February 25 – March 1: There seemed to be lots of camping near Isabella Lake, just east of Bakersfield CA so we picked one site and headed that way. Paradise Point, right on the lake, looked like a great choice until we got there and found the gates closed because of a toxic algae bloom on the lake. As we drove away we found one campground after another on the lake also closed. Luckily, Boulder Beach, a wooded location on a cliff overlooking the water had its gates open. For a while we were the only ones there besides the affable host Bob and his two little dogs. We spent a comfortable night, had a nice birding walk in the morning and headed into town to find breakfast before driving into Bakersfield for some food shopping. After picking up staples (and a few treats) at Trader Joe’s we drove to the Kern River National Wildlife Reserve for a 6 mile auto loop and got to a nearby KOA (which wasn’t really a KOA we decided) just after dark. Many water birds at Kern, including thousands of coots, cinnamon teal, Western grebe, American avocets, black-necked stilts, great and snowy egrets, raptors including red tail hawks, red shouldered hawks and osprey, blackbirds including red winged, tri-colored and yellow headed and lots more that I’ll report on ebird when I get the chance.
As we left Bakersfield we had decided, as we often do, to follow an alternate itinerary, heading west to Paso Robles and then north the Gilroy; the Garlic Capital of the World. Even though it was drizzling we walked around Paso Robles for a couple of hours visiting the visitors’ center, a great coffee shop and a few antique stores. Finally found a glass doorknob to bring home. We’ve wanted to replace the dented brass ones in the apartment with glass knobs to remind us of Davis Avenue but haven’t been able to find many until now. Can’t wait to install this one.
The ride north on Rte 101 gave us real insight into the agricultural nature of the state. Fields of lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes and endless vineyards lined the road. Trucks with produce going both ways sped by and signs announcing wineries and farms were everywhere. Gilroy didn’t disappoint either. Starting with Garlic World and the Garlic Shoppe on Rte. 101, to the list of garlic restaurants and garlic bobble heads in the souvenir stores, this town takes its reputation (and primary industry) very seriously. We had a nice lunch in the Old City Hall restaurant (where the bathrooms are located in former jail cells) and continued on to Mt. Madonna, a Santa Clara county park complete with groves of redwoods, two of which (the Twin Giants) are certified to be over 250 years old.
We finally got to the coast and the Pacific Ocean and decided to stop at the first public beach we saw, Moss Landing State Beach. Loads of shore birds and a few dozen harbor seals, including at least one newly born pup. Pulled into Seaside and checked into the SureStay motel, a Best Western property, for a long awaited shower and some laundry.
The Ultimate Road Trip 