Once again, we are on the road, in the RV, headed to the coast in search of relief from the desert heat. We’ll be returning to the Monterey Bay area on this trip, making a few stops in places we’ve visited before and also visiting some new destinations. We’ ll be traveling for most of the month of August.
We chose to break up the initial drive with a stop in Tehachapi, CA, which is a little less than halfway to our first destination, Moss Landing (a small town between Monterey and Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast). Tehachapi lies in the high desert region of Southern California, at an elevation of approximately 4000 ft. The RV park in which we stayed was just outside the town limits, in a valley between the mountains that make up the Tehachapi Mountain range. It was quite windy in the valley, and the mountains created a wind tunnel effect, which reminded me of the San Gorgonia Pass on the north side of Palm Springs. Here too (as in Palm Springs) there were significant groupings of windmills atop the hills on either side of the gap. In the evening, as I sat outside by the RV, I could actually hear the wind, which made a kind of low roar as it blew through the gap. In an interesting twist, there was a tiny airport located adjacent to the rv park, with a runway running parallel to the RV park just outside its boundary. Occasionally, a small plane would take off or land. Apparently there were glider rides offered by this airport as well.
While in Tehachapi, we visited nearby Red Rock Canyon State Park. I had been there years ago when I passed through the area and had always hoped to return. The park is at a lower elevation and in a more exposed location than Tehachapi, so the summer temperatures are considerably warmer. Thus, the visitor center and many of the unpaved roads into the interior of the park were closed for the summer. The campground too was pretty much empty. The park is considered dog friendly, but many of the trails do not allow dogs, so we drove through the park, checked out the campground for future reference, and made a few stops to take photos. Much of the park is accessible only via hiking trail, off highway vehicle, or 4 wheel drive on unpaved roads. I found the park more impressive prior to my visits to Utah; there are red rocks and then there are RED ROCKS! Still, I’m intrigued by the prospect of spending a night or two under the stars with only the rocks for company.
Glad to see the blog’s return! Enjoy your travels!
Thanks John. Its nice to know that there’s at least one avid reader out there.
You should consider coming out to this area sometime. Its definitely a break from the heat, be it the dry blast furnace of Palm Springs or the wet sticky humid yuk you get in Charleston. Monterey is delightful, very proud of its history but in a subtle and humble way. What I love is that the old historic sights are mixed right in to the downtown area, and there are preserved buildings within the historic park that allow businesses to rent space in them, so that people can interact with history in their daily lives. Then there’s Pacific Grove, where the cannery workers lived back in the day. Their shotgun houses dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900’s are well preserved, small, and built right on the sidewalk but they fetch a big chunk of change these days. Finally, there is Carmel. It is hard to describe. Few can afford to live there, but its very casual and understated and so dog friendly that I’ve seen dogs sitting at the table with their people in Anton and Michel. They care about history and trees and dogs and wine and what’s not to love about that?
I’ve driven through Tehachapi, but I’ve never stopped there. Looks interesting, but I don’t think I wanna live there, ha
Larry, it is actually kind of interesting but definitely in a “nice place to visit” kind of way. A bit remote, not particularly populated, but it has a sort of beauty. The hills and windmills and farmland are lovely.