see a couple of plays. 

In this photo, notice the long rowing boats and the small powerboat with the coach shouting things at the teams.

 

 Overall, this was a fun week with family and excellent weather. 

4/7 Lake Jennings Campground, San Diego County

I just stayed here for one night, but it was the first time I had tried this county campground out.  Roads and campsites were a bit tight, and it was located in a very populated area, but the lake and surrounding mountains were pretty, so I decided to post some photos.  

One other problem with this campground was that although my site had full hookups, the sewer hookup was fairly high, so a bit awkward to use.  There was another campground dump station available, but it was on a sharp hill so that I was afraid my rig would drag as I drove off of it, so I manage with the sewer dump at the site I had used.