Southern California's Central Valley: San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Sequoia National Park, Big Bear Lake & Beyond

By Don Young

The drive across California's gentle, golden hills into the Central Valley is an enjoyable, peaceful experience. State Route 48 takes us eastward out of Paso Robles through Cholame, scene of the tragic automobile accident that claimed the life of acting i

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: Mar 20, 2011
• ISBN: 9781556502101

Don Young

Don Young started his business career with Unilever, since when he has been a senior manager of several companies that have been forced to confront extensive change. He was a director of Redland plc from 1994 - 1998 and prior to that Thorn EMI plc, and he has co founded three management consultancies, YSC Ltd., Value Partnership Ltd., and Woodbridge Partners Ltd., an executive coaching partnership. The Financial Times said of his previous book Having their Cake, 'a devastating analysis of the relationships between chief executives and investment banks'

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Southern California's Central Valley:

San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Sequoia National Park, Big Bear Lake, Beaumont, Ontario

Don & Marjorie Young

HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC.

E-mail: [e-mail]

Web site: www.hunterpublishing.com

© Hunter Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is correct, but the publisher and authors do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or any potential problem caused by information in this guide, even if these are a result of negligence, accident or any other cause. All opinions expressed in this book stem from the authors' personal experience only or from those of her contributors; consequently, neither they nor the contributors can be held accountable for a reader's personal experience while traveling.

About The Authors

Don Young

Don Young has written professionally since he was a teenager. Starting first as a reporter for weekly and daily newspapers, he has worked in both radio and television, edited award-winning magazines both nationally and internationally, and served as a public relations executive for two Fortune 500 companies.

His work has appeared in many of the nation's foremost periodicals, and he has authored a dozen books on topics ranging from business management to the treatment of sleep disorders.

Marjorie Young

Marjorie taught elementary school children how to write for 20 years. She is currently practicing what she preached all of those years.

Marjorie's work has appeared in New Mexico Magazine, Bed & Breakfast Locator, The Appraisers Standard, Global Golfer, and a number of other publications throughout the country.

Her next effort, also in collaboration with her husband, is another book for Hunter Publishing: Adventure Guide to the Pacific Northwest.

California, Here We Come…

History

Geography

How To Use This Book

The Nature Of Adventure

The Central Valley

Getting Around

Touring

Exeter

Lindsay

Sequoia National Park

Springville

Tulare

Bakersfield

Delano

Kernville

Taft

Frazier Park

Lebec

Santa Clarita

Tehachapi

Inyokern

Mojave

Randsburg

Ridgecrest

Lancaster

Boron

California City

Rosamond

Victorville

San Bernardino

Big Bear Lake

Lake Arrowhead

Riverside

Beaumont

Ontario

Ghost Towns

Adventures

On Foot

On Horseback

On Wheels

On & In the Water

On Snow

In the Air

Eco-Travel/Cultural Excursions Where To Stay

Where To Eat

California, Here We Come

and why not?

Ask almost anybody to name his or her favorite vacation spot and, chances are, the answer will be either California or Florida.

There are a number of excellent reasons for that. Year-round good weather, an ample supply of outstanding accommodations and excellent restaurants, and countless attractions entice and entrance visitors of all ages. California has some marvelous beaches, offering swimming, surfing, waterskiing, boating, hiking, biking, camping and horseback riding. It has outstanding saltwater and freshwater fishing. History buffs are also drawn by interesting Indian villages to explore, plus 21 historic Spanish missions that were built while our Colonial forefathers were still battling for their independence from the British crown.

Planet earth supports eight major ecological communities or biomes, scientists tell us. Five of them can be found in California.

The North American continent has four separate desert regions. Three – the Sonoran Desert, the Mojave Desert and a small piece of the Great Basin Desert – are in California.

And California encompasses no fewer than eight magnificent national parks: the Channel Islands, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Redwood, Sequoia and Yosemite.

When you travel to southern California, you can take a daytrip to an exotic foreign country – Mexico.

If you are here in the summer and the heat becomes too oppressive, you can retreat to the cool comfort of the mountains.

In the winter, you can ski those same mountains, go ice skating or snowboarding, or you can stay at the lower elevations where it's warm and explore the California deserts. You can easily do both on the same day!

We love southern California. It has an appeal distinctly its own. Let us show you what we mean…

History

For centuries, the residents of America's West Coast were effectively screened from their Eastern neighbors by the majestic, but almost insurmountable Rocky Mountains. Unique Native American cultures evolved, influenced more by migrating tribes from Alaska and Canada to the north than by the Iroquois, Chippewa, Apache, Comanche and other Indian cultures that flourished along America's East Coast and throughout the vast central plains.

Gabrielino Indians inhabited most of the region which is present-day Los Angeles. The Chumash were found along the Pacific coast between Los Angeles and San Simeon to the north. The Yokuts, Tubaculabah, Kawaisu, Kitanemuk, Tatviam and Serrano occupied California's fertile Central Valley.

Southward from Los Angeles to