Kern County As Well As Bakersfield, California - Exercise 2
Previously on : Bakersfield, nosotros ate some groovy tacos, drank an awesome margarita, listened to some province music, as well as took inwards some stock motorcar racing.
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(Note: The Blaze discontinued operations inwards 2016. Sam Lynn ballpark is forthwith domicile to an independent team, the Bakersfield Train Robbers - Ed)
It’s a Sunday, thence that agency a 24-hour interval game. H5N1 rigid breeze greets us equally nosotros larn to the parking lot of Sam Lynn Stadium inwards Bakersfield. I similar the wheelchair seats hither because they are elevated platforms inwards the get-go row of this pocket-size stadium. It’s rare that wheelchairs larn to sit down inwards the front end row anywhere.
We laid upwards on the platform, purchase some hot dogs as well as beer as well as hold back for the game to begin. The current of air is blowing stronger, thence Letty has us movement dorsum a few feet where nosotros tin mail away exercise a stairwell equally a wind-break.
The game begins, as well as the current of air gets worse; kicking upwards clouds of dust. Soon, our pilus is dusty as well as at that spot is grit inwards our teeth. Our beers are polluted alongside that Bakersfield dirt.
The Blaze go out to a quick lead. The announcer asks people to avoid a tented pavilion downward the right-field foul line for security reasons. Advertising banners are beingness blown off of the outfield wall.
In the 2d inning, the Jethawks pitcher steps off of the mound as well as starts rubbing his eyes. The 2 squad managers come upwards out as well as enquire the umpires to delay the game. They create as well as forthwith we’re inwards a current of air delay. Since it’s alone a delay, nosotros receive got no recourse…your tickets are soundless adept for today only. We hold back as well as luckily ane of the squad execs comes past times as well as says they’ll hold back a one-half hr as well as brand a concluding decision. We tin mail away alive alongside that.
Howling winds buffet the stadium as well as the fans. Finally, the umpires relent as well as suspend the game. In baseball, at that spot are no refunds…your tickets for a cancelled game tin mail away live used for some other game later on inwards the season. We volition hope for amend conditions tomorrow but it’s also windy to spot the tarps on the champaign as well as a curt but heavy rainstorm hits that night, drenching the field. Tomorrow’s game volition live cancelled too. Oh well, we’ll concur on to our stubs as well as come upwards dorsum inwards a dyad of months.
UPDATE: June 2010
Since nosotros soundless had tickets to a Blaze game, nosotros went dorsum upwards to Bakersfield lastly weekend to grab the game. It would receive got been cheaper simply to consume the tickets but anything for an excuse to larn to Bakersfield… yes, nosotros are nerdy similar that and, yes, nosotros create similar Bakersfield but this weekend would likely live the lastly weekend nosotros could larn earlier it got unbearably hot.
It was a pretty uneventful drive over the Grapevine as well as nosotros pulled into Huichos for tiffin as well as thence headed to Dewar’s for dessert at the newer location on Hageman Road. The server was a please but the lady that rang upwards our neb seemed to desire to larn into an declaration for some reason. Sensing a piffling hostility there, I simply kept my oral fissure unopen as well as paid the bill. Great H2O ice cream, though.
Again, nosotros stayed at our home-away-from home, the Springhill Suites past times Marriott simply off Rosedale Highway. I was on the verge of beingness sick thence I took a nap patch Letty went out to the pool. Dinner was at Benji’s, a Basque eating spot close the hotel. We honey Basque restaurants as well as Benji’s gets my vote for the best salad I’ve always had. Their pickled natural language is also good, 2d alone to Centro Basco inwards Chino. Overall, it gets my vote over Woolgrower’s equally the amend of the Basque restaurants we’ve ate at inwards Bakersfield. The alone other ane we’ve been to is the Basque Café which is no longer inwards business.
On to the game. We got blown out past times a dust tempest inwards Apr but today the conditions is fantastic. Due to the batters facing direct into the sunset because of the champaign alignment, nighttime games start at 7:45pm this fourth dimension of the year. We larn groovy seats correct behind domicile plate inwards the get-go row.
Sam Lynn Stadium…home of the Blaze…is old as well as inwards dire demand of a rehabilitation but it is also thence down-home friendly as well as comfortable that I tin mail away overlook that. We sit down inwards the middle of a pocket-size grouping of friendly flavor ticket holders who are to a greater extent than than happy to chat virtually all things baseball game as well as Bakersfield. Like the common Bakersfield residents, they are variety of amazed that mortal would truly see their urban center for a getaway but most admit that they alive inwards a hidden jewel of a town.
The Blaze plough over the Pb away early on to Visalia via a solo domicile run.
After the get-go inning, simply similar inwards April, Letty is chosen to live the sweetheart of the game as well as is given flowers past times the mascot, Heater, as well as is announced over the PA system. No, I didn’t pay anyone off…just a happy coincidence.
The Blaze necktie the game as well as accept the lead. After nine adept innings, they accept the game alongside a grade of 5-4.
Breakfast the side past times side morning time was at the 24th Street Café inwards downtown. It has a adept reputation for a breakfast identify as well as the nutrient is real good, but the service was dull as well as they truly effort to shoehorn people into the smallest tables that they can. Later, I would larn sick on something…I think the chorizo I had for breakfast here…and would pass the residue of the 24-hour interval inwards bed when nosotros got home.
Overall, a fun as well as real quick getaway to ane of our favorite places. Bye Bakersfield…you are far also hot for me now, we’ll run across in ane lawsuit to a greater extent than inwards the fall.
We larn dorsum to the hotel where nosotros accept a swim as well as thence a shower to larn all the dirt off of us. Luckily, our hotel has an indoor puddle thence nosotros don’t receive got to larn outside. The 24-hour interval is ended alongside a dinner at Frugatti’s, an Italian identify on the eastern side of town. It’s adept but expensive as well as the service a fighting slow.
Bakersfield is world-renown for its Basque restaurants. The Basque people (from a portion that straddles the border of French Republic as well as Spain) were shepherds as well as many migrated to this region. It’s difficult operate as well as requires hearty nutrient to maintain up. There are at to the lowest degree one-half a dozen Basque restaurants soundless operating inwards town as well as the civilisation is soundless a large purpose of the city’s identity.
We’ve been to the Basque Café (now closed) as well as Benji’s. My married adult woman made me hope to effort a novel eating spot this trip thence nosotros caput to Woolgrowers located inwards the old, rundown department of town eastward of the electrical flow downtown. For around $12, nosotros larn a repast that starts off alongside a bowl of hot, vegetable soup followed past times a bowl of salad accompanied past times a plate of marinated tomatoes as well as onions. Next come upwards the beans, bread, as well as salsa. Tim likes to dip his staff of life inwards the salsa. The entrées arrive…a New York steak for me, a beef dip for Tim, as well as a garlic-infused lamb sandwich for Letty alongside some groovy French fries on the side. You tin mail away also larn simply the "set up,", everything but the entree as well as fries, for virtually $8. It is all real adept as well as real filling but I’ll plough over the border to Benji’s, who is simply ever-so-slightly amend than Woolgrowers.
On the route to our side past times side destination, it’s virtually 45 minutes westward of town, the Tule Elk Reserve. Tule elk are smaller elk that are native to the area. They are endangered thence a reserve was laid aside for them here, where they tin mail away live protected as well as breed to supervene upon diminishing populations inside the state.
It costs $8 to common here. There are build clean restrooms, picnic tables, as well as a wheelchair accessible elevated viewing platform.
We went upwards the platform as well as it took us awhile, but nosotros finally saw some antlers poking upwards through the grass virtually a half-mile away. It took some binoculars to consider that much. There’s also a pond inwards front end of the platform as well as many birds to spotter flitting around from dark phoebes to golden eagles.
A halt at Dewar's is inwards order. This 102 year-old H2O ice cream parlor packs 'em inwards alongside their sundaes, shakes, as well as H2O ice creams. My married adult woman swears past times the pinkish peppermint as well as chip H2O ice cream. They also brand groovy candies. I specially similar the caramel chews, which I telephone outcry upwards "Dewar's Chewers."
The old store is pocket-size as well as tight. Even normal people inwards this 24-hour interval as well as historic menstruum receive got problem plumbing fixtures on the pocket-size stools at the counter. The few tables are squeezed inwards real tight as well as are non like shooting fish in a barrel to larn a wheelchair in. There is another, newer location on the northward halt of town at Hageman Road as well as Calloway Drive that is much to a greater extent than roomy as well as accessible as well as some other at the corner of Rosedale Highway as well as Calloway Drive, on the westward side of town, is scheduled to opened upwards inwards Jan 2012.
The master copy store is at California as well as Eye Street. Bakersfield has some quirks, as well as that street name..."Eye"...is ane of them. The downtown streets are inwards a grid, by as well as large alongside numbers (1st Street, 2nd Street, third Street) running eastward as well as west, patch the letters (A Street, B Street, C Street) run northward as well as south. Eye Street is inwards betwixt H Street as well as J Street.
Another quirk is alongside line of piece of occupation organization names.
With no baseball game to watch, it’s dorsum to downtown Bakersfield as well as the “Arts District.” There are many bars as well as nightspots here. Fishlips is a adept identify to spotter some difficult stone acts, the restored Fox Theater features large names, as well as the novel Brimstone inwards the old Padre Hotel is drawing a crowd. The granddaddy of them all is Guthries Alley Cat.
Darryl
Copyright 2010 – Darryl Musick
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