America's Tum - California's Fundamental Valley: Tulare County

Upon learning that we’d hold upward going to i of his favorite restaurants inwards the globe spell he was at camp, Tim was non a happy camper. “Don’t worry,” I told him, “the weekend later y'all acquire dorsum is a 3 hateful solar daytime weekend…let’s become upward at that topographic point when y'all acquire home.”

Of course, if y'all followed our trip without Tim to Paso Robles, you’ll know that nosotros had to brand an emergency trip to pick him upward because he got sick.  And sick he was for a duet of days.  We didn’t know if he’d hold upward good plenty past times the weekend to go, but thankfully he did acquire meliorate together with off nosotros went.

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The restaurant, as many of y'all who know us volition already guess, is the wonderful Los Tacos de Huicho inwards Bakersfield, California which sits at the southern destination of the San Joaquin, or Central, Valley.

Yes, nosotros did become to Huicho’s and, yes, the nutrient was as absolutely delicious as always, but this trip is non virtually Huicho’s or fifty-fifty i of our favorite destinations, Bakersfield, all that much.

After dinner, it’s dorsum on the 99 northward to our following halt virtually an hour’s north…the Charter Inn together with Suites inwards Tulare.  The hotel, which sits side past times side to the expressway as Prosperity Avenue, is virtually the best hotel I know of inwards the Central Valley along the 99 corridor.

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Big, spacious rooms amongst a nifty hot breakfast buffet.  Mon through Wednesday, they also include dinner. There’s a lending library inwards the lobby, a prissy puddle surface area amongst spa, a patio surface area amongst a barbecue, together with a really practiced staff.

Our room was a manly mortal monarch size suite. Not technically accessible but at to the lowest degree as accessible as many other “handicap” rooms we’ve stayed inwards that didn’t characteristic a roll-in shower.  Wide access areas for the wheelchair, comfortable bed, a queen size sofabed, a large bathtub which to a greater extent than than accommodated our bathroom chair, together with practiced wifi access.  There are fifty-fifty robes inwards the closet.  All for around $90 – 100 per night.

The Central Valley is the biggest agricultural surface area inwards the country. It’s non the California of beaches together with palm trees, but plays a vital constituent inwards providing y'all amongst the nutrient on your table. This morning, we’ll encounter some of that get-go hand.

After breakfast, it’s over to nearby Visalia where a farmers market sets upward inwards the local Sears parking lot each Saturday.  It’s jammed packed amongst produce, cheeses, eggs, together with more.  It’s non gear upward similar a lot of farmers markets dorsum dwelling line of piece of occupation solid where at that topographic point are to a greater extent than arts and crafts vendors together with kiddie rides than at that topographic point are farmers.  Here, spell at that topographic point are a duet of non-food vendors, it’s all virtually the food.

And the nutrient is amazingly good. Sweet donut peaches, large ruby grapes, figs, oranges, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini bigger than my arm, together with many items that, frankly, I receive got no clue what they are but they human face delicious.

Our conception is to charge upward on all the fresh create nosotros can, continue it inwards our air conditioned hotel room, together with thus pack on H2O ice for the trip dwelling line of piece of occupation solid inwards the hot, valley summertime heat.  It worked similar a charm together with nosotros dined similar royalty on all that farm-fresh create for a duet of weeks.

Back at the hotel, nosotros pack the most perishable items into the little in-room fridge, together with plow the a/c upward for the rest.  We receive got a prissy swim inwards the puddle together with thus caput over to Hanford, which is virtually xv miles due west of us.

It’s the 4^th of July weekend together with the temps are over the century mark.  In downtown Hanford, it’s 106 degrees. Not a problem.

The nous argue we’re hither inwards this beautiful petty town is H2O ice cream. One of the state’s…and in all likelihood the country’s…great, classic H2O ice cream parlors sits across the street from the town’s plaza.  We’re talking virtually Superior Dairy.

In this location over lxxx years, Superior is a gorgeous, little town H2O ice cream emporium amongst brass chandeliers, pinkish booths together with counter stools, together with some of the most generous portions of frozen cream you’ll ever see.

Letty has only i scoop of rocky road.

Tim together with I part 2 scoops of cookies together with cream, covered amongst a rich caramel sauce together with whipped cream.  Look at those 2 pictures.  That is character H2O ice cream served inwards gigantic portions.  Together, that’s virtually $7 worth of dessert.

Superior is also known for their S-O-S (Superior Oversized Sundae) sundae, pictured above, a gargantuan banana dissever that tin easily feed 4 or more.

The mutual depression temperature H2O ice cream cools us downwards nicely from the furnace outside. We walk across the street to the shady common that houses some beautifully restored buildings…the Municipal Auditorium, the Veteran’s Memorial Hall, together with the one-time courthouse…across the street from an every bit impressive restored Fox Theater.

It’s shady, amongst a cool fountain, a duet of snack stand, together with lots of cool grass to play or lay on.  We encounter this petty parakeet, in all likelihood someone’s escaped pet, happily chewing on stalks of grass.

In the evening, it’s dorsum over to Visalia to see the Rawhide.

Just S of Visalia’s great together with walkable downtown is Recreation Park, an one-time pocket-sized league stadium. The team, going through lots of names over its 65 twelvemonth history, is currently affiliated amongst the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rawhide are the Diamondbacks unmarried H5N1 squad playing inwards the California League.

In 2009, the stadium was renovated amongst novel monastic tell flat together with grandstand downwards the correct field/first base of operations line. There are wheelchair seats along this area, where nosotros sat, together with also inwards the stands along the left land line.  There are a duet of accessible seats behind dwelling line of piece of occupation solid plate virtually half dozen rows back, but they’re behind an aisle together with non besides desirable.

Access to the flat nosotros sat at was via a slow, creaky elevator that had to hold upward repaired earlier nosotros could purpose it…you tin read to a greater extent than about in our stadium review.

At the game, it was a salute to armed services nighttime amongst veteran’s throwing out the get-go pitch, unlike branches beingness honored each inning…i.e., i inning Navy active members together with veterans were asked to stand upward up thus the audience could applaud their service…another veteran singing God Bless America during the 7^th inning stretch, and…most poignant of all…cadets setting together with serving a dinner to an empty tabular array inwards front end of the mound to POWs together with MIAs who should hold upward at that topographic point but are not.

The game itself was pretty exciting amongst the Rawhide easily treatment the visiting Lake Elsinore Storm…even though the PA announcer called them the Inland Empire 66ers for 2 innings earlier he caught on.

The nutrient was poor together with delicious.  The poor was the Italian sausage that Letty had, the delicious was the incredibly practiced bratwurst that I got to supervene upon it from a grill close our seats. H5N1 really practiced choice of beer, including local microbrews, topped the concession selections.

All inwards all, a really fun game amongst only a duet of glitches. Visalia’s a really fun identify to be.

In the morning, nosotros checked out, shopped the outlet mall behind our hotel, and moved S to Bakersfield. Here nosotros checked inwards to the Marriott Springhill Suites, which is pretty much our opor-garai condo these days amongst all the fourth dimension nosotros pass inwards this town.

We wanted to receive got i to a greater extent than nighttime together with become to Huicho’s i to a greater extent than time.  Before that, though, nosotros went to our favorite bar. I’m a fan of the margarita together with beloved when i is made right. Here inwards Bakersfield is i of the best.

Mexicali, on 18^th Street on the eastern border of downtown along Mill Creek, makes the best I’ve had. Their line of piece of occupation solid margarita made from scratch is a tarty petty slice of heaven. Their Cadillac margarita takes what is the best plainly margarita I’ve had upward several notches on the gustation scale. It is the nectar of the gods.

Along amongst the nifty drinks, the bar hither is thus comfortable together with the people thus friendly that it feels similar home, having drinks amongst some one-time friends.  H5N1 genuinely classic, great, together with black bar.

On the morn of the 4^th, later a fitful nighttime of slumber as some other rude guests were shooting off firecrackers inwards the parking lot (necessitating many calls to security) inwards the middle of the night, nosotros cheque out together with caput to Huichos. (Note…after complaining at checkout, the hotel director knocked our charge per unit of measurement downwards to $50).

On Friday, the people at Huichos told us they would hold upward opened upward on the 4^th.  Between thus together with now, someone must receive got changed their heed because instantly they’re closed. Darn!

We’d saved upward our appetite for this together with were instantly disappointed.  Back inwards downtown, nosotros were looking for somewhere…pretty much anywhere…that would hold upward opened upward on this holiday.  I encounter a burger stand upward amongst people working out dorsum thus I delineate in.

Juicy Burger is a Five Guys knockoff located on 24^th together with  M Streets, inwards the same edifice as the University of La Verne’s Bakersfield satellite campus.  It looks only similar Five Guys when y'all walk inwards together with has a really similar menu.  It also has both Coke together with Pepsi machines, thus Coke together with Pepsi fans should all hold upward happy here.

We monastic tell some burgers together with fries, non actually expecting much.

The burgers were amazingly good. Juicy, cooked to perfection, amongst great, tasty produce.  The fries were also good, non served inwards quite the heaps that Five Guys does, but the burgers were the star of the exhibit here…incredible!

The staff hither was really friendly together with competent.  Each repast comes amongst a cookie but the counter mortal also gave me i to sample spell nosotros waited for our food.  Great food, nifty service, together with fast nutrient pricing.  What to a greater extent than could y'all want?  We instantly receive got some other really practiced identify to swallow on our ever-growing together with long Bakersfield nutrient list…seriously, this is such a practiced nutrient city.  Come hither for that if zilch else.

I hunted downwards the director together with allow her know only how much I loved this place.

Our appetites nicely sated, our disappointment at missing Huichos subsiding, nosotros climb into the van to brand that i final trip over the Grapevine to caput dorsum home.

Darryl
Copyright 2011- Darryl Musick
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