SCMM Pix - Bakersfield Run, April 29, 2006

SCMM Bakersfield Run, April 29, 2006

Tavis catches up with some motorcycles on the wooded twisties!

This was the second annual SCMM run through Kern County twisty roads - organized by Tavis Dahlke, a Bakersfield resident. We had beautiful weather and scenery - a wide varietu of scenic and challenging roads, and a fun getaway for most of us from the hustle and bustle of suburban SoCal. Upward of 30 cars and about 40 club members participated on this run. Many of us spent either Friday and/or Saturday night in the Bakersfield area in oder to conserve energy for the day's driving challenge.

Club Prez George Marsh and Eric Johnson organized an extra activity prior to the main run, in Tehachapi: A bunch of us drove out to the famous loop, to see a freight train cross over itself as it made it's way up the mountain. This was preceded by breakfast at the Apple Shed, where Judy and I got some digestive trouble, causing us to seek refuge during the railroad loop and the Caliente-Bodfish Road portion of the run. We perservered though, and met up with Lee Ann Schneider (she had dropped off her husband and their doggies at the hotel) at the base of route 178, which we took up to the midpoint meeting place near Lake Isabella. From there we joined the run up along the lake; stopped for lunch, and continued back down toward Bakersfield. Even our abbreviated version of the run was spectacular! SO many different kinds of winding roads, and unusual environements and scenery! Breathtaking! Fun! A wonderful run.

We met up with folks afterward at the Lengthwise Brewery, which makes a mean Red Ale and blended Blonde Ale! Then later we had Japanese Cuisine for dinner at AKIRA. (Even those of us seated away from the Tempan tables were overwhelmed by the boisterous "Sake Bomb" ritual at this place! Wow!

Sunday morning, Judy and I slept in, had a complimentary breakfast at the Hampton Inn hotel, and meandered around until we reached home late Sunday afternoon.

Can't wait to do it again next year!

A small caravan meet-up near the Goodyear Blimp mooring in Torrance	Doctor Eric Johnson motoring at speed on the way to Tehachapi	Lee Ann presented Lex with a custom-made T-shirt (celebrating his online fixation with Gnomes) at the pit-stop in Mojave.
"The Gnomemeister!"
Lex motoring at speed out of Mojave	Lex makes the 90-degree turn from Hwy 14 on to Hwy 58 at an impressive speed.	We're not in Kansas anymore...
The notorious Apple Shed restaurant in Tehachapi	Robert had his new convertible.

		Another fuel stop before the Tehachapi Loop
	Freddy (SkyZero) and Christine	Our alternate route to Bodfish: Hwy 178
A lush green canyon	Lee Ann (Black Flag) following us along the river on 178.	That's what convertibles are all about!
Long, wide, smoooth sweeepers on 178.	We rejoined the group at the McDonald's in Bodfish
We sparked the interest of the gend'armes...	Just doin' their jobs...	Back on the road on the way to Lake Isabella
The manmade dam bisects the slopes...
	The lake, the hills, the sky...
		Another view of the lake


Lunch stop in Kernville	We followed Tavis part of the way on the return leg...
		Tavis digs in!
	Slowed by bikes...
Could it be any nicer..	Lavida chasing Tavis.
	These are the roads of dreams
		We regrouped in the paturelands with Rick and others.

Interesting architecture at the Lengthwise Brewery	That was some drive!
	My fuzzy pic of Erik at the brewery
Downtown Buttonwillow! (This is the next day, Judy and I on our own...	That's cotton in there...	The main street here is called "Kilowatt"
Downtown Buttonwillow! (This is the next day, Judy and I on our own...	Still downtown Buttonwillow...	We found some loooong rural sweepers on the way to Taft


We took Hwy 33 for a while...	Hwy 33 ran along this wide, dried-up riverbed.


	It just keeps going and going...
I think this is near Cayuma Peak		Yeah, that's the road we're on down there...
	From bliss, to this...	Unbelieveable: an unnatended "flagman" setup where the road was down to one lane... (I think this was coming out of Ojai.)

WOW! What a trip!!!

(Modified 2030 PDT - May 14, 2006)